Clocking Out After 36 Years: Chief of Food Operations Lori Maggard Looks Back at Legacy

As an Air Force spouse, Lori Maggard began working at the Mountain Home Air Force Base Exchange’s Military Clothing store in 1984 to earn money for a new television set. What she didn’t know was that she was beginning a lifelong career.

Now after nearly 37 years of support and service to the Exchange and America’s heroes, Maggard will retire June 26.

“I started working at the Exchange because we needed a new TV,” she said. “My first role was at the Military Clothing store. I took a break in service and returned in 1987 working at the Lackland Air Force Base Shoppette as a cashier, and then I moved to a troop store at Lackland as a cashier cage associate in 1990.”

Throughout her career, Maggard held a variety of roles in food and management, including food court manager; Popeyes manager; cashier cage associate; Central Region food program specialist; Subway program manager; and Exchange general manager.

In 1997, she embarked on long career in food—becoming the Popeyes concept manager at Mountain Home AFB shopping center.

Serving military communities

A lover of people, cultures and food, Maggard enjoyed living and working at military installations worldwide, meeting new people and embodying the family serving family core value.

She landed at Mountain Home Air Force Base; Leighton Barracks in Wurzburg, Germany; Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland; Schofield Barracks; Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo; Spangdahlem Air Base; and the Exchange’s headquarters in Dallas.

As a manager, she prioritized making the Exchange the center of the military community by bringing service members and their families together inside the main store. While at Schofield Barracks, Maggard hosted monthly family nights in the food court—inviting military shoppers to the store for family games; karaoke; and arts and crafts. “We really tried to be a meeting place for the community, and it was a lot of fun,” she said.

Years later in January 2018, she took her love for the military community to the Balkans, working in Bulgaria, Romania and Bosnia. While deployed, she improved the quality of life for local national associates by facilitating a project to grant them health insurance and retirement benefits.

“I was part of an ongoing project to bring health care and retirement benefits to the local associates to supplement what their country provided them,” she said. “It was an amazing feeling to help set that up.”

Maggard supported military exercises in the Balkans by bringing a taste of home through mobile field Exchanges. “I really loved learning about that part of the world and doing rodeos at the remote sites,” she said.

Relationship-focused

Though her previous marriage introduced her to the organization, Maggard’s military connection reaches as far back to World War II, when her great uncle  served in the war. She also has an uncle who is a Vietnam Veteran. Her brother is a Coast Guard retiree, and she is married to an Army Veteran.

Maggard has a deep understanding of the service and sacrifice of troops, military spouses and children. As the chief of food operations, she carried her love for military communities to power her daily work.

“I’ve enjoyed being able to help anyone in any restaurant, anywhere in the world,” Maggard said. “I worked with and supported my team as they manage the restaurants, both direct and concession, that flow through our office. My day to day all depended on the issue in the field and how we need to support, and the team does its best to support the food teams and our customers.”

She also credits meaningful relationships she built within the organization for her successes. The Exchange, for her, is a second family.

“The Exchange is like a family away from home,” Maggard said. “We help each other, and teammates turn into friends, who turn into family.”

Her family extends across military installations and Exchange headquarters. She credits her professional relationship with Exchange leaders as important connections.

“I’ve worked for a lot of great bosses who took the time to show me how to do what I was doing and show me next steps so I could grow. I had a mentor who pushed me to go back to school to get both my degrees and get tuition assistance,” she said. “When starting in food management, Lu Quemuel and Al Tagab taught me the food business. As my career progressed, I had the pleasure to work for some amazing senior leaders in the Central and Europe regions, and at headquarters in the services and food directorate. Exchange President Jason Rosenberg, Retired Senior Vice President Trini Saucedo, and Retired Chief Operating Officer Dave Nelson are just a few of the many who were super supportive and very compassionate toward me in my career.”

Retirement plans

Her love for serving others will continue in retirement. Maggard plans to volunteer in her community wherever the need is. After her retirement ceremony, she plans to visit her family and travel the country.

“I’ll be traveling to Wisconsin to see my grandkids and also visiting Branson, and I’m relocating to Southern Idaho, where nearly all of my family lives,” she said. “I plan to take a year off and look for something in school administration or another volunteer opportunity.”

Parting words

As she ends her career, Maggard encourages associates to stay focused on the mission; be open to learning more about their job and how it connects to everyone else’s in the organization; find a mentor; network; and always be ready for the next step.

“I am thankful for my teammates through the years and the associates who do what they do every day,” she said. “This is an amazing organization and I’m honored and proud to have been part of it.”