Whether rain or shine, water leaks or clogged sinks, Todd Walker is up and working hard to ensure that all the students on the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) campus have the opportunity to learn in a clean and safe environment. As the head custodian, Walker shows up daily to perform more than just every day cleaning tasks. He helps teachers, fellow staff members and students to set up for important events, and plays an indispensable role no one could do without.
A resident of Ventura since 1972, Walker has worked many years in positions contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of his hometown.
“I worked for the Adult Education Center for seven years before this,” Walker said, “It’s [a part of] Ventura Unified, called Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (VACE).”
He gave credit to his wife who manages the school cafeteria, Lori Walker, for inspiring him to work at Foothill Tech. He also explained, “I just wanted to move up from the position I was in. This was a lead position, so that’s what I really wanted to do.”
Most people who catch Walker during the school day only see half of what a typical workday looks like for him as a head custodian.
Walker listed, “I get here in the morning and unlock all the doors and turn off the alarms on all the buildings. Then I usually get our mail and go through all the emails that teachers have sent me about anything that needs to be repaired.” He also opens up all the bathrooms, “at least three times a day, making sure that they’re all supplied and working.”
However, that’s not the end of his responsibilities. He went on to recount, “After lunch, I’ll collect all the trash outside of the buildings, and that keeps me busy. At the end of the day, I usually meet with the [other janitors] and I give them their assignments for what they’ll be cleaning for the night, and if there’s any events going on, what they’ll need to be doing.”
His efforts around campus are felt by administrators, staff and students who all expressed their gratitude for their head custodian.
Walker is also a father of two children, both in their thirties now. His son runs the Ventura Recovery Center (VRC), a place dedicated to helping others recover from mental traumas.
In his free time, Walker enjoys fishing. “My favorite thing to do is fish; I fish a lot. Mostly shore fishing, and I love to stream fish when I can get away that far,” he expressed.
Foothill Tech’s Principal, Courtney Johnson, emphasized her appreciation for Walker: “He is willing to meet us where we need; maybe something was working in the past, but it’s no longer working now, so we need to tweak it. Change can be really hard… and I appreciate his willingness to adapt to what we need.”
Sadie Lagerquist ‘26 also stated, “I don’t know [Mr. Walker] personally, but he always makes sure the school is super clean, [even if we make a mess] in the classrooms, which we’re sorry for.”
Rebecca Wulff, the Wellness Center Coordinator, described, “This is my second year working here with Todd, and he’s always helpful. When we need anything for the [Wellness Center,] he gets it for us.”
Walker gives some words of advice to students, commenting that, “you have to have a certain demeanor to be a custodian. You have to not care if you get dirty, and it’s different.”
The importance of being a school custodian is one of the most understated things. As a person in the position, Walker’s favorite thing that students and staff do for him is, “Just saying thank you for what you do because it’s not the most fun thing in the world, picking up trash all day. So when they say thank you, you appreciate it.”
So if you happen to see Todd Walker around campus, make sure to thank him for all that he does for Foothill Tech!
