From blooms to bowling, Sargis Award winner Brindley makes a difference on the campus and in the community
If there is anyone at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point who works behind the scenes, it’s Chris Brindley, building and grounds manager in Facility Services.
As a supervisor of staff in grounds, custodial, auto shop, recycling and surplus, Brindley manages the folks that keep the campus running smoothly, 24/7. For his dedication and leadership, he was awarded the 2025-26 Carolyn Rolfson Sargis Award, which recognizes employees with more than 25 years of service who specifically work behind the scenes.
Even so, the results of his work are often some of the most seen and scenic parts of campus. Whether they are employees, students or visitors, everyone takes notice of the flowerbeds, trees, container arrangements and landscaping features that make every part of the campus beautiful and colorful.
“It’s a balancing act because there are five full-time staff members who handle everything from irrigation to tree pruning, mowing and planting,” he said. “We try to simplify things, have some formal areas and others that are more natural. We tie in sustainability factors, and in recent years have added about 100 containers because they look lush and pretty while being manageable.”
The landscaping work is year-round, with plants that offer color in the winter as well as new blooms and grasses for warm seasons. Molly Dulak, a garden designer, spends the winter creating flower bed designs and creating orders for plants and seeds.
“Molly is a UWSP alum she’s vested into the campus, and it shows,” Brindley said. “While it’s important for our campus to look beautiful all the time, we want it to be more impactful during the months when our students are here.”
The staff also manages approximately 1,800 trees on campus. Brindley brings his wood turning group to campus for tours to identify hundreds of species. “I like when people ask me what kind of tree or bush we have because its one they’ve never seen before.”
After earning his degree in forestry from UW-Stevens Point, Brindley worked as a park supervisor in the Chicago suburbs before deciding to return to his college community to get back to small-town living. He took the role of custodial and grounds superintendent in 1998 and later added supervision of the auto shop, recycling program and surplus.
“I work with amazing people,” said Brindley. “I’m really proud of the behind-the-scenes staff that that get things done.” This includes snow plowing at 2 a.m., when it’s all hands-on deck and a snow team that includes employees from recycling, carpentry and maintenance, he said. “We’ve knocked down the silos and created a team that helps each other out.”
Brindley is also very busy outside of his campus work. He and his wife, Jennifer, turned their love for live music into community charity events, having raised more than $27,000 over the years. Big fans of the band, Tesla, they’ve seen them perform nearly 160 times. After meeting one of their opening bands, Pop Evil, and striking up a friendship with the bass guitarist, they began working with him on his charity, Star Treatments. This organization raises funds to help families of children with cancer get transportation for treatments, including limousine rides.
“My idea to help raise money for this charity was Bowl with the Band, events at local bowling alleys with bowling, raffles and a concert at the end,” Brindley said. They worked with several different bands and held the events at Coral Lanes in Rothschild for many years.
The couple now helps run concert events that raise money for local charities including Stuff the Bus, Christmas is for Children and the Humane Society of Portage County. Brindley is president of the Central Wisconsin Parrot Head Club, so the events are Jimmy Buffett themed.
His wood-turning hobby also benefits the community, as he teaches it at the Boys and Girls Club in Stevens Point and Plover, helping children make wooden pens, plates and vases. While retirement is not yet on the horizon, he hopes to share his hobby with more people after he’s done working full-time.
After 28 years at UWSP, Brindley has worked with hundreds of students, and he finds that the best part of his job at the university is when his former student employees reach out to thank him for their work experience.
“You don’t realize you are impacting their lives, but you are,” he said. “When they come back to visit or say thank you, it’s a great feeling to know you have made an impact for them.”
Brindley said his work helps him see the whole picture on campus and how everyone collaborates, and that has made a difference in increasing enrollment at UWSP.
“Students want to come here because people work together,” he said. “That adds value to our campus.”