By Jojo Boyce
National Management Resources (NMR) now take the reins of Graceland’s facility services, including housekeeping, maintenance, and groundskeeping, which began on 2nd January 2025. The transition marks the second department to be resigned to the hands of an outside company in recent history.
Aside from the lifting of a clear financial burden from Graceland, the changes will be welcomed to be significantly more than that. The school’s struggle to fill open positions over the years had left facilities understaffed, with much of the crew overloaded with work. As Graceland’s campus ages, lack of time for preventative care left staff chasing shadows of countless overdue jobs.
With the new contract, NMR now takes responsibility for both the filling of positions, as well as to the standard of the work conducted.
Overseeing the planning and execution of the transition was Jennifer Matney, Vice President for Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer (a title she proclaims to be the longest in history).
Using the Tess Morgan showers opening week fiasco during the Fall of 2024 as an example, Matney claimed such were issues that could have been prevented with a full staff and proper preventative care.
Upon news of the outsourcing, a Graceland facilities employee of nearly two decades said that “jaws hit the floor” when staff were told that they either transition to the new company or they wouldn’t have a job.
The transition was a shocking ultimatum. However, the switch to NMR has been easy, he says, even coming with a pay raise. Day-to-day tasks remain essentially the same, and NMR is said to have made the process smooth.
“National people have been really nice in helping with our transition”, a loyal staff member added, “We’ll all get used to it. I think it will all be okay”.
Even with added job benefits such as healthcare, Matney was at the helm in negotiating for no increase in costs for staff, who were endangered with being more out of pocket under the employment of the new company.
Not all staff members welcomed the change, choosing to retire or look elsewhere instead. However, restaffing is the key priority, and NMR is said to fill vacant positions quickly and efficiently.
When asked if there were plans for more outsourcing in the future, Matney disclosed that this is it for now. Organizations often look to outsource key business functions such as accounting or human resources, for instance. When considering these implementations, financial savings is key, though cultural application is said to be indispensable.
Administration made sure, “[the change is] a fit for Graceland”, Matney shared. However, again, there is nothing on the horizon that indicates a future increase or decrease in outsourcing.
All in all, the business decision was tough, and certainly not taken lightly by Matney and the administrative staff. Months of careful planning and analysis were taken beginning in the Summer of 2024, resulting in a smooth shift for formerly Graceland staff members, whose well-being and daily tasks have been assuredly considered.
Certainly, the change is an adjustment, especially for those who have remained loyal to Graceland for decades. However, the benefit to the school and its students appears obvious.
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