One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 125 years of family serving family
Jeff Byerly has worked for the Exchange for 17 years, with plans to have a long career and a rewarding retirement, just as his parents did.
Byerly’s father, Ralph, worked for the Exchange from 1974 to 2007 in retail. His mother, Debbie, also worked for the Exchange, from 1986 to 2011 in logistics and marketing.
Their experiences helped Byerly decide he wanted to work for the Exchange too.
“I got to see how the Exchange provides a good life for the associates who work for it,” he said. “We had a lot of experiences, being able to travel. My parents always had great things to say about working for the Exchange.”
Byerly’s time at the Exchange overlapped with both of his parents. He joined in 2004, working at the Exchange call center in Dallas, while attending college.
In 2006, he was accepted into the Exchange’s Logistics college trainee program. Since then, he has spent his career in Logistics. As regional fleet manager, based at the Waco Distribution Center, he supervises the operations of the Waco and the West Coast terminals. He oversees more than 70 drivers with a fleet of nearly 100 trucks and more than 630 trailers.
Before going to Waco, he was regional fleet manager at the Giessen Distribution Center in Germany. It was a return of sorts for Byerly, whose family had lived in Wiesbaden, roughly an hour’s drive from Giessen.
Byerly enjoys the challenges and opportunities presented by an Exchange career, as well as the ability to travel.
“The Exchange provides opportunities in work in a variety of positions, allowing for a challenging career, with the ability to grow as a manager and leader.” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to see the world, experience different cultures and meet interesting people. It has been a wonderful and educational experience.”
With his own family’s deep Exchange history, Byerly sees multiple layers to “family serving family.”
His grandfather, Frank Kliment, served as a bombardier in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel. His grandmother is a frequent Exchange shopper. He also has a cousin who serves in the Army, who told him how much he appreciated going to the PX while serving in Afghanistan.
Then there are the broader meanings of “family serving family.”
“There’s family serving Exchange family, helping out each other, being compassionate toward other managers and associates,” he said. “And then also serving the military. My grandfather has passed away, but my grandmother is always in the Exchange, so you have that connection.”
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