In addition to the paper route, he held from seventh grade through high school, Tommy Fields grew up in a family that raised horses and cattle. These experiences ultimately planted the seed that led him to become a hard worker who would pursue a career in agriculture and groundskeeping. After high school, he worked for a lawn care company and for Bedford Agricultural Services, which eventually led to his being offered a job at Centra by one of his former bosses.
He began working at Virginia Baptist Hospital in May 1991 and worked through August 1994 as a temporary employee through Manpower. In 1994, Tommy was hired on full-time at Centra after the Grounds Departments of VBH & LGH merged. Being promoted to Manager of the Grounds Department 16 years after starting out as temporary employee who mowed grass in the summer is still one of Tommy’s favorite memories from his time at Centra.
Having now worked for the organization for 33 years, he loves having the satisfaction of helping to create an environment across the organization that includes manicured lawns, groomed hedges and shrubs, clean parking lots, attractive flower beds and clean facility entrances. “My hope is that our passion and care for groundskeeping conveys to our patients and visitors that they are cared for before they even enter the buildings,” he explained.
Tommy isn’t surprised he ended up working in this field because he has always enjoyed working outside, which made landscaping and groundskeeping an easy choice. However, the work itself isn’t always easy! He expressed that a common misconception is that groundskeeping is effortless when it actually requires lots of manual labor, heavy lifting and exposure to extreme weather.
Another false impression is that Tommy and his team don’t have as much work to do during the wintertime when the grass is dormant. Groundskeepers work year-round and play a vital role in maintaining outdoor spaces through winter pruning, leaf removal, spring mulching, planting shrubs & trees, irrigation management, maintaining water features, storm water management, trash and snow removal and detail-oriented work to keep the grounds looking great all year round.
When we asked him what advice he’s received that’s stuck with him and shaped the way he approaches his role today, Tommy shared, “The best advice I have received was from my father when I was young. He told me to always give my very best no matter what job I’m doing or how small the task is. His simple advice has stuck with me all my life!”
“I’m very thankful for the many great opportunities that Centra has given me in my career over these last thirty-three years as well as my wife!” he exclaimed. Tommy met Cynthia soon after being hired at Virginia Baptist Hospital, and she has worked as a Clinical Dietician at Centra for over 30 years. The couple is celebrating 31 years of marriage this month and have three children and two grandchildren.
It's evident that his father’s advice to always give his best continues to guide Tommy, and we are thankful for the pride he takes in his work and the leadership he exhibits every day!
