Elementary School Worker Named 2022 Custodian of the Year

Cintas Corp. has named Lydell Henderson the 2022 Cintas Custodian of the Year.

Henderson, a custodian from Presidential Park Elementary School in Middletown, New York, has always gone above and beyond in his job, even performing the Heimlich maneuver on a student who was choking in the cafeteria. More than 1,500 students and staff celebrated Henderson’s win by surprising him in a ceremony at Presidential Park Elementary last week.

The Cintas Custodian of the Year contest, now in its ninth year, called for elementary, middle, high-school, and college students, in addition to staff, to submit a short essay describing why their school’s custodian deserves the award. Ten finalists were selected from a pool of hundreds of submissions. The public then voted on the winner, casting more than 90,000 votes overall. Henderson was the top vote getter, earning him roughly 30% of the contest’s total votes. 

“This contest showcases the unique stories of hardworking custodians throughout the country who deserve recognition for their dedication to their profession,” said Christiny Betsch, Cintas marketing manager. “The community at Presidential Park Elementary School clearly thinks the world of Mr. Henderson, and we’re honored to recognize Mr. Henderson for his achievements.”

Henderson received a cash prize of US$10,000 and an additional $5,000 in Rubbermaid Commercial Products and Cintas products for his school. The winner’s school will also receive a comprehensive training, development, and consultation package from ISSA valued at $20,000 and enrollment in the GBAC Fundamentals Online Course, provided by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. The nine runners-up will each receive $1,000 and free tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) training event, valued at up to $1,500.

For more information about the Cintas Custodian of the Year contest visit  www.custodianoftheyear.com.