Personal Matters :
Proud Homer : I ’ m from Montgomery , and I ’ ve seen it evolve so much in the past 30 years . The city has so much opportunity and still so much more potential to reach . I ’ m excited for its future .
Dinner Date : If I could have dinner with anyone , it would be Greg Sanke , the commissioner of the SEC , and not because of my love of athletics and Alabama , but because he is a man who is strong in his faith and so disciplined in the way he runs and leads the organization . He has to manage a lot of big egos , and he does that really well . During the pandemic , he never faltered about the college football season moving forward for the SEC ; I ’ d love to learn more about his decisionmaking there .
Out of Office : I work a lot , but when I ’ m not , it sounds a little vanilla , but I do love sports , all sports . I also love learning about other cultures and traveling . I enjoy kayaking , too .
What ’ s the No . 1 thing you advise employers to do to attract and retain talent ? The easy answer is bigger salary , but money is not everything . We spend so much of our day at work , and that means what we pick up there can really affect our entire lives , so people really want a positive culture , a positive environment . And flexibility ; most people don ’ t want to be micromanaged .
What is the most sought-after skill today ’ s employers are after ? Versatility and a broad skill set . If I am hiring you for an administrative assistant position , sure you can do that job , but what if I need to take off for something ? Can I rely on you to take on additional responsibilities ? Most employers want you to be able to do a little more than what they initially hired you for .
What is your No . 1 piece of business advice for someone just starting out ? The answer to every question you don ’ t ask is “ no .” Never be intimidated by anyone ; everyone started somewhere and everyone is approachable . When I was a high school senior , I called and spoke with the head athletic trainer at Alabama and said this is what I ’ d like to do . He said okay . I got there because I asked .
62 CentrAL Inc !