Salino

Peter M. Salino, operations manager in the Grounds Department within the Facilities Services unit of Cornell, has been named director of the department. He succeeds Dennis Osika, who recently retired after more than 24 years in the position.

"After completing a national search by a blue ribbon committee, our overwhelming choice for the grounds director position simply had to be Pete Salino," said Philip Cox, senior director of facilities management. "He is unequivocally qualified for the job. This lends credence, I suppose, to the adage of finding diamonds in your own backyard."

Salino began his career at Cornell in the Grounds Department in the mid-1970s -- working summers during high school and then as a Cornell student. He earned a B.S. in environmental horticulture in 1979.

The Grounds Department maintains more than 310 acres of lawns, 80 acres of shrub and tree plantings, 26 miles of roads, 40 miles of walkways and 114 acres of parking. It also leads the university's recycling and solid waste management program as well as excavation and paving projects across campus.

Salino continues a legacy as a fourth-generation Cornell staff member. His great-grandfather was a mason at Cornell; his grandfather, a cabinetmaker; and his father was a mechanic in the Auto Shop.

Donna Goss is with Facilities Services Communications.