ENGLEWOOD – Matthew Robbins, Director of Operations for Eaton Community Schools, was inducted into the Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 6, at a ceremony in which three of ten inductees had ties to Preble County.
Robbins, a 1990 graduate of West Carrollton High School, attended the Diesel Mechanics program at MVCTC (when it was known as Montgomery County Joint Vocational School).
When Robbins started at MCJVS/MVCTC as a Diesel Mechanics student in September 1988, little did he know that he would become an integral part of MVCTC for the next 28 years.
“John Hanson asked the very first day of school if anyone was interested in maintaining the school busses after school and Robbins was the only one who held up a hand,” officials said. As a junior student, he began working three hours a day after school each day and all day in the summer. After graduation in 1990, he was offered a full-time job.
For the next 26 years, Robbins was invaluable as a maintenance technician for MVCTC.
In addition to the basic job responsibilities of a Maintenance Technician, which included everything from performing minor repairs to the buildings and grounds to clearing snow, Robbins was responsible for maintaining all of the District vehicles, overseeing the scheduling of all trips, and supervising a staff of 15 part-time drivers. In addition, Robbins scheduled and performed driver training, annual physicals, and assisted with the hiring of drivers for the district. Robbins was asked to absorb these additional duties many years ago and, through his meticulous attention to detail, he created a viable and sustainable process for ensuring the safety of students and the completeness of district transportation records.
In 2009-2010, Robbins was a member of the first 21st Century Leadership Academy held in the State of Ohio. This program was created by MVCTC as an opportunity to help develop leadership potential for any employee of MVCTC.
“Robbins is an innovative thinker and helped with the development of new systems at MVCTC, including the new Transportation Scheduler introduced in 2015,” his nominator said.
In August, Robbins accepted the new position as Director of Operations at Eaton Community Schools. He is supervising facilities, maintenance, and transportation for Eaton.
Robbins will go out of his way to help anyone in need, officials said.
Over the years of his career, Robbins has volunteered countless hours of his time and energy to assist MVCTC in any way he can. Robbins has also found time to volunteer to help the local (Brookville) community theater building sets, running lights and sound, as well as helping out at the local high school with the sets for theater shows.
“MCJVS/MVCTC was the best decision I ever made,” Robbins said. “I am a hands-on person and did not do well in traditional classroom settings. When I chose to attend MCJVS/MVCTC, I was excited to be at school and engaged in my work, while learning skills that kick-started my career.”
