Page resident Johnsie Judy stands in a hallway of one of the seven motel properties he maintains after taking the Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician course at CCC in Page. Courtesy photo.
PAGE — Clogged sink. Refrigerator on the fritz. Heating units acting up. Bathtubs misbehaving.
It’s all in a day’s work for Page resident Johnsie Judy.
Judy is a maintenance technician at seven motel properties in Page – all owned by the same person. He got the job after he graduated from the first-ever Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician program being offered last summer at Coconino Community College in Page.
“I needed to get a job and a decent paycheck,” Judy said, taking a break from his rounds. “Viola! Here I am.”
The five-week training, which takes place five times a week, eight hours a day, offers several certifications – CAMT, which is good in all 50 states, water and piping systems, refrigerants, and there’s even a houseboat maintenance component. The certification is applicable to all industrial buildings, not just apartment complexes.
Judy passed the tests for all the certifications available after the course.
“My head got big after that,” he said, smiling.
Over the course of his life, Judy has done asphalt and paving work, has been on disability, has been unemployed, and he works tirelessly on creating things – like an oxyhydrogen generator that makes a “clean” fuel. He speaks about his projects with passion.
“I have so many ideas,” he said.
He heard about the CAMT program from his sister and from the newspaper. His classes were paid for, and he used the last of his savings for living expenses. The tuition for the majority of the students – roughly $1,000 – is covered by grant funding through the Coconino County Career Center.
He works five days a week at the seven motels that have about 700 rooms combined. On the weekends, he’s on call 24 hours a day, and will respond to any late-night calls.
“Whatever needs to be fixed, I’ve got the ability to do it, so I do it,” Judy said.
He’s no longer worried about making ends meet.
“I’m more stable,” Judy said. “I’m not having to ask for gas money anymore, and it keeps me busy.”
For more information about CCC’s CAMT program and when the training is scheduled, contact Construction Technology Management Instructor Ken Myers at (928) 526-7696.