For more than three decades, Al Lamere P ’08 has quietly been one of the forces that keep Harley running. (Although anyone who has seen him walk through the Nursery hallway might argue there’s nothing quiet about the rock-star welcome he receives from the school’s youngest learners!)
Al joined the Harley maintenance team in 1992 when, after serving in the Army and National Guard, he was looking for his next step. He found his way to Harley through Victor Ortiz (Maintenance 1992–2020), arriving just a couple of months after longtime colleague Mike Buck (Maintenance 1992–present). The two are just a week apart in age, and Al laughs when he talks about working together. “He’s tough,” Al says, “but I respect him.” He also admires former Head of the Lower School Pam Kimmet P ‘92, ‘95, GP ‘30, ‘33. “She needed her Lower School clean,” he recalls. “Her standards made all of us work harder. She pushed us to do our best.”
Harley quickly became a family affair. Every one of Al’s children has worked at the school at some point, and even at home, the family ties run deep. Al and his brother Richie Burgess (Maintenance 1999–present) live under the same roof but joke that they see each other more at work than anywhere else.
Everything changed for Al the year his son AJ ’08 came to Harley. He admits he hadn’t fully appreciated the power of education until he watched the school through his son’s eyes. AJ had been working summers at Harley when longtime teacher Barbara Willard (Middle School 1990–2006) noticed his work ethic. She told Paul Schiffman (Head of School, 2000-2006), “This kid’s a hard worker—smart. He’s got to come to Harley.” Conversations followed, doors opened, and by ninth grade, AJ was officially a Harley student. “Harley changed his life,” Al says simply.
AJ thrived. He served on the student council and found a community that saw him—not as “the maintenance guy’s kid,” but as a student with potential. On graduation day, Marilyn Fenster (Lower School 1975–80, 1989–2021), Sandy Foster P ‘19, ‘19 (History, 1997–2022), Sheila Grant (Middle School 1995–1997, Lower School 1997–2013), and Margaret Tolhurst P ‘12, ‘15 (1992–present) volunteered to cover parking so Al could watch the ceremony uninterrupted. “That meant everything,” he says.
AJ became the first in his family to attend college. Today, he holds a master’s degree and works at Paychex. Looking back, Al is deeply grateful: “Harley gave my family so much.”
When asked what keeps him motivated after all these years, his answer is simple:
“If Harley could do this for my kids—for my family—then the least I can do is give my best every day.”
