Although he grew up the son of a commercial contractor and worked in the family business, Tom Tocco says his current job as director for facilities, engineering and construction for St. Joseph Mercy Health System is a much better fit.

“One of the heartbreaks of the construction project business is that you not only jump from project to project, but location to location,” he said.

Tocco said that when he was working in construction, he established relationships with others working on the project and felt almost as if he had made friends with the facilities, and then he would have to leave after a few months.

While working in his father’s business, Tocco saw that there were other ways to be involved in construction while not having to say goodbye to the facilities he liked.

“I worked closely with what one might call an owner-liaison or owner representative employed by those facilities,” he said. “As I looked at their situation, it sparked my interest. I’d think, ‘Wouldn’t that be great to be on their side of the fence, to take care of facilities that I’d essentially lived in every day?’”

So, in the early 1980s, Tocco decided to steer his career toward facilities management, and it was no coincidence that he ended up working in a health-care setting.

He said he had an interest in doing work with hospitals, “mostly because hospital construction carries unique challenges like no other.” For instance, challenges of renovations in a health care setting involve minimizing disruption of care, maintaining safety and dealing with infection control issues, he said.

“Health care includes some of the highest-end construction with the greatest challenges that exist in the building industry,” he said.

Tocco started out as a coordinator for individual projects at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township. He was involved both in the design and construction of projects. In 1989, his duties were expanded to include overseeing all construction for the hospital. In the early 1990s, when St. Joseph joined forces with Saline and Livingston facilities, he was made the leader of all construction activity for all three, plus satellite facilities.

Finally, in 2004, he was asked to fill an interim position as director of facilities, engineering and construction, and after five months, he got the position on a permanent basis.

Tocco is especially excited about is energy conservation aspect of his job.

He said the hospital had implemented energy saving strategies for many years, but in 2004, the health system hired a consultant to help set up a comprehensive energy-management program. Subsequent projects decreased natural gas usage by 18 percent and water usage by 45 percent, even as St. Joseph added 500,000 square feet to its various facilities.

“Some very exciting things have happened here,” he said. “We’re not just in it to save the planet, but to save money … in the millions.”

Tocco said some of the best energy conservation ideas weren’t top-down directives but grew from staff recommendations. For instance, the grounds department found a way to reduce grounds irrigation by about 50 percent.

“That step alone saved us over $20,000,” Tocco said. “It worked out well, and the grass is still green.”

Tocco said he and his team have a special connection to patients through providing good facilities for care givers.

“If you can make a caregiver smile, a caregiver will do that much better a job for the patient,” he said.

Tocco’s professional and community achievements were recognized recently when the Washtenaw Contractors Association presented him with the W. Nelson Vander Hyden Award. The award is given to someone involved in the construction industry for “high standards of moral character, ethics and professionalism.”

In addition to his work at St. Jopeph Mercy, Tocco has served on the Superior Township Appeals Board, is involved with Food Gleaners food bank as a donor and volunteer and is actively involved in his church, teaching Sunday school, assisting with youth activities, and working with Love Inc. - a faith based organization that assists families in need. 

Background

Age: 51.

Education: Degrees in business administration and building construction management, Ferris State University.

Family: Wife and three daughters, ages 12, 11 and 4.

Residence: Brighton.

Business Insights

Best business decision: Making a switch from general contracting to SJMHS in 1984.

Worst business decision: If anyone wants to learn what not to do with their 401K, just follow what I do. 

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Keep both your heart and your ears at the ready to respond to the needs of your staff. If you convey the goal in a way they can clearly relate (to)  and understand, they will let you know what’s needed to get you there. Success is dependent upon those who perform the work. Get them energized by the challenge at hand and do everything possible to help them shine.

Personal hero: My faith is in Jesus Christ. Others: My father (who has passed), mother, and my wife Lori are all my heroes. My father set me in the right direction with opportunity and purpose; my mother believed in me at times when I did not; my loving wife is the ultimate partner, and her support for me is unwavering.

How do you motivate people? In short, I don’t actually motivate anyone … . The trick is to maintain an environment where people will be compelled to motivate themselves every day. I try to make sure people are in a place where they believe they can make the greatest impact with the talents they bring to the table. I do what I can to keep obstacles out of their way so they can flourish and shine for the organization. The key is to find people with those “shining eyes” and do everything in your capacity to help them be successful through support and demonstrated belief in what they do.

What advice would you give to yourself in college? I was in college during a severe economic downturn (1977 through 1981), and my father’s construction business was suffering. I was struck with anxiety, uncertainty of both myself as well as the environment around me. If I could have said anything to myself in college, it would have been: “Hey bonehead, stop worrying! You have many blessings from your creator, the 100 percent support of your parents, and the personal capability to make best use of both. With such gifts, why be worried?”

Word(s) that best describes you: A dad involved with the development of the lives of his children, but always striving to be more so; a man who loves his wife dearly; one who is not all that grown up despite my age; truly appreciative of those whom I work with every day; one who has dependence on faith. For sport: I am one who likes a challenge with certain athletics - competitive barefoot water skiing and ice hockey.

First Website you check in the morning: Besides the weather forecast, it’s various news outlets. I speed read what is happening before my day begins.

Confessions

What keeps you up at night? Sometimes it’s unresolved issues from work, and other times my adrenaline will kick my brain into gear for no reason - it will act as if it’s in a race or up against a deadline. The result: I’m fully awake at 3 a.m. with no place to go.

Pet peeve: Indifference in the work place. I appreciate people who value what they do.

Guilty pleasure: Ice cream/chocolate, and lots of it

First job: A friend and I had a summer lawn cutting business at age 14. We made a killing going door-to-door cutting grass at $6 per lot. We were in great shape and we could get about 14 jobs done in 8 hours time. For a young kid in the '70s, that’s not a bad day’s take.

First choice for a new career: Though I enjoy the high energy of the industry I am in, and the people I work with, I probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to be the top goal scorer in the NHL, or perhaps the first astronaut to Mars, or maybe the best water-skier on the planet.

Treasures

Favorite cause: Gleaners Food Bank; protection for the unborn.

Favorite book: Not much time for reading books these days, but I like all the Tom Clancy books. My daughter recently shared with me a book on Abe Lincoln, and I appreciate learning about great American heroes like him, as well as our founders.

Favorite movie(s) - I watch westerns by Eastwood, Duvall, and Wayne over and over again. ‘Gladiator’ (outstanding!), ‘Tombstone’ and ‘Quigley Down Under’; with the kids in the room, my favorite movie is Annie (the young orphan girls dancing, singing, and victory over evil is all terrific and heartwarming!).

Favorite hobby: I have two. Going to my girls’ games and events, and barefoot water-skiing - been competing regionally and nationally since 1988, and it’s keeping me young (kind of sore, too). 

Favorite restaurant: I enjoy different ethnicities, and I also enjoy the simple pleasure of a Coney dog or an omelet ... no favorite place, really.

LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter? I’m a little behind the times, I’m afraid (didn’t have an answering machine or cable until the 1990s).

Typical Saturday: Early morning waterskiing; play time with my 4 year old, attending soccer/volleyball/softball games for my older girls; spending some down-time with my wife on lounge chairs on the deck; if I must, maintenance around the home.

What team do you root for? Red Wings, kids’ teams.

Wheels: Chevy Impala.

Who would play you in a movie? I guess my kids might say Bob Saget (from the TV show ‘Full House’), as we tend to look alike, and he never seems to take things too seriously unless he has to. However, I have a very determined side to me as well (my wife calls this “stubborn”), and I like the determination of Tom Cruise and the ferocity of Russell Crow in the parts they play. 

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at sarahrigg@yahoo.com.