When Brad Otto drove onto the Mercersburg Academy campus for the first time, he was struck by the beauty of the buildings and grounds.

Otto, who was on his way to interview for the director of facilities position, stopped his car and took photos because he was fascinated by his surroundings.

Fast forward a few months and that fascination has turned to determination as Otto fulfills the responsibilities of leading 40 employees in the facilities department, which includes buildings, grounds, and housekeeping.

“I take seriously doing my part to keep things looking the way they do around here,” said Otto, who comes to Mercersburg with a background in project and facility management. The Boonsboro, MD, resident plans to draw on his experience working for Washington County Public Schools and Keller Construction Management, both located nearby in Maryland.

As Otto sees it, campus decision-makers have done a phenomenal job of incorporating newer buildings with the character of the older ones, both in the sense of appearance and purpose.

“There have been sensible decisions made in terms of functionality of the buildings. That can be hard to balance in making buildings aesthetically pleasing as well.”

Otto’s priority is making facility-related decisions that are the least disruptive to the student experience. He wants to be viewed as an approachable, clear communicator who promotes unity, both within internal teams that are working to maintain the more than 300-acre campus and external companies that are brought in for special projects.

He has spent his first several weeks on the job reaching out, meeting with employees from various departments and with outside contractors working on campus. His experience with regional construction firms will be beneficial as the year progresses.

“One thing that I can bring to the table–and have already–is being able to increase the pool of our partners, vendors, contractors, and design professionals I’ve worked with in the past, that I know I can trust partnering with,” said Otto. “Maybe you have a preferred partner, but they’re booked and they can’t get to something when you need it done. I can bring other options to the table in that scenario.”

Otto has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN, and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.

A college baseball player, he enjoys being outdoors and is working through the “mental journey” of his golf game. He’s also a self-taught guitarist.

He and his wife, Meghan, have three children: Joey, 9; Quinn, 7; and Leo, 4. When asked if he thinks Mercersburg diplomas are in their future, he admits that’s a possibility, especially since Quinn has already said she’d like to go to school where her daddy works.