23
WINTER 2021
Bob Hitchcock
The energy
savers
Just because no one was in their offices doesn't
mean that utilities can be ignored. No one knows
that better than James Kirchner, director of plant
operations. TCNJ's utility plant sends heat, air
conditioning, and electricity out to campus.
"We can't shut all that down just because no one
is in the buildings," says Kirchner. The jet engines
and boilers that control the power on campus
need licensed operators at all times, and Kirchner
depended on his team of boiler operators like Bob
Hitchcock to do that. The boiler operators were
responsible for checking water temperatures and
controlling humidity to prevent mold from building
up, a task vital to keeping our buildings, and the
people in them, healthy. "My staff come every day,
in three different shifts," says Kirchner. "I am really
proud my crew has stepped up to the plate in times
like these and we are keeping the college running."
