SAMs Encounter ‘American Cool’ at the National Portrait Gallery

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The DowntownDC BID’s Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance employees (SAMs) held their March monthly meeting in Washington, D.C.’s third oldest building: the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (600 7th Street NW).
 
Nik Apostolides, the museum’s associate director and a BID board member, addressed the SAMs in the museum’s underground 346-seat auditorium and spoke about the museum’s exhibits as well as the building itself, which was the Old Patent Office Building. The museum works to “portray poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists” through different media to tell the story of America. 
 
One popular exhibit currently on display at the museum is “American Cool,” where visitors can see amazing fine-art photographs of famous figures in American history from Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Marlon Brando to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jimi Hendrix to Johnny Depp, Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z. Additional exhibits include “Dancing the Dream,”which showcases performers, choreographers and dance impresarios from the 19th century to the present day.
 
The museum is open from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m daily 364 days a year and admission is always free.
 
Apostolides addressed questions about the museum and tour groups and thanked the SAMs for their work maintaining Downtown. “We love having you all,” he said, adding that the museum hopes to host more SAM events in the future.
 
SAMs received a preview of the National Cherry Blossom Festival from Alissa Maru, the festival’s special events manager. Maru highlighted festival events happening in Downtown and thanked SAMs for their continued efforts. The festival runs March 20-April 13 with peak cherry blossom bloom time predicted for April 8-12.
 
Ronald E. Jones, the maintenance services manager, thanked the SAMs for keeping pace with recent snowfall and snow delays. He also expressed appreciation for the “extra care” SAMs have put into the east side of the BID near Union Station and “helping to turn that area around.” Jones added that the new SAM class of 2014 will bring “new energy” to their mission. “We’re going to make a difference—a significant difference,” Jones said. 
 
Director of Operations Everett Scruggs thanked the SAMs for all the hard work they accomplish daily and noted the upcoming expansion of night and weekend schedules. Scruggs noted the BID is making changes to assist their efforts, including implementing new Smartphones to help SAMs increase their mobility. Scruggs thanked the early morning maintenance team for dealing with the recent inclement weather. 
 
Scruggs also introduced SAMs to the BID’s new Homeless Services Director Deborah Bey.
 
Apostolides then announced February’s SAMs-of-the-month, who are honored for their outstanding performance. February’s winners were: Safety/Hospitality SAM Shanita Cowling and Maintenance SAM Jose Tomas Avelar
 
February was a first-time win for Shanita Cowling, who has been employed as a SAM for 7 years. Before joining the SAM team, Cowling worked as an admission representative at Washington Hospital Center. She said she loves interacting with the public and learning new things while working as a SAM, including the history of Washington, D.C. She described herself as a “very inquisitive type of person” who is always eager to learn. In her free time Cowling can often be found in the same location as her job, taking her 3-year-old daughter Shaniya to museums and other landmarks in Washington, D.C. Look for Cowling to be honored again. Although February’s win was her first, Cowling said “it won’t be my last.” 
 
Jose Tomas Avelar has been a SAM-of-the-Month honoree so many times he has lost count. “This is my fourth or fifth,” he said. The five-year employee said he “likes anything different” and the variation he experiences on the job as a SAM keeps him happy and motivated. Avelar, who is originally from El Salvador, has lived in America for nearly 30 years and has been a D.C. resident for the last 12. He was working in carpentry and construction before he joined the maintenance team. In his spare time, he enjoys doing new and different things with his family: his wife, three children, and three granddaughters. Avelar also enjoys just spending time at home with his loved ones and attending church.