Events technician controls Richmond

Events technician Rich McDonald is the behind-the-scenes man responsible for electrical, mechanical and menial tasks, but his contributions to Richmond extend far beyond his job title; he is an indispensable cog in the University of Richmond wheel.

Simply uttering McDonald's name in the Robins Center last week resulted in a frenzy of Richmond staff members and student-athletes eager to shower accolades on their facilities worker, partner, teammate and friend.

Robert Drewry, women's basketball manager, said McDonald was invaluable. He makes sure everything runs smoothly at the football and basketball stadiums, Drewry said, and he did it without receiving much acclaim.

Jim Miller, director of athletics, said McDonald had already been named a legend when he started at Richmond 11 years ago.

"He's a person you just like," Miller said. "He's humorous, witty and caring. People may appreciate what he does, but certainly, more importantly, who he is."

Rachel Park, assistant director of athletic public relations, said McDonald was Richmond's greatest asset.

"Events would not function without him," she said. "Not only is he at every event I work, but he is there hours beforehand and hours afterwards."

McDonald takes a lot of pride in what he does, Park said.

"It is not just a job to him; it is a passion," she said, "and I think that's where his dedication comes from."

McDonald has taken only one sick day in 11 years and he has missed only one home football game and two home basketball games since 1979. The reason he missed the basketball games, McDonald said, was the poor planning of a trip to Disney World with his wife before the basketball schedule came out.

"I have a little bit of pride about being able to make the events," he said. "They depend on me, and I don't want to let anyone down."

Jana Ross, assistant director of athletic marketing and fan development, said even before McDonald took off for his flight, he had come to the Robins Center to make sure everything would run smoothly without him.

He is a wonderful person who always puts others before himself, she said. Event management in athletics welcomes high-pressure situations because it is in a performance setting, Ross said. A lot of things can go wrong at the last minute, such as the power going out or the microphone malfunctioning.

When small crises like that happen, she said, the first person to contact is McDonald, and most likely he has already started fixing whatever went wrong by the time he is reached.

Ross said McDonald's humble attitude has made him so deserving of the recognition from which he shies away.

One example of his selflessness happened about two or three years ago, she said. Ross said she had wanted to have a band play after a football game, but there hadn't been enough power outside to accommodate the speakers.

McDonald worked late into the night to construct an electrical box that would service the power, she said. He is constantly going above and beyond to make what someone wants work for the benefit of everyone, she said.

Equipment manager Ken Hart said he had been so excited to hear that a story would be written about McDonald, he had spent a number of hours brainstorming how to describe his long-time colleague and friend.

"I never served in the military," Hart said. "I have no idea what that would be like, but the old adage is, 'If you were in a fox hole, who would you want with you?' Rich McDonald is the guy you want in the fox hole with you."

He's about the most unassuming, humble, God-fearing man that you'll ever meet, he said.

"And he gets embarrassed at any kind of recognition of his value, not only to the athletic department but to the whole cotton-picking university," Hart said.

When Richmond started leasing City Stadium for a dollar a year in 1983, Hart said, McDonald was employed by the city to maintain the stadium, the Richmond Coliseum and the Richmond Arena.

"Hiring a man who knew every skeleton in the stadium was a no-brainer," Hart said, "and Rich's abilities, people skills and can-do, get-it-done attitude has just mushroomed over the years."

McDonald is the apotheosis of a Jack-of-all-trades, Hart said. The physical plant is divided up among the carpentry, electric, plumbing, heating and auto shops, he said. Although McDonald is assigned to the electrical shop, Hart said, he attends to whatever needs to be done or whoever needs help, regardless of the job function.

Hart said he and McDonald had shared many laughs and road trips together with the football team over the years. The team even provided McDonald with coaching staff travel gear to look like a part of the team from the sidelines, Hart said.

Miller said this was a testament to the way people felt about McDonald.

"When Rich comes on trips with the team, he's not looked at as someone from facilities," Miller said. "He is one of the teammates, a partner."

McDonald said he appreciated the way the team has treated him over the years.

"The coaches take care of me," he said. "They treat me like family."

When the men's basketball team went to the NCAA Tournament last year, he said, head men's basketball coach Chris Mooney even brought him back a watch as a token of appreciation.

Drewry said McDonald was a huge trinket fan, but stepping into McDonald's office in the main arena is like entering a Richmond events time capsule. On display are posters, pictures and collectibles from every event that happened at Richmond since the early 1980s.

The very best part about his job, McDonald said, is meeting the students and getting to know them over the years. It's especially neat when alumni come back to visit, he said.

The variety makes the job exciting, too, he said. "I don't just do one thing every day," he said. "I do graduation, special Olympics, weddings, funerals and all the sports except for baseball. It's just a lot of fun. I'd say I have the best job on campus."

McDonald said being a Christian has helped him to approach life positively and accept whatever comes his way with a smile, whether good or bad. The facilities team shares this positive outlook, he said, which has contributed to the aversion of any possible catastrophes during games or events over the years.

Some of his favorite times at Richmond, McDonald said, were dressing up as Spidey in the Christmas parade a few years ago, helping with the 1994 Presidential debate and overseeing the creation of the new stadium from inception to completion.

Ross said McDonald had played an integral role in the process, and McDonald said he had appreciated being able to voice his input about the stadium's design from an electrical standpoint, such as wiring it for cable.

"Having the new stadium makes my job so much easier," he said. "I'll actually be able to make it to retirement now."

But McDonald said he wouldn't be thinking about retiring for another 10 years. In that time, he said, he hopes to see the Robins Center also undergo renovation.

When the day does come to finally turn in the keys, McDonald said, he and his wife would most likely take off to the happiest place on Earth: Walt Disney World. "My wife and I have been to Disney 32 times," he said. "I just love it there. Everyone is happy, and there isn't any trouble, fussing or arguing. It's almost too perfect."

Contact reporter Kaylin Politzer at kaylin.politzer@richmond.edu