Kristie Horrocks | Employee Spotlight June 2026
- Erin Williams
- 6 days ago
- 10 min read
Our Employee Spotlight winner this month has been part of the Accurate team in Ely for almost three years. A hardworking school custodian and proud grandma, Kristie is known for her humor, personality, and the way she shows up for the White Pine Middle School community. “Customer service is human kindness—knowing how to treat people.”
Any custodial worker knows they are more than “just” a janitor—and we agree! This is skilled, highly valuable work that deserves respect and is too often overlooked.
At Accurate Building Maintenance, our team members are the backbone of our team and the heartbeat of our purpose: caring for people and places to support shared success. They create clean, welcoming spaces where customers, employees, and communities can thrive. We are so grateful for all they do each day and love to see them grow and succeed.
The Accurate Way is simple, but it produces a higher standard through our Three Daily Rules: Keep Your Word, Leave It Better, and Find a Way. Our Janitorial Employee Spotlight series features team members who show that standard in action and shares their stories.
This month, we're turning the spotlight on Kristie Horrocks, day shift lead at White Pine Middle School in Ely, Nevada. School staff describe her as one of the best custodial workers they've ever had and an integral part of their community. Our Accurate team also recognizes the pride and ownership she brings to the property every day.
For Kristie, the work is personal. Her sister teaches at the school, the staff has become like family, and being there for the students matters to her. She takes pride in seeing the results of her work, but what makes the job meaningful to her is the people around her.
During our Q&A, Kristie was candid, reflective, and unapologetically herself. Her heart is with her fiancé and family in Ely, and her answers show someone who has worked hard to choose her attitude, learn to love herself, and stay true to who she is—whether she's giving an accidental concert with her earbuds in or insisting that “Loving Dove” is, in fact, a warrior name.
What Others Had to Say About Kristie
Bonnie Miller, Accurate's Director of Workplace and Employee Experience, nominated Kristie for the Spotlight in recognition of the positive impact she has made at White Pine Middle School in Ely.
“Kristie gives her all in everything she does. She really cares about her property and takes pride in doing the job right. She is dependable, hardworking, and willing to step in and go above and beyond when help is needed. She supports her team, helps keep the account running smoothly, and works to keep the client satisfied. We appreciate Kristie’s commitment to Accurate and White Pine Middle School, and we are glad to recognize her in this Employee Spotlight.” – Bonnie Miller, Accurate Director of Workplace and Employee Experience, Las Vegas
Accurate services the custodial contract for White Pine County School District in Ely. Kristie is the day shift lead for the middle school. The WPMS team readily shared their appreciation for her.
"Kristie is a wonderful staff member. She is conscientious, hardworking, reliable, and willing to help us whenever we need help. Our school looks great due to her hard work. She is one of the best custodial workers we have ever had. We love how she gets involved in our activities. She dresses up for Halloween and gives teachers gifts for Teacher Appreciation. She is truly a team player, and we love having her at our school." – Kristina E., Principal, White Pine Middle School (Accurate Customer), Ely, Nevada
"Kristie is an exceptional worker! She is timely in her responses to issues, always willing to help, and goes the extra mile. Her kindness and hard work speak volumes about the person she is. Our school would not be the same without her!" – ShuRee F., Administrative Assistant, White Pine Middle School (Accurate Customer), Ely, Nevada
"Kristie is one of the hardest workers I know. As the administrative assistant in the front office at White Pine Middle School, I can earnestly say that she is always willing to help and completes any task we ask of her, enthusiastically. She is a shining example of work ethic and a great representation of a team member for Accurate. I don't know what we would do without her. Her support and initiative are invaluable to our school and the students here." – Sydnee L., Administrative Assistant, White Pine Middle School (Accurate Customer), Ely, Nevada
Kristie works alongside three other Accurate employees at the middle school. Second shift custodians Anthony Liverani and Bonnie Strickland both spoke to her caring nature and consistency at work.
“Kristie is a great lady, very hard-working and caring. She's always working—this woman never stops working, no matter what the situation is.” – Anthony Liverani, Accurate Crew Member, Ely, NV
“Kristie is very knowledgeable about her job, and she showed me how to do my job right. She is always there for us. She's amazing!” – Bonnie Strickland, Accurate Crew Member, Ely, NV
Kaye P., who teaches 6th grade Language Arts at WPMS, praised Kristie's responsiveness and cheerful demeanor.
“Kristie is not only dedicated to maintaining our school and classrooms in excellent condition, but she is also deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students. She is always dependable and quick to respond whenever assistance is needed, whether it is cleaning up a spill or addressing maintenance concerns. I greatly appreciate that I never have to worry about long wait times when desks or tables need repairs. Kristie consistently arrives with a positive attitude and a smile, ready to help wherever she is needed. Her hard work, reliability, and dedication make a tremendous difference in our school each day.” – Kaye P., Teacher, White Pine Middle School (Accurate Customer), Ely, NV
What Kristie Had to Say About Working in the Janitorial Industry at Accurate
What's your "why" on being a cleaning industry professional? What brings you to work each day at this job, besides needing to earn a paycheck? The people I work with and work for—like the teachers—make it worth it. And the students.
Some kids seem to feel they don't have much of a chance, and I was kind of one of "those kids." I look at it as an opportunity to give them a little boost here and there—“Hey guys, you’re doing great.”
If I can just help one of these kids not be so hard on themselves like I was, that really keeps me going back.
What is one thing you wish people knew about your job? That it does not define who I am. People tend to look down on janitors, and that’s one thing I can say has changed a lot at the middle school since I came. I’m family now. It’s not, “Oh, there’s the janitor.” When you’re around people who are friendly and accepting, that’s enough. I now tell people with pride, “This is what I do.”
What skill do you think everyone should learn? I kind of think they’re one and the same: customer service and human kindness. I was raised to treat people with kindness, so when I deal with people, that’s how I deal with them. That’s my customer service—knowing how to treat people.
What makes you feel proud and satisfied about your job? I work in a very old building. When I can clean it and you can tell it’s clean, it’s amazing. It’s like instant gratification. We get the borders sparkly, the walls wiped down.
When people say, "Thank you for what you do," that means a lot. I really feel appreciated at the school, because that's what I hear—“We don’t know what we’d do without you. You’re the one that holds us together.” I don't quite know how to react, but they really mean it. The people I work with are so sincere, and that makes it worth it.
Describe your fellow Accurate team members in three words. “Totally my faves!” The ones working with me now are amazing: Anthony, Ryan, and Bonnie.
What’s the most embarrassing or funniest thing that’s happened to you at work? When I’m doing work where I can have my earbuds in and I’m alone, I usually listen to music and sometimes sing along. I get so focused on what I'm doing that I don't always realize when someone is nearby. I end up giving an accidental concert without knowing it. A few times, it's been the principal and some teachers. I always tell everybody, “Sorry, I was howling at the moon.”
What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far? It all depends on my attitude, and I can change it at any moment. Whether I go in with a good attitude or a bad attitude—or I lose my good attitude in the middle of the day—I can change it. If I go in thinking, “I don’t like my job,” that’s what’s going to come out. If I go in, even on a bad day, thinking, “I love my job,” that’s what’s going to come out. It's a mindset.
Which of Accurate's core values resonates most with you, and why? (We Build Belonging, We Keep Our Word, We Find a Way, and We Create Opportunities) We Keep Our Word. To me, that’s where the trust comes from. You have to keep your word, or people aren’t going to trust you, and that’s huge for me. If I tell you I'm going to do something and something happens where I can't do it, I still go back to you and say, “Look, this is what happened, and I’ll find somebody who can.”
What brought you to the cleaning industry? My sister is a teacher there, and she told me there was an opening. I wasn’t working at the time, and I cannot just stay home. I have to be doing something. I also wanted to live closer to my grandkids, so I applied, and I've been here since (almost three years).
If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be? I would want to work with brand new babies. There’s something so amazing about babies. They’re just little, perfect tiny things. I’d love to get a day where you could hold them, love on them, and rock them during that first day of life so the mamas can get their rest.
What Kristie Shared About Herself
How do you define success? I think it looks different for everybody, but for me, it’s not about having a lot of stuff or being far up in a company. I think having peace, having self-worth, and having happy children—that’s success to me. Not everybody is happy all the time, but family—that’s success to me.
What do you like to do in your free time? Spend time with my grandbabies. They are my life. Anything that has to do with my grandkids, that’s where my heart always is. I have two granddaughters and two grandsons. My oldest grandchild changed my life in a whole different way when she made me a grandma for the first time. Two of them live here in Ely, and I have them nearly every weekend. My other two live in Alamo, where I raised my kids. We go to Cave Lake a lot, get in a raft, and just float. It has a cooler in the middle, so we have snacks and drinks. Core memories.
Tell us about your family now and where you grew up. I’m engaged, and my fiancé Jason has become a big part of my extended family. He’s so good with my grandbabies, and since he never had children of his own, being part of their lives has given him a taste of something he missed out on. I was born in Henderson, near Las Vegas. But Vegas just isn’t good for some people, and I was one of those people. I needed to get out of there. Ely has been a better place for me. Sadly, my mother passed away 20 years ago.
What advice would you give to your younger self? That it’s okay to love myself. I have always been my worst critic. Just recently, I have actually started liking who I am.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last three years? Learning that I have potential and that I can do anything I put my mind to. I’ve always doubted everything I’ve done—besides parenting, which is really weird—but that was all God. Every time I didn’t know what I was doing, I said, “God, they’re yours. I don’t know what to do.”
What’s something unique about you? I’m pretty funny, I guess. I’ve always got people laughing. I don’t think most people are ready for it, because sometimes I’m very quiet. But I can pop off with some stuff and not even realize how funny it is until everybody’s laughing.
If you were an animal, what would you be, and why? I would be a dove. I went through a leadership course, and we had to pick a warrior name and an animal. I picked the dove, and my name was Loving Dove. My trainer didn't understand it. She said, “That’s not a warrior animal.” But that's what I chose, because it fit me. Since then, a lot of things have happened where the dove has felt symbolic to me. They have free spirits. Birds can go wherever they want.
You’re happiest when ____________ [fill in the blank]. Spending time with God, in prayer, and with my grandkids.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you bring? (besides food, water, or other practical items) Pen, paper, and a Bible.
If you could spend time with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? Jesus Christ. I’d just like to sit there with Him.
Thank you, Kristie, for being a highly valued team member and an inspiration! We are so glad you’re part of The Accurate Family.
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