MEET SUSY VELASQUEZ
If you were to walk down the dirt road of the Farm towards the Warehouse, you would find the office of Susy Valasquez. Amid the hustle and bustle of people and honey, Susy is hard at work managing the large task of order fulfillment. She is instrumental in ensuring that the beautiful honey you love to use arrives safely and on time to its destinations. Certain people around the Farm might even call her a manager of care.
HER FAMILY
Susy moved to the United States from Durango, Mexico, when she was seven years old. A mom to three beautiful children and recent grandmother of one, she spent seven years at the Student Housing Foundation, taking care of and placing 270 students per semester before arriving at Nate’s.
“I used to find housing for students who attended college within the dorms,” Susy said. “If they were feeling sick they’d come to me or if they didn’t have transportation I would take them to the grocery store. When it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, I would always try to make them a big Thanksgiving meal so they felt loved.”
Susy shared this story with us when we sat down with her in her office. You could hear the forklift beeping behind us as it moved products around the warehouse. Susy’s kind, warm and caring demeanor immediately permeates everything she does. She’s easy to talk to and tries to help anyone who comes her way. She said that at Nate’s the same thing applies.
HER DRIVE
“I’m always willing to help anyone,” Susy said. “It doesn’t matter who they are or where they have come from. If anybody, no matter the department, if they come and need help with something, [the goal is] for me to be able to help them. Not just because that’s my job, [I want] to be able to help them with whatever is needed, instead of sending them from one person to another to another.”
Susy truly embodies what it means to be a manager of care. She looks beyond the project and sees the person and community it will impact. She helps set the pace for what excellence can look like when you truly love what you do.
HER HEART
One of Susy’s favorite things about working at Nate’s is the people. She told us that everyone who works in the warehouse gets along and is willing to help each other when needed. Each day, Susy brings lunch for two to three people simply because she doesn’t like to eat alone. Consequently, she told us that someone is always willing to eat her home cooking with her, no matter the menu.
If you can’t already tell, Susy has a heart for service and hospitality like few people we know. She is known for taking the extra step to ensure her kids and students are taken care of and her coworkers’ stomachs are full.
Before we left, she quickly shared that, “Ever since I started working here, I’m constantly buying 12-packs, 32-packs, or whatever we’re running through the line just because my neighbors all like honey… [and] I want them to try it, I want them to taste it.”
Whether taking care of her kids, feeding her coworkers, giving out honey or watching over Nate’s sales orders, she does it all with care and attention. She is an integral part of the Nate’s team. Next time your honey arrives, you can thank Susy for getting it there!
