The longest serving employee in District 91 history was presented with a plaque and renaming the Grant-White gymnasium in his honor at the Nov. 14 meeting of the D91 school board. Although the honoree — Robert T. Villasenor — was unable to attend due to illness, Superintendent Louis Cavallo and board members spoke highly of his work.
“As far as we know,” said Cavallo, “Mr. Villasenor was the longest-serving employee in the district. It’s quite an accomplishment.”
Villasenor served as custodian for over 52 years in Forest Park schools. As a result, he was honored for his service with a plaque, which will be hung in the newly named “Robert T. Villasenor Gymnasium” at Grant-White school.
Villasenor began his professional career in 1967. Since then, he has worked in different buildings in the district, but his last 30 years were spent at Grant-White.
Bob Laudadio, superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, has also worked within the district for many years. He described Mr. Villasenor as an exceptional worker.
“Bob was extremely dedicated,” said Laudadio. “He not only showed up to work every day, he arrived early and stayed late. He was a true professional. He kept the schools immaculate.”
Another long-term employee of Grand-White, Rosemary Moroni, also spoke kindly of Villasenor. “He was very committed to his job,” said Moroni. “He rarely took a day off. When it came to keeping the schools clean, he was a real pro.”
