130 Years of Family Serving Family: Kay Carmichael, HQ

One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 130 years of family serving family.

Who she is: Kay Carmichael, inventory management specialist, HQ.

Years with the Exchange: 17 years

What she did before the Exchange: “I came from a corporate buying world, so I had similar experience,” she said. “I was a buyer at Dillard’s Department Stores for 20 years before coming to the Exchange.”

Military connections: Kay’s nephew served in the Air Force, retiring in 2024. Her father, uncle and grandfather all served in the Army.

Best part of working for the Exchange: “Knowing that we are there for those who are deployed and on the front lines makes me feel very proud,” she said.

“My nephew would come back from deployment and tell me about days he had that were extremely hard.  He told me how good it felt to be able to go to the Exchange and just get a Coke or Snickers candy bar, anything to make it feel a little bit like home.”

International work: “Coming from a buying world where we were only buying for the U.S., it’s  different when working with the Exchange,” she said. “There are logistical dilemmas that can come up when there’s a typhoon, hurricane or a frozen river waterway on the other side of the world.  We worry about getting our products where they need to go, and these natural disasters complicate getting our products to the overseas locations.”

Kay’s merchandise responsibilities encompass a variety of home products, from mattresses to bedding, sheets, towels, cookware, small appliances and more.

“Because we can’t just send small amounts of merchandise to OCONUS on a truck like we do in  CONUS, we have to really plan ahead for what we need to put on large containers to ship overseas and replenish our stores there.

“We have to have a very global perspective. That was a learning curve for me.”

Family Serving Family: “It’s amazing to think back to when my father, uncle and grandfather were all in the Army, knowing they had an Exchange they could go to, just like our Warfighters do today,” she said.

“We all have a connection at the Exchange, and it makes my heart feel proud to do what we do. It is an honor to provide needed items for our military members, as they lay their lives on the line every day to protect our country.”