With custodians working harder to provide a safe and healthy learning environment amid the pandemic, Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) is proud to announce the top 10 finalists of its ninth-annual Custodian of the Year contest. From stopping a burglar in their tracks and securing a school before staff or students arrived, to taking extra time to make sure students are celebrated for their accomplishments, the top 10 finalists emulate what it means to be extraordinary. From now through April 15, the public is encouraged to vote for their favorite custodian at custodianoftheyear.com.

“We received over 2,200 exceptional nominations, and it was a challenge to narrow it down to only 10 finalists,” said Christiny Betsch, Marketing Manager, Cintas. “This contest continues to prove that custodians play a significant role in school communities across the country and have lasting, positive impacts on students and staff.”

The greatest number of public votes determines the winner of the 2022 Custodian of the Year contest. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with $5,000 in products and services for his or her school from Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. The winner’s school will also receive a training, development and consulting package from ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, valued at $30,000 and enrollment in the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Fundamentals Online Course. An additional nine finalists will receive $1,000 each on behalf of Cintas and complimentary tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) training event, valued at $1,500.

“This is our third year sponsoring the contest and we continue to be inspired by the hard work and dedication of the top 10 finalists,” said John Barrett, Executive Director, ISSA. “Custodians are such positive role models at schools and truly leave a lasting impression for those they work with. We’re thankful to be a part of this contest and to help give recognition to the top 10 finalists.”

The top 10 finalists in the 2022 Custodian of the Year contest include (alphabetical order):

1. Rigoberto (Rigo) Bedolla – Las Animas Elementary School (Gilroy, Calif.)
2. Becky Burkhart – Chadwick School (Chadwick, Mo.)
3. Gerald Carter – Pike Road Elementary School (Pike Road, Ala.)
4. Frank DiPaolo – Washington Irving Elementary School (Oak Park, Ill.)
5. Lydell Henderson – Presidential Park Elementary School (Middletown, N.Y.)
6. Ilka Jenkins – Bricker Elementary School (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
7. Raymond Johnson – Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Va.)
8. James Lewis – Beltsville Academy (Beltsville, Md.)
9. David (Dave) Martin – Whitebead Public School (Pauls Valley, Okla.)
10. Louis (Lou) McCullen – Pohatcong Township School (Phillipsburg, N.J.)

“We’re honored to be part of recognizing the best custodians across the country and wish all finalists the best of luck,” shared Robert Posthauer, Sr. Vice President Sales and Marketing, Rubbermaid Commercial Products.

For more information about the Custodian of the Year contest, please contact Matt Serra at mserra@mulberrymc.com or 773-817-3106. A Custodian of the Year logo, as well as photos of the top 10 finalists are available via Dropbox here.

About Cintas Corporation:

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready^™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday^®. The company is also the creator of the Total Clean Program™ — a first-of-its-kind service that includes scheduled delivery of essential cleaning supplies, hygienically clean laundering, and sanitizing and disinfecting products and services. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

About ISSA:

With more than 10,500 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners, and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Milan, Italy; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

About Rubbermaid Commercial Products:

Rubbermaid Commercial Products LLC, headquartered in Huntersville, NC, is a manufacturer of innovative, solution-based products for commercial and institutional markets worldwide. Since 1968, RCP has pioneered technologies and system solutions in the categories of washroom and safety, cleaning, waste handling, material transport, and food services. RCP is part of Newell Brands’ global portfolio of leading brands and continues to develop innovative products. Visit www.rubbermaidcommercial.com, and join us on Facebook (@rubbermaidcommercial), Instagram (@rubbermaidcommercialproducts), LinkedIn (@rubbermaidcommercialproducts), & Twitter (@RubbermaidComm) to learn more.

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