Gary Holub

“I was 47 when I started the management courses. Even though I’d been working in management for many years, I’d also been out of school for many years. 

“My professors at Brookhaven were really outstanding. I especially enjoyed Mary Lou Avera’s classes. I’d go to her class on Monday nights and begin applying what I’d learned in class at work on Tuesday morning. I’d think, ‘This is real-world stuff that you can really use!’ 

“What do I like about being in management? I like being able to positively impact a group of individuals as well as the company. Throughout my career, I’ve often been assigned to positions that weren’t managed very well previously. I’m a strong believer in structure; written procedures can help establish structure and create consistency and order. When people feel like they’re being treated equally, morale is higher, errors are reduced and productivity increases. It makes you feel good if you can be instrumental in making these kinds of positive changes. 

“I started my career as a receiver and loader for a TG&Y distribution center in Lubbock, working my way into supervisory roles. I left the company as a training and safety manager. I always thought that if I got into a position of responsibility, as a manager I would consistently enforce procedure which would reward employees who are doing a good job and hold the below standard employees accountable rather than allowing them to ‘get by.’ That’s still how I operate as a manager. 

“What have I learned? I’ve been in management so long that I already had learned what methods do and do not work for me, but then I began to learn the reasons why those methods work and how to improve upon them. The classes reminded me of different ways to get results, and my management education gave me additional options on how to approach my job and employees. 

“In my first go at college, I didn’t have the maturity to focus, and I didn’t really feel inspired by my professors. Mary Lou really cares and is committed to teaching management skills. She wants you to be a success and goes out of her way to help you, which is a rare thing. Most people in her classes have shown some level of leadership in the workplace, and they’re looking for tools to improve. The co-op education creates a lot of visibility in the work environment as the projects you complete can be related directly to your current job. When you do well on a class project, it does nothing but benefits you at work, as your bosses receive copies of your completed projects.” 

Garry Holub was the outbound manager at Tuesday Morning, Inc. before being promoted in early 2010 to his current position as transportation manager, in which he is responsible for all merchandise movement between the company’s distribution center and stores. He has spent most of his career in distribution and transportation, having also worked for Walmart, K-Mart and Fossil. In his current position, he manages office staff, a driver force and other managers. He earned a Management certificate and is close to finishing his associate degree, with plans to continue his education into a bachelor’s degree. His direct supervisor, the director of operations and the human resources director at Tuesday Morning, Inc. have all been through the Management program.

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