University of Georgia's Nicole Lovely Makes Things Happen

Nicole Lovely

Georgia's Nicole Lovely sees what needs to be done and makes it happen.

Details:

Assistant Cafeteria Manager II, University of Georgia, Athens

Age: 27

Education: B.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire

Years at University of Georgia: 5

Why Selected?

J. Michael Floyd, associate vice president for auxiliary services, says: In a very short time Nicole established herself as the Oglethore Dining Commons manager’s right-hand person. She is self-directed and has quickly became proficient in all areas of the operation, including understanding the financials well enough to make positive contributions. Nicole has the eye of a seasoned foodservice professional. She sees what needs to be done and makes it happen. She does so with poise, professionalism and confidence.

Get to know :

What has been your proudest accomplishment?

Working as a member of our Food Services’ Orientation Host Team, which promotes our voluntary meal plan program to incoming freshman and their families. As part of this team we set a record for sales with 8,500 meal plans. Our team also received a Governor’s Customer Service Commendation.

What would you say you excel at over more seasoned colleagues?

Seeing the big picture. A lot of times it’s not about just noticing what is happening in the moment but knowing what is about to come. This is true not just during service but also with scheduling and payroll. Because we work in a seven-day operation, knowing how to juggle everyone’s schedules can be a challenge, but we always succeed in creating solutions and helping to achieve high sanitation scores.

What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?

To be patient with the employees I am developing.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Working with such a diverse group of people. I often find myself working with full timers, part timers, students and other managers. I had never been in management before so it was tough for me to remember who I was talking to. You can’t ask students and full-time employees to do the same tasks because you won’t get the same results.

What would you like to accomplish in your career in the next two years?

I would like to continue to move forward with my foodservice management career.

What's been your funniest on-the-job disaster?

One Saturday morning we couldn’t get the turbo sink drain to close properly. It wouldn’t hold any water so we decided we needed to remove the rubber gasket and replace it altogether. Neither an employee nor I could reach it, so I decided that in order to get the job done I was going to have to get in the sink. I did and we fixed the problem, avoiding a potential disaster.

What can you look back at now and laugh at?

When I first got to UGA, I was fresh out of college, had never lived this far away from home and was shy and quiet. Now that I’ve been here for five years, it is funny to see how I’ve developed and made myself a better manager.