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World Traveler Enjoys Life’s Simple Pleasures

Duke’s Albert Scott has visited Kosovo and France, but the local park is his sanctuary

Thomas Kelly, manager of housekeeping services, and Albert Scott, right, review West Union renovation plans. Photo courtesy of Albert Scott
Thomas Kelly, manager of housekeeping services, and Albert Scott, right, review West Union renovation plans. Photo courtesy of Albert Scott

Name: Albert ScottPosition: Senior Director of Housekeeping, Grounds, Sanitation and Recycling, and Duke Marine LabYears at Duke: 2What I do at Duke: I look at issues involving the customers (such as placement of Dumpsters and acquiring improved paper products) and try to see how we can improve the appearance of the exterior as well as the interior of buildings. I try to keep everyone focused on recycling and sustainable processes, such as having staff purchase products and equipment that reduce carbon emissions, save energy and use recyclable materials. I work with various departments to reduce waste containers in high-traffic areas and increase recyclable containers. My group has worked extremely hard to help identify recycling, compost and waste streams so we can divert unnecessary streams away from the landfill. If I had $5 million, I would: Travel to some places I haven’t been. I haven’t been to Australia yet, and I haven’t been to Tahiti. I love to see how our lives correspond with the rest of the world’s lives, and see if they have some of the same concerns we have, see how they interact, and what I’ve found is there’s no difference between us and anyone else.My first ever job: Working at a restaurant called Chippy’s. It was on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, Florida. It was my first job, and they told me I was a bus boy, and I wasn’t sure what a bus boy was, since my family rarely went to restaurants where tables were bused.The best advice I ever received: From my high school football coach. I was a star on the football team, and the team had to run laps around the Coral Gables Senior High School athletic complex field, and I was lagging in the middle to the rear of the pack. My coach saw me in that position, asked me to follow him and he led me to the locker room. He stated, ‘I’m disappointed in you, and no one is irreplaceable on this team. I need you to be a leader on this team and you need to lead from the front, and never settle for being second best.’ I chose to live my life by never settling for being second best.  What I love about Duke: The interaction with students. I’ll have a student once a month send me an email saying that they lost something. It can be in the hospital or in the dormitory. Even if I don’t have oversight of those different areas, I try to help them. When I’m not at work, I like to: Go to the park. Sit and watch the trees and watch people. I like to look at the trees blowing in the wind, I like to see the water and see how it ripples. That’s my peaceful moment.     Something most people don’t know about me: I write poetry. It’s pretty much about life, love, controversy. (He has written poetry for more than 40 years.) My kids have picked up that same habit. An interesting/memorable day at work for me: I went to a meeting with my housekeeping group, and during the meeting, I asked the staff what they thought about using a microfiber duster. After the meeting, one of the staff members said they really appreciated being asked. That was a touching moment for me.