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Staff Profile Jon Payne – 30 Years

Jon Payne

One of the first things a person may notice about Jon Payne is the multitude of keys on his belt.

“I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here,” he says. “I know where just about everything is, and I have keys for just about everything.”

Payne, who has worked for Sacramento State for 32 years, is a facilities worker on campus whose main job is taking care of the two campus pools. The pools, which are old and require more care, hold almost 300,000 gallons of water and must be chemically treated regularly.

“It’s very important because people’s health depends on how balanced that water is,” he says. “If the chlorine gets too low, people are put at risk.”

Payne started here in 1976 after finishing a tour in the Air Force. “My dad worked as a continuing education consultant here from 1966-78. I had a two-year degree in environment horticulture, and he let me know they had a position open in grounds maintenance,” he says.     

He says he loves his job and almost considers it a second home. The best part about his job, he says, are the people he works with and the people he meets. “They are all very nice and I get a lot of appreciative remarks,” he says, “but I also get remarks when the water is a couple of degrees too cold. ‘Hey Jon, it’s a little under temperature today.’” For the record, he generally keeps the pool at 80 degrees.

“A few days ago a dear, sweet woman who uses the pool often said to me, ‘we really appreciate what you do, and we will miss you when you retire.’ It felt terrific to hear that,” says Payne.

He also takes care of the Library quad fountain and the Serna Fountain. “The Library fountain is tough because it is right in the middle of the hot sun and is susceptible to algae,” he says. “Trash and things also wind up in there because it’s open. I have to stay on top of it.”

Payne will retire in about year. He’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife, a grade school teacher who is also planning to retire soon.

Retirement means Payne, who says he’s not much into swimming, will have more time to take care of things around the house, including his 10,000 gallon pool.