{"118521":{"#nid":"118521","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Harris Wears \u2018Many Hats\u2019 at Global Learning Center","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom explaining to a client why he can\u2019t bring a horse into the Global Learning Center (GLC) for an event to overseeing construction projects, the activities that make up a day in Phyllis Harris\u2019s job are seldom the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs director of operations for the GLC, I wear a lot of hats, and sometimes it\u2019s difficult even for me to define what I am,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI\u2019m responsible for facilities, meeting arrangements, guest services \u2014 any of the logistics of keeping things running. And if you\u2019re wondering, no, the client wasn\u2019t allowed to bring the horse in.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter years of working in the hospitality industry, Harris moved from Florida to Atlanta (this was her second time moving to the area) to be closer to her parents, who live about two hours away from the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt that point, I was looking for a job where I could use the skills I\u2019d gained, and the idea of applying them in an academic environment was intriguing,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarris was offered a job at Tech, and almost nine years later she is still here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently, The Whistle had a chance to learn more about Harris and her time at Georgia Tech. Here\u2019s what she shared.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat did you want to be when you were a child? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve always loved to cook, so I wanted to be a chef. I started off helping mom cook our holiday meals. I can bake an amazing batch of brownies. They are pretty simple to make \u2014 but it\u2019s my secret ingredient that makes them so amazing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most satisfying part of your job?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people on my team are such hard workers. It\u2019s always nice to work with a group of people you can count on to follow through and get things done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you enjoy most about working at Tech? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s the only job that I\u2019ve ever had where I am surrounded by such a diverse group of people. For example, today I was approached by a student from Brazil who was here for language testing. He was eager to learn more about the university and our campus. I really enjoy having the chance to get to interact with new people from such a variety of cultures on a daily basis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is a professional accomplishment that you\u2019re proud of? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve received my Certified Meeting Professional designation from the Convention Industry Council. Now, I\u2019m in the process of earning my Facilities Management Certificate from the International Facilities Management Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere is your favorite spot on campus? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI enjoy the walk from Tech Square to the Student Center \u2014 and the Dunkin\u2019 Donuts coffee that I always stop and get on the walk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the one piece of technology that you can\u2019t live without? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree months ago, I would have said that I hate technology. But then I got an iPhone, and I love it! I don\u2019t know what I did before I had access to all of these great apps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhich do you prefer and why: Facebook, Twitter or a world without either?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA world without any of it. It always seems like a lot of work to maintain these accounts, kind of like a job. And I don\u2019t want another job to do in my spare time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the greatest risk you\u2019ve ever taken, and did it pay off? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral years ago, I quit a job right before Christmas \u2014 and I didn\u2019t have a back up plan. I realized that the situation wasn\u2019t right for me, and I was so comfortable with the decision that I wasn\u2019t worried about what came next (even though I\u2019m a chronic planner). Thankfully, I found another job quickly, so I\u2019d say the risk paid off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you could have dinner with anyone \u2014 dead or alive \u2014 who would it be? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy grandpa, Sam. He passed away about 30 years ago, and I miss him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere is your favorite spot to have lunch? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsually, it\u2019s my desk. But, I do like the Vortex, and I\u2019ll order the turkey burger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us something about yourself that others might not know.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen I was in the first grade, I won the spelling bee. But my spelling success was short-lived. In the second grade, I lost; I left the \u201cr\u201d out of \u201cstreet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom explaining to a client why he can\u2019t bring a horse into the Global Learning Center (GLC) for an event to overseeing construction projects, the activities that make up a day in Phyllis Harris\u2019s job are seldom the same.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From explaining to a client why he can\u2019t bring a horse into the Global Learning Center (GLC) for an event to overseeing construction projects, the activities that make up a day in Phyllis Harris\u2019s job are seldom the same."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2012-03-21 15:26:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:52","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"118391":{"id":"118391","type":"image","title":"Phyllis Harris","body":null,"created":"1449178256","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:56","changed":"1475894738","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:38","alt":"Phyllis Harris","file":{"fid":"194295","name":"phyllis5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/phyllis5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/phyllis5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":119580,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/phyllis5_0.jpg?itok=9Rpv_5ZH"}}},"media_ids":["118391"],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8361","name":"Global Learning Center"},{"id":"27811","name":"Phyllis Harris"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.pavlik@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-4142\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}