Product of NACUFS

J. Michael Floyd, executive director of food services at the University of Georgia in Athens, wanted to be a teacher. But when he began working in dining services in college, he quickly realized that he loved being in a kitchen.

“I really think the interesting story about me is that I’m a product of NACUFS. The reason why I say that is that I attended Valdosta State College for my undergraduate degree. Back in the early ’70s dining services at Valdosta had very few students working for them. The director at the time visited UT-Knoxville, which was a NACUFS member at the time. Valdosta was so impressed with UT-Knoxville’s student management program that Valdosta State created a student managers program.

I got a job at the cafeteria during my second semester as a line runner. I ran the food from the kitchen to the line. Eventually I was promoted to student coordinator and managed all the students who worked in foodservices. I did that job for three years. The other tidbit here that I think is interesting is that my predecessor in the student coordinator

position had also progressed that same way, and when he graduated he got a position at the college full time. That gentlemen’s name is Ron Dubberly and he is currently the foodservice director at Appalachian State University. During my senior year Ron was promoted to director of foodservices at Valdosta. When Ron left Valdosta State to go to Appalachian State I came back to Valdosta State and became director of foodservices. So Valdosta State had two foodservice directors who came up within its own ranks.

I think that is such a great example of the sharing that we do between professionals. I look back on my career and my degree was in education. I thought I was going to be a teacher. As I worked in college foodservice I realized that I really enjoyed what I was doing. Ron Dubberly was the person who first told me, ‘Mike, it’s obvious you have a passion for this. You need to do this professionally.’ It all comes back to professionals sharing knowledge and experience with each other and universities making an investment in their own students.”