Public Safety Veteran at Studebaker Building Retires After 37 years

Growing up minutes away from Columbia’s main campus, Security Officer Benny Ybera never thought he would end up working for the University’s Public Safety. Before marrying his high school sweetheart, Benny was working on expanding his small business in flea markets selling comic books and collectibles. After starting a family, he decided to trade his entrepreneurial goals for a job opportunity with benefits that allowed him more time with his growing family. The fact that it was a five-minute walk from his home was an unexpected plus.  

Because Benny had previous experience as a security officer, his brother-in-law Martin G. Nelles, who was working as a security officer in Public Safety at Columbia at the time, encouraged Benny to apply for the open role. Throughout his 37-year tenure in the department, Benny has served as a security officer on all three campuses, mostly on the overnight shift, patrolling buildings, guiding visitors, and protecting the grounds he was assigned. For the last 14 years, he’s been the friendly face greeting people as they enter Columbia’s Studebaker building. 

As a kid growing up on 115th Street, he saw the neighborhood change over the years and was always interested in learning about the history behind Columbia’s buildings, especially Studebaker which was home to a car manufacturing plant and various warehouses before it became a university administrative building. When he was offered the post, he knew it was meant to be. 

On August 31, Benny will retire to focus on his health and spend more time traveling with his wife and two daughters. He chose this date for his retirement in memory of his brother-in-law Martin who was hired in the department in August of 1985 and passed away while on duty in 2016. 

“I am fascinated by the work that I do every day with my team,” said Benny. “We’re like a family, all part of the same unique experience.” Benny believes that Public Safety has an incredible responsibility in keeping the community safe with pride and consistency, and the way to do that is by getting to know the people you serve. 

Daily, he would interact with hundreds of people from students, faculty, staff and senior University administrators. He created a system to learn the names of the people he interacted with regularly, an important step he says in creating relationships and building trust. 

“Benny doesn’t just do work for Public Safety; he goes above and beyond in everything he does because it’s just who he is,” said Robert Ramos, director, Manhattanville Operations. “We’re really going to miss him around here.” 

Although his time as an employee is coming to an end, Benny is happy to still be a resident in the neighborhood, looks forward to continuing to be a part of the Columbia community, and promises to visit his Manhattanville family at least once a month.