RIVERSIDE CHAT

During the COVID pandemic, schools were required to have a designated point person to oversee and implement virus-related policies. At Rivers, that person was Director of Operations Tom Bourdeau, who also serves as the school’s assistant football coach. Bourdeau, a father of three young children, was fairly new to his job when the pandemic hit. COVID changed everything—but not Bourdeau’s work ethic or his willingness to take on any challenge: “I don’t think I’ve ever said no to a work-related request,” he says.

Five Questions for . . .

Tom Bourdeau

You took on an operations position in July 2019. Eight months later, COVID struck. How has that affected your role?

I feel like it has defined my role, since the majority of my time in it has been during COVID. When I started, in 2019, we were focused on the opening of The Revers Center for Science and Visual Arts and reworking safety protocols and policies, but a lot of that was put on the back burner when I became the COVID guy. Ned asked if I would take that on, and I said yes. It made a lot of sense, since so much of it came from an operational standpoint. And regardless of job title, you do what the head coach asks you to do.

What’s the biggest challenge in your current job?

The day-to-day unknowns— the curveballs that come. That’s the biggest challenge and the biggest source of gratification: Working to solve those problems. Between May 2020 and the start of the following school year, I had no choice but to learn as much as I could about everything that happens on this campus. It was challenging, but it was absolutely the best experience I could have had.

What do you think was our most significant accomplishment in the effort to provide students with a “normal” experience?

I think we were, at least in the ISL, the only school that was open five days a week in person at full capacity. We operated under best practices and used caution as appropriate. Staying open and keeping the community safe—that was the goal. And we were able to do that.

What in your background or experience prepared you for the challenges of the COVID era?

When I was coaching at Boston College, as a graduate assistant, I learned that there’s no such thing as “work hours.” Many times, we were presented with problems that seemed unsolvable, and time was always of the essence. But I was able to keep the pressure from getting to me, because I had been in these situations before. From my time in athletics, I knew how much patience you need to have.

It’s your birthday and you get to choose the dinner menu. What do you pick?

I’m going to the Trillium Brewery in Canton and having a couple of New England IPAs and pizza. No dessert required—just a babysitter.