El Monte City School District (EMCSD) celebrated one of their own at the El Monte Promise Foundation’s 21st Annual Tamalada. EMCSD alum Gerardo “Jerry” Torres was named a Bobby Salcedo Esperanza Educator of the Year. Mr. Torres has dedicated 28 years of his professional career to serving EMCSD students, staff, and school communities. From his time as a custodian to his current Maintenance and Operations Manager position, he has profoundly impacted every level of EMCSD operations.
Mr. Torres’ journey at EMCSD began in the 7th grade when his family moved to the Potrero School attendance area. He then attended El Monte High and Valley Lindo Continuation High School (now known as Fernando Ledesma High). He was initially hired at EMCSD as part of a teen summer work program. That experience helped him land a job as a custodian, and he worked his way up to his current role as operations manager.
A consistent and familiar face throughout the community, Mr. Torres always puts EMCSD students at the forefront of his department’s work. He collaborates with his team to ensure students get the best experience possible on campus. “If you have a good relationship with your team and they know the why, it helps them understand that their work is important. I always try to tell my team to think about what they’re doing because it impacts the next day. We make sure we do a good job so teachers know their rooms are cleaned, sanitized, and ready.”
Mr. Torres’ leadership style has positively impacted his crew. “Jerry is the coach and mentor that guides us,” shared Eduardo Monjares, Districtwide Custodial Lead. “If it weren’t for him, many of us wouldn’t be able to develop our skills and talents. We have learned and grown professionally because he believes in us and he trusts us.”
Over the last few years, the EMCSD facilities team has worked tirelessly to ensure schools are clean and welcoming environments for the whole community. Using new custodial and facility schedules, including Saturday through Wednesday positions, the team can tackle more extensive cleaning and maintenance projects while limiting interruptions to student learning. Additionally, the team has reorganized school perimeter fencing to enhance curb appeal and give the public more access to green space. By moving back fences and adding more plants and trees, local neighbors can have cleaner air and more shade when spending time outdoors.
Superintendent Maribel Garcia could not praise Mr. Torres and his team enough, “Jerry oversees a phenomenal maintenance, facilities, and custodial team. He empowers them to have the freedom to experiment with new strategies and is not afraid to lead by example. When he’s not mentoring, he’s encouraging his team to contribute to their schools beyond cleaning. For example, we have a robust award-winning Musical Theatre program where his team has become set designers, creating backdrops and settings to elevate student performances. Under his leadership, our facilities team is more than just custodians and maintenance workers; they’re artists, welders, gardeners, painters, and carpenters. We are proud to have Mr. Torres represent EMCSD at this year’s Tamalada because he embodies the Bobby Salcedo Esperanza legacy.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Torres said, “I am humbled and grateful for this recognition, and I hope this serves as an example to all support staff, showing them that their hard work does not go unnoticed.”
