James Brown leaves MCPS after 31 years

Building service manager James Brown will retire due to kidney trouble after more than a decade at Blair and 31 years in MCPS. A replacement manager will probably be found by the fall.

About two weeks ago, Brown learned that he would need four hours of kidney dialysis each day, which was enough time to interfere with his work. "I didn't decide [to leave]. I guess my body decided," he says.

Brown will miss Blair, where he has been building service manager since 1993. "Every day I touch the lives of 4000 folks," he said. "To me, that's fulfilling."

A hiring process for the new building service manager can begin in 45 days, Brown says. The position is not an easy spot to fill: besides being the largest school in MCPS, Blair also has the largest building service staff (around 20 workers). "It is a lot of responsibility," informs Brown. "You can't take anything for granted. You have to deal with a lot of personalities."

Brown says he would prefer next year's manager to be someone from outside the school. Neither Night Manager Harold Walker nor Plant Equipment Manager Reggie Tobin indicated interest in the position.

Brown still has a few weeks of sick leave left before he must officially retire. He then plans to spend more time at the health club and more time with his family. In the meantime, he says, there are several things to wrap up. "It's a lot of loose ends to tie up, and you can't just walk away," he says.