Cintas Corp. announced the top 10 finalists in its 12th annual Cintas Custodian of the Year contest. This year’s finalists from across the U.S. showcase dedication and commitment to their schools. From now through April 11, the public can vote for their favorite custodian at custodianoftheyear.com.   

“We received thousands of heartfelt nominations and inspiring stories showcasing exceptional custodians nationwide,” said Emily Ramos, Cintas director of marketing. “As always, narrowing it down to the top 10 is a challenge, but this year’s finalists truly stood out for their unwavering dedication to both their schools and communities.” 

The greatest number of public votes determines the winner of the Cintas Custodian of the Year contest. Cintas will award US$10,000 to the winning custodian and $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial products and services. The winner’s school will also receive a complete facility assessment valued at $20,000 from ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, along with a pizza party for all staff and students. The other nine finalists will receive $1,000 each and complimentary tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute virtual training event, valued at $1,500. The finalists’ schools will also receive a cleaning supply package from Rubbermaid Commercial Products. Again, this year, the top three finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to the ISSA Show North America 2025 in Las Vegas in November, where they’ll be celebrated for their accomplishments. 

“We’re truly inspired by each of the finalists who go above and beyond for their schools,” said John Barrett, Executive Director of ISSA. “School custodians play a vital role in their communities, serving as role models and leaders that students look up to every day.” 

 The top 10 finalists in the 2025 Cintas Custodian of the Year contest include (in alphabetical order):   

1. Brenda “Ms. Brenda” Finkelstein – LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool (Baton Rouge, Louisiana.)  

1. Carlos Aguirre – Quarry Trail Elementary (Rocklin, California)  

1. Dan Davis – Deerfield Elementary School (Short Hills, New Jersey)  

1. Jennifer Aitken – Arizona Western College (Yuma, Arizona) 

1. Jenny Low – University of California, San Francisco (San Francisco)  

1. Keith Wilson – Florida Autism Center of Excellence (Tampa, Florida)  

1. Micaela “Mica” Ortiz Arredondo – William G. Hibbard Elementary (Chicago)  

1. Robert “Bobbie” Patterson IV – Juanita High School (Kirkland, Washington)  

1. Roberto Valdez – Northeastern University (Nahant, Massachusetts)  

1. Rosalio “Lio” Rodriguez – Sachse High School (Sachse, Texas)  

“We’re honored to celebrate these outstanding custodians for their hard work, talent, and dedication,” said Robert Posthauer, Rubbermaid Commercial Products senior vice president and general manager.

Research shows that almost one in three Americans face barriers to washing their hands in public restrooms and that 44% of people feel anxious about using public restrooms when leaving their homes, and often plan their days, travel, and lives around ensuring they have access to proper hygiene in public restrooms. This limits their experiences and can result in them not returning to a restaurant or avoiding purchasing food and drinks at an event due to fear of not finding a restroom that meets their needs. For those who face these barriers, it can be a true challenge.

This is a key issue that Matthew Urmanski, senior vice president of sales and marketing for North America at Essity, the parent company of the Tork brand, and the Tork team constantly consider.  

Urmanski stood before attendees at the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., and told a story not just about product innovation but also about empathy, accessibility, and advocacy that goes far beyond the typical cleaning topics. Urmanski spoke of the need for leading with purpose and removing barriers to inclusive hygiene.  

“I’m a finance guy by trade,” he began. “When I first joined the ISSA board of directors, I saw a six-figure line item in the budget titled ‘advocacy’ and thought, ‘What’s that for?’”

His curiosity turned into conviction after he joined his first Clean Advocacy Summit in 2024.

“I was blown away by the stories people shared,” Urmanski said. “I listened to a gentleman—a dreamer—talk to the director of the Department of Immigration about his journey to citizenship and how immigration policies impact the cleaning industry. That’s when it hit me. This is why we’re here: to advance the cleaning industry by listening to the challenges and opportunities our end-customers and the entire cleaning industry value chain face so that we can collectively voice our needs to the U.S. Congress.”

Listening with purpose

Urmanski’s message was clear: Real change comes from deep understanding, and understanding occurs when people are curious and actively listen. Whether it’s to lawmakers, business leaders, frontline workers, or families in your community—progress starts with understanding what people truly need.

“We didn’t show up at this event to pitch,” he said. “We’re here to listen, to learn what’s causing friction in your business and facilities, and to ask: ‘How can we help?’”

This customer-centric philosophy guides Essity’s approach to innovation. From achieving the world’s first Design for All standard certification on the development process for Tork dispensers to hand soaps that offer a unique formula that has a low impact on aquatic life and is gentle to the skin, Tork is working to redefine hygiene not just from a technical and functional perspective but as a deeply personal experience—considering the needs of all users.

“Imagine you had a child who is neurodivergent and gets overwhelmed by loud sounds such as an air dryer?” Urmanski asked. “What if you suffered from eczema and harsh soaps irritated your skin every time you wash your hands at work? These are the kinds of questions we have to ask. It’s about hygiene for all.”

Stories on every surface

At this year’s Summit, Tork announced the launch of the Coalition for Inclusive Hygiene, whose mission is to explore how hygiene in public restrooms, often the busiest space in a facility, can be improved for many users. The brand engaged with the attendees at a personal level by placing printed hand towels that conveyed stories from Americans facing barriers to hand hygiene in the event restrooms. One reads: “When you get to my age, my joints make using buttons and faucets a real struggle.” Another reads: “I have contamination OCD and am hypersensitive to dirty restrooms.” 

These messages, placed directly in the attendees’ hands, go beyond marketing. They’re reminders that hygiene is not one-size-fits-all and that the best place to be reminded is when you are washing your own hands.

“Our ambition is to create public restrooms that truly include everyone,” Urmanski said. “It’s not just about the products, but also about raising awareness for the need for more inclusive hygiene in public restrooms and developing tools that help those who own and manage public restrooms on how to achieve it.”

That philosophy also drives the partnership between Tork and ISSA on the Spotless Spaces Competition, a global program that recognizes public spaces committed to cleanliness, sustainability, and accessibility. The competition recognizes excellence in three categories:

• Tork Think Ahead Facility Excellence Award Winner:The in-house cleaning team for Gathering Place Public Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• S. Spotless Space of the Year Winner:The in-house cleaning team at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for the Archives and Virginia Square Metro Stations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
• International Spotless Space of the Year Winner: Hygiene & Sanitization Services – Fiji LTD, the building service contractor for Labasa Hospital, Nadi Hospital, and CWM Hospital in Fiji.

Honoring excellence: Gathering Place

If you’ve never been to Gathering Place, you’re missing out on what may be the most innovative public park in America. Stretching across nearly 67 acres of the Tulsa riverfront, it’s not just a park—it’s a fully immersive, inclusive, and impeccably maintained community space designed for everyone.

Julio Badin, the executive director of Gathering Place, took the stage to accept the award with his team. “We’re a park for all,” he said. “And that means designing a space where everyone can have the same experience—not a separate experience.”

He shared the story of their seven-story towers—structures that are fully wheelchair accessible, not tucked off to the side, but integrated into the main experience. He described large restroom stalls for families, the use of no-fragrance cleaning products to ensure visitors with sensory sensitivities are not overwhelmed, and a team philosophy for excellence so that parents feel safe bringing young children inside. “We want to set a standard,” Badin said. “You should never fear using the restroom in a public park.”

Badin’s pride was evident, but he quickly credited his team. “Cleanliness permeates into the community,” he said. “When people see and feel that their space is cared for, they care for it too.”

One small table, one big impact

One of the most touching moments came when Badin described the newest park’s installation of an adult-sized changing table. “It might seem like a small thing,” he said, “but when my chief of staff told a visitor about it, they both started crying. They’d never had access to something like that.”

This is just one example of how Gathering Place has leaned into delivering inclusive hygiene to its guests—when a facility embraces the needs of a broader set of individuals—the emotional connection it creates is far greater, and that can lead to better business performance. This is exactly what Tork and ISSA aimed to recognize through the Spotless Spaces award. Hopefully, this story and that of the other winners inspire facilities to lean into inclusive hygiene.   

The big picture

As Urmanski wrapped up his remarks, he reflected on what it means to lead in this industry.

“You have choices,” he told the audience. “You chose to be here, to commit your time, to deal with travel headaches—and yes, maybe the cherry blossoms helped. But your presence here matters.”

He encouraged everyone to keep showing up, sharing their unique stories, and listening—not just for their benefit but for the future of cleaning and to progress sustainable, hygienic public spaces for all.

“Work hard,” he added. “Always be learning. And enjoy the people you’re with. That’s our mantra. That’s what this movement is all about.”

And whether you’re advocating on Capitol Hill or cleaning a restroom in your community, the message is unmistakable: Cleanliness is more than surface-deep—it’s about health, safety, and accessible spaces.

Amid growing concerns about the speed and efficiency of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) product approvals, attendees at the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit on March 31 were given a clear message: It’s time to reform and reinvest in the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP).

Laurie Flanagan, executive vice president of DC Legislative and Regulatory Services (DCLRS) and a leading voice of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) Coalition, delivered this urgent call. Addressing a packed room of industry professionals and advocates, Flanagan outlined the critical challenges surrounding the registration of cleaning and disinfecting products and the policy solutions being championed to fix the broken system.

Clean spaces require registered products

Flanagan began by grounding the audience in a reality many in the cleaning industry overlook: Sanitizers and disinfectants are considered pesticide products under federal law. “Anything that kills, repels, or mitigates pests—yes, including germs and viruses—is classified as a pesticide and must be registered with the EPA,” she explained.

That process is rigorous and data-heavy. Manufacturers must submit extensive testing and efficacy data to prove that their products are safe for people, animals, and the environment and that they do what they claim. But Flanagan warned that getting a product through that regulatory maze is increasingly difficult due to a critical shortage of EPA reviewers and mounting political and budgetary challenges.

A workforce in decline, delays on the rise

EPA’s OPP is the federal entity responsible for these registrations. At its peak in 2004, when PRIA was enacted, the office had nearly 900 employees. Today, that number has dwindled to approximately 525, and the outlook is worsening.

Due to a slew of executive orders and agency budget cuts, provisional employees have been let go, and federal hiring freezes have compounded the issue. Some staff remain on the payroll but are no longer working—either because they opted for deferred retirement or have been placed on administrative leave following legal disputes.

“We had significant delays even when 560 people were on the job last year,” Flanagan said. “Now, with even fewer staff, delays are growing longer and more unpredictable.”

This breakdown in the registration system doesn’t just hurt manufacturers. It directly impacts building service contractors, schools, hospitals, and facility managers who rely on approved cleaning products to protect public health.

The PRIA law and the $41 million funding gap

Under PRIA, manufacturers pay fees in exchange for EPA decisions within certain deadlines. However, the law also requires Congress to appropriate a minimum of US $166 million annually to fund EPA’s registration efforts. In 2023, the office received only $125 million—well short of what’s needed.

“The law mandates that baseline support,” Flanagan emphasized. “Without it, the agency cannot meet its deadlines, and our industry cannot get the products it needs.”

More than 78% of antimicrobial product submissions—which include the very disinfectants used to kill viruses in public spaces—are missing their registration deadlines, according to ISSA.

Partnering for efficiency—but funding is still essential

While budget increases are essential, Flanagan was quick to note that industry coalitions are not just asking for more money—they’re also advocating for smarter processes.

Through the PRIA Coalition, ISSA is working with partner organizations like the American Chemistry Council and the Household & Commercial Products Association to drive internal EPA reforms. These include:

• Modernizing IT systems.
• Streamlining data review processes.
• Enabling self-certification when appropriate.
• Conducting third-party audits to identify bottlenecks.

“There’s a real willingness to help the EPA become more efficient,” she said. “But even with those improvements, the agency cannot fill a $40 million hole through efficiency alone.”

Why it matters

Flanagan acknowledged that EPA funding isn’t a popular cause, particularly among some lawmakers who have publicly called for slashing the agency’s budget. But she urged attendees to make a clear distinction when speaking to Congress.

“We’re not asking to fund every EPA program,” she clarified. “We’re asking to fund the one function that gives us the tools to protect public health—the ability to license and register the products that clean, disinfect, and keep our environments safe.”

In a rare moment of optimism, she pointed to EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s remarks on National Agriculture Day, when he publicly committed to improving pesticide licensing and meeting registration deadlines.

“This is the first time in years we’ve had an EPA Administrator talk about registration deadlines as a top-five priority,” Flanagan said. “And while he was talking about agriculture, those same principles apply to us.”

A clear and simple ask

As attendees prepared to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, which occurred on April 1, Flanagan left them with a direct and powerful message:

“We need Congress to fund the Office of Pesticide Programs at $166 million so that our cleaning products—green, traditional, and everything in between—can be registered efficiently and predictably. This isn’t about politics. It’s about public health.”