Chelsea McCarty

He’s been a Milwaukee ambassador for years. Now, he serves the unhoused with a ‘heart of gold.’

By: Nathanial Rosenberg

First Posted on: August 14, 2023 in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When Brian Johnson got a call that a woman was screaming and crying on the bridge near West McKinley Avenue, he sprang into action.

Johnson called his supervisor and police and then hustled over to the scene, arriving just in time to see the woman leaning over the railing, on the verge of attempting suicide.

“At that moment, I didn’t think about that I couldn’t swim, I thought about: That’s a life right there,” Johnson said. “Somebody needs help.”

Johnson began talking to the woman, urging her to back away from the edge and pray with him. She refused his appeals, asking him to tell her mother and children she loved them. Then she began to lean over the railing. Johnson lunged forward and grabbed her, pulling her back and talking with her until assistance arrived.

Safety Day 2023

While safety is our No. 1 priority every day, Block by Block’s (BBB) official Safety Day comes only once a year. This is a day where BBB Teams come together for food, fun and important discussions about safety.

BBB’s Stop. Think. Act. Program began in 2014 as a commitment to regularly teach and remind our Ambassadors and Teams of the importance of our safety best practices.

Rubber bracelets with the motto “Stop. Think. Act.” denote the safety status of each account BBB contracts with and are a part of the daily uniform for all Ambassadors in the field. When we first open in a new location, each member of the Ambassador Team receives a black bracelet that serves as a daily reminder to Stop, Think and Act safely. Once an account has reached 12 months with no injuries, they receive yellow bracelets. When an account reaches 24 months with no injuries, they are upgraded again to green bracelets.

BBB and our teams across the country celebrated Safety Day on June 30. Operation Managers (OMs) met with their teams to discuss why safety is important and went over previous incidents that have occurred. The teams discussed how those incidents could have been avoided, as they bonded with the team over a meal provided by BBB. Team Leaders also facilitated discussions about close calls or would-be incidents that were narrowly avoided or intentionally prevented. They discussed what was done correctly and what could have been done better.

Ambassadors also tested their safety knowledge with quizzes, trivia and even jeopardy! Each account leader was responsible for making the day fun, engaging and educational. Teams across the country showcased their celebrations on our Block by Block Ambassador Facebook page.

At the time of BBB Safety Day 2023, 34 accounts were injury free for one to two years, and 38 accounts were injury free for over two years. That’s more than half of BBB accounts that are injury free for one year or more!

We want to highlight some of those accounts with outstanding injury prevention! Downtown Fargo Business Improvement District (BID) is one of these accounts.

“We are always talking about safety, during shift briefings and throughout the day.” Victor Heitkamp, Fargo BID OM, said. “We talk about items that are relevant for any giving day.”

Lately, Victor has been discussing heat safety at his account. “We have seen some extreme heat for our area, and I am constantly reminding teammates to stay hydrated, take breaks when they need and keep an eye out for one another,” he said.

“I feel we are fortunate because we have such a small crew of Ambassadors that it’s easy to look after one another,” Victor added. “I also give BBB a huge amount of credit. The efforts they take on safety and safety training are like no other! I truly feel that corporate cares about its people working across the country through the 140+ programs. There is great uniformity and expectation set with good direction that comes from the top.”

Another safety-focused account with over two years without injury is the University of Akron, Ohio. OM Jon Roethlisberger said he attributes their success to his belief that “safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.”

We applaud these accounts for their success and encourage those with less than a year to continue keeping safety at the forefront of their daily activities!

Internal Promotions Recognized

Block by Block (BBB) is a big believer in our people. We pride ourselves on promoting from within when we have the opportunity. One way that we do this is by first notifying all staff of Internal Job Postings prior to sharing the job on external sites.

Another way we give our employees the opportunity to move up is through our Leadership Identification Program (LID). LID gives our Ambassadors and other staff the opportunity to figuratively “raise their hand” to notify BBB that they want to stand out, apply themselves, and move up through BBB.

Many of the leaders within BBB have been with us for decades, moving up through the ranks over the years. In fact, President Blair McBride began working as a Cleaning Ambassador with BBB in 1994.

We are proud to announce the following recent promotions from within.

Adam has been with BBB for 5 years. He began his BBB journey as a Safety Ambassador, was then promoted to Team Lead and has now been promoted to Operations Supervisor for City Center Partnership in Columbia, SC. Adam first came to BBB because “the [Ambassador] position appealed to me because it was something to do outside. Having the ability to enjoy being outside and get paid to help people was intriguing.” When he isn’t working, Adam enjoys playing the drums and hanging out with his kids. What’s next for Adam? He’s got his sights set on being an Operations Manager one day. Keep up the great work, Adam!

Nicholas was hired as a General Manager (GM) four years ago and was recently promoted to Regional Vice President (RVP), overseeing BBB accounts throughout the Southern United States. He came to BBB in search of a better work-life balance and he says he found it. “There’s pressure and accountability in our world, but we are empowered to solve problems. I love that,” he said. Nicholas’s favorite part about being a GM was getting to work with the Ambassadors, saying, “We have safe, productive fun. Work is play.” He looks forward to helping managers develop professional to reach their goals in his new role as RVP. Outside of work Nicholas loves to spend time with his wife and their three children. Congratulations, Nicholas!

Alicia started at BBB as a Cleaning Ambassador before being promoted to Team Lead. She is now the Operations Manager for Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) in Arlington, VA. She said that she has learned a lot over the last seven years and that “working at Block by Block changed [her] life.” As Team Lead she enjoyed teaching Ambassadors techniques to become better Ambassadors. In her new position, she looks forward to helping create a cleaner BID, more productive team, and improving the team in ways she couldn’t before. In her personal time, Alicia likes to go for walks and take photos in parks. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in your new role, Alicia!

Kori is our newest BBB employee in this list, but she has brought a go-getter spirit with her, diving headfirst into working with RVPs across the country and learning all aspects of the financial side of BBB. She joined the corporate team in July of 2020 as the Financial Project Manager and has recently been promoted to Finance and Training Manager this year. She came to BBB after interviewing at multiple companies and believing we were the best fit and a “new challenge” for her to take on. In her new position, Kori looks forward to providing more direct support to field staff and expanding her role in training. In her free time, Kori likes to hike and arrange flowers. Congratulations on the promotion, Kori!

South Bend Leader Joins Block by Block

As Block by Block (BBB) looks towards the future of operations, Aaron Perri has been hired as Vice President of Strategic Growth to further BBB’s vision for services throughout the country.

In his new position, Aaron will not only be pursuing new markets to identify potential BBB accounts, but he will also be working to find ways to apply the BBB operating model to more public spaces like municipal governments, transit systems, campuses and parks agencies.

Aaron is the first of two new hires joining BBB from the field of downtown services who were customers before coming to work with us. (Chip is the second, and you can read about him here). Aaron previously held the positions of Executive Director of the City of South Bend and Executive Director of Downtown South Bend, Inc. (DTSB) in Indiana.

As Executive Director of DTSB, Aaron picked up oversight of a previously established BBB Ambassador Program. During his time working in South Bend, he grew this Ambassador Program into three other areas of the city. Working with BBB during these years, Aaron said he “came to understand the extreme values that BBB could add to communities.”

When Aaron announced on his LinkedIn in May that he would be stepping away from serving South Bend directly, his post was flooded with well-wishes and praise for the work he has done there. “You enthusiastically pointed out the gems and saw the possibilities [for South Bend],” one commentor wrote. Another said, “South Bend is a better place because of you. Thank you.” “Thank you so much for the vision and leadership you provided for our City,” said yet another. This single post had over one hundred comments and over four hundred reactions.

The kind words from Aaron’s friends and colleagues are truly a testament to the impact he has had on the city. It is clear Aaron is a beloved leader to the people of South Bend for the efforts he has contributed to change it from what Newsweek called a “Dying City” in 2011 to the place of economic and cultural relevance that it is today. Aaron said this is what he is most proud of in his career so far.

Aaron has played a major role in many projects to better the City of South Bend. Some of his favorites include the South Bend River Lights, a public art project that shines colorful lights across the St. Joseph River, and Howard Park, an award-winning park with playgrounds, fountains, event space and more that helped win the city the National Gold Medal Award, the highest recognition in the industry.

“I was always impressed with the way BBB was able to creatively and professionally bring solutions to the challenges we faced. Even more so, I experienced first-hand the ‘whatever it takes’ commitment from all levels of the BBB team,” Aaron reflected, “I had no clue that I’d one day be on that team, but I’m excited to be here!”

Aaron has a “passion for creating emotionally engaging places” and he “look[s] forward to helping cities across the country identify solutions to do just that!”

He is excited to meet people across the country who are making a difference in their communities, hear their stories and help resource their efforts.

Outside of work, Aaron loves all things Notre Dame football. In his free time, he likes to practice yoga, enjoy great food and wine and travel. Lucky for him, this new position will take him coast-to-coast. He will continue to live in South Bend with his wife and work remotely when he is not traveling.

Welcome to the Block, Aaron! We are proud of your achievements in South Bend and can’t wait to see everything you will accomplish with BBB!

A ‘Chip’ off the Old Block by Block

Most people have a last name, but Chip isn’t like most people. He started going by “Chip” around his friends during his teenage years and the name just stuck. He decided to make himself officially mononymous and changed his full legal name to just ‘Chip.’

Chip is a well-known figure in the world of downtown services, a realm he feels “spoiled” to have stumbled into. He has been in downtown management in various roles for two decades after his business in a downtown district introduced him to the world. Chip is coming to Block by Block (BBB) from the Downtown Boulder Partnership in Colorado, where he served as CEO for the last four years. Prior to working with Downtown Boulder, Chip worked with the Downtown Association of Santa Cruz (DTSC), California. At other points in his career, he has worked with the California Downtown Association (CDA) and the International Downtown Association (IDA) communities.

Chip is no stranger to BBB. He brought Ambassadors to Downtown Boulder in 2020 and DTSC hired BBB the same year at his suggestion. As a BBB customer, Chip had already established many relationships with work colleagues at BBB. It was serendipitous, he says, that he came to find out about the open position for a West Coast District Vice President.

Around the same time he and his wife (who does have a last name) were thinking about moving back to California to be closer to their family, Chip ran into Derreck Hughes, BBB Vice President of Operations, at IDA’s West Coast Summit. Derreck mentioned BBB would soon be hiring someone to cover West Coast BBB accounts. After hearing this, Chip followed up and “threw his name in the hat.” The rest, as they say, is history. Chip begins his new role as West Coast District Vice President at the end of July operating out of San Francisco, CA.

For Chip, moving to California is a homecoming. Not only is he looking forward to being closer to family, but he is also excited to reunite with business associates from BBB and  downtown staff he has worked with over the years.

Chip brings a unique perspective of having run Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), worked with cities and businesses, and been “the person in the hotseat” ensuring everything gets done and done right. As a former downtown district CEO, Chip says he recognizes that the world of safety, cleaning and taking care of public infrastructure needs to change. He looks forward to creating strategic innovations and helping grow leaders as BBB leads the charge of improving downtowns across America.

Chip is enthusiastic about the challenge of infusing the renowned BBB Company Culture with the culture of each unique downtown that BBB serves. “I’m excited to get to work with people in some of the most amazing downtowns in the world all over the West Coast. I’m thrilled for this opportunity,” Chip said.

When asked what he was most proud of accomplishing during his career, Chip mentioned honorable undertakings like assisting in the creation of a Community Advisory Board that focuses on equity issues in Boulder, as well as helping with homelessness support organizations. But more than anything else, Chip feels a great sense of pride for the role he has played in the professional development of his team and those around him, especially when they move on to better opportunities for themselves, whether it is with the company he works for or outside of it. He likes to support people on their journey as they evolve and grow into better versions of themselves. Chip has seen many individuals use the role of an Ambassador as a launchpad for other adventures, both within BBB and outside of it.

Outside of work, Chip is a basketball fanatic. In his spare time, he said he likes to “eat, drink, play basketball and hangout with [his] wife.” For Chip’s fun fact, he said he once worked for the Pickle Family Circus – as a rigger, production manager and lighting designer.

BBB looks forward to Chip taking the reins of the West Coast accounts and seeing all that he will accomplish in this new role. He joins John Koch, Central Division Vice President, and Carin Cardone, East Coast Division Vice President. Congratulations, Chip! Before you know it, you’ll be a regular Chip off the old Block by Block!

New Partnership with LOUMED

Mid-March, Block by Block (BBB) began a partnership with Louisville Medical and Education District (LOUMED for short), a new development district in Louisville, KY. Four anchor tenants in Downtown Louisville make up this district: University of Louisville, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Norton Healthcare and University of Louisville Health.

According to LOUMED Executive Director Nadareca Thibeaux, these partners want to “cultivate a cohesive medical campus by improving walkability, adding more greenspace, improving traffic flow and creating a safe and welcoming environment for all who visit, work and are educated here in [the] district.”

LOUMED is made up of 22 blocks, 250 acres and 9.6 million sq ft of occupied space. In this area of Louisville alone, more than 16,000 individuals are employed. With safety a primary concern in the district, LOUMED has hired 15 Ambassadors to cover the 22-block area. In addition to safety, these Ambassadors provide cleaning, wayfinding and hospitality services in the district.

Each of the new Ambassadors will also fulfill the following responsibilities in the district:

• Create a visible presence that makes visitors feel welcome and safe, and ensures situations can be handled appropriately.
• Discourage active aggressors as they report prohibited behaviors and crimes.
• Focus on Safety Risk Aversion and Quality of Life Issues. They will treat all individuals in the district with respect while keeping the area safe for all. Ambassadors will also be able to connect individuals in-need with helpful community resources.
• Direct, offer greetings and share historical information to visitors in the district.
• Respond to various needs like conveying parking information, repairing a tire, carrying boxes, escorting staff or even holding doors for visitors.
• Build community connections with business owners and stakeholders in the district.

During a press briefing in the LOUMED District on Thursday, May 18^th, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg discussed the importance of these four tenants coming together to improve the area. In a post shared after the event, Greenberg said the new partnership with BBB “will enhance the experience of our public spaces for visitors, employees, students and patients!”

In just three months, the BBB LOUMED Ambassador Team has already begun to make an impact in the district. After the press briefing was over, a Starbucks employee next door expressed excitement after learning that the Ambassadors were going to be a permanent staple in the district, claiming they have already made her feel safer as she arrives for and leaves work.

Since their first full month of service in April until now, LOUMED Ambassadors have made 236 hospitality assists, conducted 15 safety escorts and made over 16,000 greetings. So far this May, the Ambassador Team has filled 44 trash bags of litter collected off the street. Anyone in need of a safety escort in the LOUMED district can contact 502-791-1435.

LOUMED BBB Ambassadors have not only offered hospitality services, cleaning and safety escorts, but they have also assisted in removing a known criminal from the district streets. Monday evening this week, LOUMED Ambassadors were alerted that a person with outstanding warrants had been acting erratic and violent towards multiple female employees of district businesses. The man’s image was distributed to Ambassadors during shift briefings each day. On Wednesday morning, an Ambassador Team Lead successfully located the assailant and reported his whereabouts to police, ultimately leading to the man’s pickup and arrest.

BBB is proud of these Ambassadors who assisted the local police with finding this individual. This incident is further proof that BBB Ambassadors across the country are actively making communities safer for the people who live in, work in and visit them. As LOUMED continues to beautify and improve the district with new infrastructure, parks and more, BBB Ambassadors will be there every step of the way to make the community cleaner, friendlier and safer!

While San Francisco Sleeps, These Teams Go to Work

Each night, just as San Franciscans are finishing dinner, tucking-in children, and getting ready for their nightly routines, Block by Block (BBB) third-shift Ambassadors are showing up for work, ready to make the streets of Union Square and the surrounding blocks spic and span.

Freddie “Raven” Anderson, Operations Supervisor, and Tinea Adams, General Manager, oversee BBB Ambassador operations at San Francisco, California’s Union Square. While many of their responsibilities match those of other BBB teams throughout the country, part of their job is uniquely special to Union Square’s needs.

Like every account that BBB operates, a one-of-a-kind workplan has been created to tackle the needs specific to Union Square. A part of this plan is routine, nightly power washing. While the Union Square Alliance is approximately 26 blocks (or 1.6 miles), the actual walking distance of both sides of the streets, all block faces and alcoves in the Alliance is approximately 7.5 miles. It takes the BBB third-shift Ambassador Team about a week to power wash the entire Alliance—a distance equivalent to walking the Golden Gate Bridge about 4.5 times from one end to the other.

Around 8 p.m. each night, three to four individuals with pressure washers are deployed throughout Union Square. To prevent late-night noise disturbances for sleeping residents, attention is first directed toward residential areas. A driver is also sent out in an All-Terrain Litter Vacuum (ATLV) to pick up larger debris from streets and curbs. After the residential areas have been power washed, next come the dirtiest areas, with customer requests given precedence.

Working in tandem into the early hours of the morning, the team makes their way through the district covering a different route of the Alliance each evening. The result of all this effort? Residents, business owners, and tourists wake up to clean streets clear of debris as they go about their morning routines.

Raven says working at night comes with unique challenges, with the safety of BBB crews a number one priority. In addition to ensuring the night crews are wearing proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Raven also touches base with all crew members throughout the night to know where everyone is and make sure everyone is accounted for. Typically, two Ambassadors will clean opposite sides of the same street, carrying walky-talkies and their company SMART devices in case they run into any issues or need to notify the Team Lead of a concern. Working in pairs adds a layer of safety for Ambassadors during this late-night work.

Other than safety concerns and preventing noise around residential areas, Raven and Tinea said the overnight Ambassador Teams encounter other issues day crews do not. On Friday and Saturday nights, Union Square comes alive with bar-goers and night life. They said it can be challenging to pressure wash while the sidewalks are busy with people. Cleaning the streets and curb-lines can also be difficult when cars are parked there, making it hard for the ATLV to get close enough to pick up debris. Despite these challenges, the Ambassadors accomplish their nightly power washing every evening, without fail.

Not only do the Ambassadors accomplish their tasks, but they excel at them, thanks to a 14-point Quality Control Audit System created by BBB. This system is a checklist for the quality of the cleaning completed in each section and by each Ambassador. It includes locations like curb-lines, sidewalks, tree boxes, alcoves/doorways, and other visible elements that need special attention in the Alliance. Cleaning Ambassadors are given a grade out of four, based on how clean each location is from a zero, unacceptable, to a four, outstanding. Individuals not performing to BBB standards are issued feedback and clarified expectations. If individuals repeatedly fail to meet expectations, they will be relieved of their position. This guarantees that the Alliance is getting the quality results they pay for.

Third-shift Ambassadors work an eight-hour shift with a 40-minute lunch break. Around 4:00 a.m., all Ambassadors return to the main operating station to clean the inside and outside of the vehicles used and debrief on the evening. This happens every single night, seven days a week.

Raven has been with BBB since 2016, having worked just about every position there is: cleaning, special projects, pressure washing, Team Lead and now Operations. Currently, because of his experience, Raven is covering as Team Lead during the night shifts at Union Square as they look to hire new supervisors.

Tinea came to work at BBB after working retail and being a stay-at-home mom. She wanted to work somewhere she could manage great people, something she is deeply passionate about. At BBB, Tinea has found somewhere she loves going to every day, where she can make a difference in the community and meet tourists from all over the world (while getting to work outside!).

Tinea believes the BBB Ambassador Team and SF Travel, another division of BBB in San Francisco focusing on tourism, are a family that works together to make Union Square clean and safe, keeping visitors coming back.

“When you walk through, how clean are our streets? They are very clean because we are doing a great job. It feels good to know we are making a difference. You can see the difference in the borders where we don’t work,” she said.

Raven shared similar sentiment. He feels it is amazing to be able to work in a world-renowned city with team camaraderie and where everyone knows you.

San Francisco’s Union Square is a bustling, historic part of the city with backdrops of quaint cable cars, large events, shopping and immense history, and BBB Ambassadors are there to keep it safe and clean for visitors and locals every step of the way—both night and day.

A Man in Need

This story was submitted to the Block by Block (BBB) corporate team from Operations Manager Kyle Robinson of Akron, Ohio. It represents a common encounter BBB Ambassadors can experience in the field and an effective, impactful way to respond to help the community—or even just a single person.

A Letter from Operations Manager Kyle Robinson

I just wanted to share some information I received from one of my Clean Ambassadors, Val Kramer, recently. This truly made me so proud of her and our Ambassador team! Val was not present at one of our team meetings, and I could not reach her by phone that day. The next day, she came to me to explain her absence and shared an inspiring full-circle story.

On Tuesday, March 21^st, 2023, Val was returning to the Greystone building (our HQ) for a bi-weekly team meeting. As she was walking down Main St., she noticed a man sitting alone on the swings with a box of random things. She said that she greeted him with a “hello, how are you.” After he said hello, she said she felt the need to stop. So, she stopped. At first, she said he was a little distant, but she kept speaking with him and they began to break the ice. They went back and forth with small talk, and, eventually, the man—we’ll call him John—began to tell her his story.

As they spoke, John told her that he had lost his purpose in the world and that he didn’t want to live anymore. He told her that he had lost all hope and he was just done. Val quickly reassured him that he has so much to live for and asked why he felt this way. As John continued to open up, Val continued to actively listen and engage.

He gave Val a brief life history/story and once he started to talk to her, she said it was a very natural conversation. He began telling her about his past work as a welder and that he loved building tricycles and hoped to build one that could assist the elderly and disabled. John told her about a terrible motorcycle accident he was in; about how his identity was recently stolen and his accounts drained; and that he once died in a surgery and was brought back to life. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another.

He opened up to Val about his faith, discussing spirituality and his feelings on how he lost his purpose, more so, his desire to live. Val recommended some books she read that he may find helpful and told him about a faith-based book she actually found downtown while working as an Ambassador. She also gave him information on Victims Assistance, CSS, and some other services offered in our area.

As she continued to talk to him, he mentioned that they had met before. Eventually, he told her that they spoke way back in 2014 and she stopped and showed him the same kindness then and he always remembered that. As the conversation ended, Val ensured he had information to local services and had a place to stay. John took the information, said he had an apartment in the area, and said he was feeling a little better. She said he never asked for anything; he just needed someone to talk to.

I just want to thank Val for such an incredible engagement and for taking the time to ensure John was heard and not only offered resources, but also offered kindness and compassion. The fact that he remembered Val for that same kindness, almost 10 years later, is a beautiful thing. I can only imagine how many people remember Val for her acts of kindness over the last 21 years that she has worked for Block by Block. This really does shine a light on how impactful the Ambassadors are in our communities every day.

Respectfully,

Kyle Robison, Operations Manager

Downtown Akron, Ohio Partnership