Natasha's Father is retiring from BYU after 35 years

Natasha, Ellie and Roxy are coming to their father/grandfather's retirement party.  Jacob is NOT!

             Roy Peterman worked as BYU’s director of grounds for 35 years. (Photo by Chris Bunker)

Visitors to BYU’s campus often notice the meticulously kept grounds — the neatly edged grass, the colorful garden arrangements and a general feeling of serenity that comes from being surrounded by nature’s beauty. For 35 years, Roy Peterman has overseen and orchestrated each of these components as BYU’s director of grounds. On June 25 he announced his retirement.

Peterman is well-known for his daily 6 a.m. bike rides all over campus to inspect the grounds and construction projects. He oversees 33 full-time employees, 20 part-time, non-student employees and 320 student employees. He has a hand in all of the grounds department’s responsibilities — from budgeting and book work to lawn maintenance to sprinkling systems and snow removal — and he takes these responsibilities very seriously.

Peterman’s dedication has helped BYU earn recognition for its 667.2 acres of well-groomed landscape. This includes 72 miles of 12’ sidewalk, 12.6 miles of roads, 212 acres of parking lots, 226 acres of lawn, 280,000 annual plantings, approximately 100,000 shrubs of over 500 varieties, 16 – 18,000 trees of 877 different species, and 27 acres of athletic facilities. This year, BYU was ranked by The Daily Beast as the 17^th most beautiful school in the nation.

Peterman will retire on Oct. 1, after which he plans to spend time with his 23 grandchildren, working on landscaping projects around Provo, and hiking the Santa Fe and Appalachian Mountains.

Universe.byu.edu