Page 30 - CleanScience_Fall22

THE LAST WORD
A Tough Act to Follow
By John Downey, Chairman
The commercial cleaning industry lost a giant with Jim Harris Sr.’s passing on August 21. Jim served as CIRI’s chairman from its inception
until about a year ago when health problems forced him to step down and into the role of chairman emeritus.
Jim Harris became chairman of CIRI after Humphrey Tyler, then publisher of 􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄􏰆 􏰈􏰃􏰄􏰃􏰆􏰂􏰉􏰂􏰄􏰊 maga􏰋ine, too􏰌 him to lunch and told him his leadership was needed for this 􏰍edgling cleaning science organi􏰋ation. 􏰎I told him I was getting ready to retire, but Humphrey was relentless. 􏰏f course I said yes, I knew the need and believed in the mission. But it was supposed to be a short􏰐term commitment􏰑􏰒 I recall him laughing — Jim had a great, infectious laugh — at the thought.
While Jim Harris and I were casually acquainted previously, it was Fall 2017 when our relationship began in earnest. We came from different parts of the industry. He cut his teeth as a commercial contract cleaner. I was a fourth􏰐generation carpet cleaner. We had one thing in particular in common, a passion for a man and his book: Dr. Michael A. Berry and 􏰓􏰔􏰕􏰊􏰂􏰖􏰊􏰅􏰄􏰆 􏰊􏰗􏰂 􏰘􏰙􏰅􏰁􏰊 􏰚􏰄􏰛􏰅􏰔􏰕􏰄􏰉􏰂􏰄􏰊 􏰜 􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄􏰆 􏰝􏰕􏰔 􏰞􏰂􏰃􏰁􏰊􏰗􏰟 With our shared passion as a common thread, we hit it off, as Forest 􏰠ump would say, 􏰎like peas and carrots.􏰒
Jim Harris was in his mid􏰐seventies when our CIRI collaboration began. Physically he was past his prime, but mentally — especially as measured by wisdom — he was like a 􏰡ne wine: better with age. He had a way of af􏰡rming and challenging me simultaneously and many were the conversations that left me a wiser man. The better I knew him the more I liked and respected him. Mike Berry’s book fundamentally altered the way he thought of the cleaning profession. He was
absolutely passionate about the industry's potential even as he acknowledged that the industry’s actual performance was often mediocre.
We talked frequently about the industry’s struggles: poorly trained workers, cleaning judged solely based on sight and smell, few companies willing to measure, and still fewer clients demanding it. Underlying it all was a public attitude that cleaning was of low value. Jim knew better and he instilled that awareness with great effect as a core value at his cleaning company, Janitronics.
Jim must have 􏰔􏰂􏰃􏰁􏰁􏰢 loved CIRI because it not only cost him 􏰡nancially, it nearly cost him his life. After shepherding through the ISSA Clean Standard for 􏰣􏰐12 Schools, an intensely stressful process that included the research that signaled the bene􏰡t of ATP for cleaning measurement, he suffered a near fatal heart attack. Yet, as with everything he loved — God, family, country, to name a few — Jim remained intensely loyal to CIRI, and more than once he went to war to defend it. While this isn’t the time for CIRI war stories, suf􏰡ce to say that Jim Harris, CIRI’s commanding general, was 􏰡erce in its defense.
􏰏ver the course of a career fast approaching 􏰤0 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of people. A relative few made an indelible impression. Jim Harris is at or near the top of that list. He was a mentor, a con􏰡dant, and a friend.
􏰥ow it is my turn to serve CIRI as its chairman, a role Jim served for more than 15 years. I would not dare to suggest that I will 􏰡ll his shoes􏰦 I can’t. What I will do is my best, and my best will include the treasure
trove of wisdom my friend and mento shared with me these past 􏰡ve years. J
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John Downey, 􏰃 􏰛􏰂􏰊􏰂􏰔􏰃􏰄 􏰕􏰝 􏰉􏰕􏰔􏰂 􏰊􏰗􏰃􏰄 􏰧􏰤 􏰢􏰂􏰃􏰔􏰨 􏰅􏰄 􏰊􏰗􏰂 􏰖􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄􏰆 􏰅􏰄􏰩􏰙􏰨􏰊􏰔􏰢􏰪 􏰅􏰨 􏰊􏰗􏰂 􏰄􏰂􏰫􏰁􏰢 􏰃􏰬􏰬􏰕􏰅􏰄􏰊􏰂􏰩 􏰖􏰗􏰃􏰅􏰔􏰉􏰃􏰄 􏰕􏰝 􏰊􏰗􏰂 􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰄􏰆 􏰭􏰄􏰩􏰙􏰨􏰊􏰔􏰢 􏰮􏰂􏰨􏰂􏰃􏰔􏰖􏰗 􏰭􏰄􏰨􏰊􏰅􏰊􏰙􏰊􏰂􏰟 􏰞􏰂 􏰃􏰁􏰨􏰕 􏰨􏰂􏰔􏰛􏰂􏰨 􏰃􏰨 􏰂􏰩􏰅􏰊􏰕􏰔 􏰃􏰄􏰩 􏰬􏰙􏰯􏰁􏰅􏰨􏰗􏰂􏰔 􏰕􏰝 􏰊􏰗􏰂 Journal of Cleaning Science􏰟 􏰞􏰂 􏰫􏰂􏰁􏰖􏰕􏰉􏰂􏰨 􏰢􏰕􏰙􏰔 􏰝􏰂􏰂􏰩􏰯􏰃􏰖􏰌 􏰃􏰄􏰩 􏰖􏰃􏰄 􏰯􏰂 􏰔􏰂􏰃􏰖􏰗􏰂􏰩 􏰃t 􏰰􏰕􏰗􏰄􏰱􏰖􏰅􏰔􏰅􏰨􏰖􏰅􏰂􏰄􏰖􏰂􏰟􏰕􏰔􏰆 􏰕􏰔 􏰲􏰧􏰳􏰐􏰴􏰵􏰴􏰐􏰲􏰶􏰧􏰷
30 | The Cleaning Industry Research Institute
FALL 2022