DECADES OF DEDICATION: Grounds Director Susan Daniels has kept campus in full bloom for over 30 years

By Gil Pound

G rounds Director Susan Daniels' roots on the Georgia College & State University campus go deep.

For over 30 years the upkeep and beautification of Georgia College's 180 acres have fallen on her shoulders. The 10 years prior to her time in Milledgeville were spent as a horticulturist for The University of Georgia, making Daniels a rare find with 41 years working in the University System.

A degree-holding horticulturist, Daniels owns a wealth of knowledge of plants, which ones thrive in what climates and soil acidities as well as their preferred fertilizer. There's more complex chemistry involved than most people would think, but Daniels is able to boil her specialty down to a few simple words.

"The whole purpose of horticulture is to create an environment that's restful and soothing," she said.

That's especially true on a college campus bustling with activity. Students are rushing from one class to the next. Faculty members are juggling lectures, grading, and answering emails while staff hustle to ensure operations flow smoothly. In the middle of it all, Daniels' work with greenery on the grounds invites everyone to slow down and take a breath.

"Susan has been the driving force behind the look and feel of our campus for decades," said Frank Baugh, GCSU assistant vice president for facilities management. "Her dedication and leadership in the grounds department have inspired intense loyalty from her staff and high esteem across campus."

Seeded in Soil

The daughter of an elementary teacher mother and soil conservationist father, Daniels spent a few years of her youth in Puerto Rico while her father was assigned there for work.

"He'd take us out in the field to show us the force of water and how to fix drainage," she said.

Daniels eventually chose horticulture as her major at UGA and began work at her alma mater a few years after graduation.

After 10 years in Athens, she came to Georgia College in 1994 to be closer to family. Since then, she has placed her stamp on the campus and passed her understanding of plant life on to crewmembers who put it into action.

"Knowledge is to be shared," said Daniels. "What good were those four or five years getting through chemistry if I don't share it?"

Knowledge like how to keep Lantana leaves looking healthy, not yellowed or stippled with unsightly spots due to spider mites. There's a great deal of creativity involved too, and not just when it comes to designing flower beds. Resource management is key. Daniels remembers early in her GCSU career coming up with innovative ways to procure pine straw for dressing beds. And when the "shadiest spot on campus," the "oak alley" between Bell Hall and the old courthouse, was nothing but red clay at the roots, Daniels had her staff lay leaves and grass clippings around the bases of the large trees.

"They would say it looked messy, but it makes mulch and feeds the trees," she said.

Picture Perfect

Whether it's for graduations or local high school proms, the GCSU campus is a destination for photographers needing picturesque scenery. Each snapshot is a compliment to the thoughtful horticultural decisions made by Daniels during her long, fruitful tenure.

"Despite significant staffing and resource challenges, Susan and her team have elevated our campus landscapes to a standard of excellence that's the envy of our peer institutions," Baugh said. "We're grateful to have a professional of her caliber at Georgia College and her mark on our institution will endure for many years to come."

Header Image: Daniels refers to grounds lead Jennifer Ray as her 'worker bee.' The two have worked together over 16 years making and keeping the GCSU campus beautiful. They are pictured looking over a bed of zinnias between Parks Hall and Russell Auditorium. (Photo: Anna Gay Leavitt).