HFC welcomes Campus Safety Officer Gregory Coates

HFC Campus Safety Officer Gregory Coates is enjoying his new role as one of the College’s Office of Campus Safety.

“So far, so good. It’s been wonderful,” said Coates. “The staff and students are very friendly. I couldn’t work at a friendlier place. I enjoy seeing smiling faces and being able to help students. People are always meeting you and greeting you; I like that interaction.”

“I enjoy the customer service relationship when meeting people”

Born in River Rouge, Coates – the third of four children – is a native Detroiter. A graduate of Southwestern High School, Coates attended the Detroit College of Business (now Davenport University) and completed coursework in business administration. Transferring to Siena Heights University, he earned his associate degree in general studies and his bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Coates has worked as an Uber driver, custodial supervisor, and security officer. He has been in the security field for more than 20 years. He comes to HFC from Lawrence Tech, where he worked in LTU’s Campus Safety Department for nearly 10 years.

“I started doing security with various companies and ended up at LTU. I liked it and it became part of my every day routine,” he said. “I enjoy interacting with people and assisting them in solving their problems. I enjoy the customer service relationship.”

“HFC has a great atmosphere and great people”

Coates joined HFC in July and works afternoons. His duties include maintaining a safe environment on campus for the faculty, staff, and students; writing up incident and accident reports; assisting people with minor car problems (i.e., jumpstarts, flat tires, unlocking when keys are locked inside); investigating and reporting anything unusual; walking the campus; and other safety and security operations.

“HFC has a great atmosphere and great people to work with. For me, it’s closer to home, so that’s a bonus,” said Coates. “The academic programs we offer students and employees here are also attractive. I’m looking into some of the IT classes now. I want to have a few more skills under my belt.”

He reports to HFC Assistant Manager of Campus Safety Luke Cosenza.

“Greg is a pleasure to work with as he is always upbeat, energetic, and willing to contribute to the day’s duties,” said Cosenza.

Added HFC Campus Safety Supervisor Mike Ball: “We are very excited to have Greg on our team at Campus Safety. He brings a high level of experience to the College from his prior career in higher education.”