MU SPOTLIGHT 20/20
DOUG PLOTTS
What is your role at the University and what is something many may not know about the work you do?
I’m the Director of Facilities Management, Planning and Construction (FMPC). During a snow storm, folks may see me walking campus with a shovel in hand!
My favorite spot on campus is…
The "zones room" in Main Hall. A great place for reflection and meditation.
What’s your favorite ɫɫ University tradition?
Traditions come and go, but one that will stick with me is Vespers. It is one of the most beautiful and heart-warming religious services that I have ever experienced.
My typical weekend would go something like this:
I have three grandchildren, and my daughter is a lacrosse, football, basketball and cheerleader mom—enough said! However, Friday night is always reserved for my wife and I to go out on the town. Usually this is only consists of dinner—can't indulge in the late night festivities anymore!
What are your favorite things to do when you’re not on campus?
Private reflection, spending time with my grandchildren, and fine dining followed by a snifter of Louis XIII cognac. The snifter doesn't happen often. All three activities seem to add meaning to my existence.
Finish this sentence: “When I grow up, I want to be _____.”
Exactly what I am. I love what I do both at work and at play. Some discuss the division between work and private life—my world is everything combined all the time.
Wild Card: Share a fun fact —anything!
Picture 1970 on a sunny spring morning. Two college students on a road trip: one riding a chopped 1200cc Harley the other on a 650cc Triumph (built by the students from the ground up) riding through the hills of West Virginia. Returning in a few days to a private student rental, we put the ramp on the stoop and drove it right into the house's living room until the next ride! One of those students was…guess who! Pure "Easy Rider" stuff.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Unorganized space. I have been known to reorganize a space when someone is away. I'm reminded of this when I watch the rerun of The Big Bang Theory when Sheldon reorganizes Penny's apartment.
Who is your hero? Why?
Martin Luther King, Jr. Although I wholehearted believe in his beliefs and causes, my admiration is about the man. Unlike many of the leaders of today, his honesty, integrity, and perseverance was extraordinary.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
A mentor once told me that if an important issue surfaces, don't react immediately because a more important issue will surface very soon thereafter and then you can calmly resolve the first issue more effectively.