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Grooming a career at Augsburg By Lynn Mena Augsburg alum Tracy Tomforde '92 graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education and health, but it was her four years on groundskeeper Bruce Rowe's student crew that seems to have influenced her career path. "Working for Bruce was great, he's a very kind and generous person," Tomforde says. Now the store manager of Minnehaha Falls Nursery and Garden Store in Minneapolis, Tomforde keeps in contact with her former boss by helping him with his nursery order, as well as through her occasional visits to campus for brainstorming "walk-arounds" with Rowe. "She was the best, she was completely responsible and self-directed," says Rowe. "If I had an opportunity to hire her as an assistant, I would in a heartbeat." Tomforde was always encouraged to be a teacher, although teaching never interested her. When she mentioned an interest to study horticulture after high school, "everybody laughed." So she decided to study physical education. "But now I'm doing something for myself; I'm going to graduate school to study horticulture," she says. Eventually she would like to be a grower and supply plants to nurseries. Her love of gardening carries into her personal time as well. "I have my own garden and I'm always in my yard," she says. "When I bought my house the yard was less than beautiful. But now it's a little bit of a gem in the neighborhood."

It's his job keeping Augsburg beautiful

By Lynn Mena

Amid January's snowy tantrums, Augsburg's head groundskeeper, Bruce Rowe, is already outlining the spring design plans. His nursery order includes hundreds, if not thousands, of flowerbeds - the "A" by the Quad requires over 200 plants alone.

Rowe's design blueprint is often aided by his personal collection of photographs. "Every year I take pictures of everything," he says. "They help me to decide what to use and what not to include the following year."

This time of year, his main concern is getting ready to inflate the air structure over the football field and making sure his winter removal equipment is in working order.

Grooming the campus is something Rowe finds both personally and professionally satisfying, but it is also a responsibility the 16-year Augsburg veteran recognizes as serious business. The College's appearance is a key component of its over-all image; it is a source of pride for the current College community as well as an important recruiting tool for prospective students, faculty and staff.

"Bruce and his work crew always take the time to make the admissions grounds look terrific," says Sally Daniels, Augsburg's director of undergraduate admissions. "He tries to make sure that even in the winter we have some bit of color around the office."

Admissions counselor Bethany Bierman remembers a recent "spur-of-the-moment" visit by a brother and sister. "I remember sitting near the window in the Commons eating lunch with them, and they were over-looking the Quad, remarking how absolutely beautiful everything was," she says.

Each season at Augsburg brings its own unique challenges for Rowe and his crew. "Spring is by far the most stressful and biggest time of the year," says Rowe. Spring means Commencement, and with it his annual weekend planting marathon.

"It's not uncommon for Bruce to work an 18-hour day, even though overtime is not mandatory," says Rob Curtis, Augsburg's facilities and grounds manager. "For example, every spring he gets all the flowerbeds planted in one weekend, which amounts to an 80-to 100-hour work week.

"And in the winter, he's a guy who'll come in at two or three in the morning and stay until two or three the next morning to finish snow removal," Curtis says. "If you can make your way through town to campus, you can relax once you get here, because the snow and ice are gone."

Rowe is quick to say that he wouldn't be able to do his job without the assistance of his student crew. During the summer, his crew averages nine students; during the academic year it increases to 12. His son Cameron, a 20-year-old computer science major at Augsburg, is a current crew member. His other son, 19-year-old Dustin, is a former worker now employed at Minnehaha Falls Nursery who seems destined to follow his father's path into landscaping.

"Students are marvelous," says Rowe. "They are the most wonderful people to work with, they're so enthusiastic and inspiring. If I can get them in their first year [at Augsburg], they usually end up working for me all four years."

Born and raised in Vadnais Heights, Minn., Rowe began his landscaping career at a tree farm, where he worked from age 13 straight through to his high school graduation. When he came to Augsburg 16 years ago after gaining additional experience at other landscaping jobs, he worked hard to use his creative skills and imagination to improve the campus. His wife, Cyndy, is also on the Augsburg staff as a residence life assistant.

"All you need to do is just look around and Bruce's credentials are right there," says Curtis. "He adds new [elements] every year, for example the "A" was his idea as well as the year spelled out in flowers next to Si Melby."

Rowe sometimes gets ideas by checking out other campuses and talking to their groundskeepers. "My biggest wish for the campus is [the construction of] a beautiful main entrance to Augsburg - one that says, without a doubt, that you are now at Augsburg College."

"Bruce takes a personal interest in his work," says Curtis. "It's not just a job or about money - Augsburg is HIS yard."