Faces of Brown: James Stewart and Mark Sands

by Dionne Montgomery

Let's see … optimal criteria for Faces of Brown:

• Works at the University. Check.

• A steward for the Brown community. Check.

• A familiar face in the University crowd who co-workers would like to learn more about. Check and check.

Stewart, aka the FedEx guy, and Sands, aka the UPS guy, are Brown's go-to guys when it comes to shipping. No slight intended for other messengers, but between Stewart and Sands, they've put in 25 years on the Brown campus.

To say they know this campus very well is an understatement. Both have delivery routes dedicated to the Brown campus. They know who moved to what department, what elevators to avoid, and what department has relocated. They have to in order to meet those demanding deadlines.

But they don't just deliver packages or pick up that overnighter for you in a pinch; they deliver humor and wit with every stop.

"Mark has even delivered my birthday cake," said Donna Silvia, positions coordinator for Human Resources. "He was holding the cake when I walked in the room and everyone yelled surprise. I was shocked."

Each man is able to refer to each Brown department with a building name, an address, a campus box, and two former locations, and they have a mutual friendship and mutual respect for each other. "We have a friendly competition going on. I have a lot of respect for Mark and the job he does because I know what he has to deal with," said Stewart, who constantly picks at his brown-clad counterpart. "It's all in fun," said Sands.

You don't have to dig too deeply to find an employee to sing the praises of both. In fact, Sands and Stewart went 10 for 10 in a poll to determine whether Brown employees are familiar with the dynamic duo. Sure, those stats would never hold up in any Darrell West survey, but they don't call Stewart "the Mayor of Thayer" for nothing.

"I think he's great," Marion Falciglia, an assistant in the President's office, said of Stewart. "You can depend on him for anything. And Mark, too. He is so pleasant."

"Jimmy's a good egg," said Anthony Tanzi, executive director of communications and network technology. "His demeanor, professionalism and personality always make dealing with him a nice experience. Mark goes out of his way to help us regularly. You couldn't ask for two nicer guys."

Stewart, a graduate of Classical High School, attended Providence College. He comes from a family of 13 and considers meeting his wife, Jill, in the Office of Research and Administration as his most memorable moment at Brown.

"I've always considered Brown that shiny place on the East Side," said Stewart. "The architecture, the tradition and the people keep me coming back for more. I come to Campus Dance every year and loved the pomp and circumstance involved in the inauguration. I just eat that stuff up."

Sands and his wife of 11 years have three daughters ages 10, 6 and 5. He purchased a membership to the Brown gym and frequently works out among students and staff. ("He has to lift weights just to keep up with me," jokes Stewart.) "The people at Brown are my friends. It makes working here a breeze," said Sands.