Letter: UMass Responds To Concerns About Proposed Pavilion Honoring Service Workers

The following letter from Tony Maroulis was sent on January 20, in response to a letter from Robin Jaffin to UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy sent on January 13. The Indy was copied in on this response.

Thank you for your email. Chancellor Subbaswamy shared it with me and asked me to respond on his behalf.

The UMass Service Workers Honor Pavilion is a gift from a generous, anonymous donor who wishes to honor the contributions of, as the Chancellor said in the recent gift announcement, those “service workers who played an immense role in sustaining the university during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

By accepting the gift of this pavilion, the University will create a contemplative, open gathering place that will be welcoming to the entire community. News of the gift was shared with the labor union representing front-line service workers, and we received positive feedback.  We are also gratified that the Commonwealth recognized front-line service workers through the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay Program. We are proud that the pavilion will stand as a lasting and visible tribute to our employees’ contributions.

As you note, the fields of the Renaissance Center are a beloved space for those both within and beyond our university. The pavilion will both conserve the existing garden and add new, fully ADA-compliant space designed to be in harmony with both the current use of the space and its surroundings.

We look forward to sharing this space, and our deep appreciation for the work of our employees, with the community when the UMass Service Workers Honor Pavilion opens later this year.

Tony Maroulis 

Tony Maroulis is Executive Director of Community + Strategic Initiatives at UMass Amherst