One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 131 years of family serving family
Who he is: Michael Hannon Sr., PowerZone supervisor at the MacDill AFB Exchange
Years at the Exchange: 17 years
Military connections: Hannon is a Veteran, initially enlisting in the Army National Guard. After serving five years, he served on active duty with the Army for four years, discharging as an E-4.
“I fell in love with it,” Hannon said. “I tell everyone that joining the military takes you out your comfort zone. For example, everything I knew about overseas was from the news. I wanted to see that for myself. I’ve had the chance to go to different states and countries, experience different things and meet all sorts of people.”
Hannon’s twin brothers also served, with one joining the Army and one joining the Air Force.
Early Exchange memories: “When I was in the National Guard, we’d be sent to various places, like Arizona, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma. I’d just go in and shop.”
What brought him to the Exchange: “Getting out of the military, I wanted to keep that same kind of camaraderie.”
Becoming a leader: “I hate to admit this, but I’ve avoided the supervisor position for years. The supervisor position was in heavy rotation since people come and go. I thought, ‘Well, I can’t not step up.’ Something in life was telling me to, so I did. I’ve come out of my comfort zone. I’ve been in the same department since Day One. We only have a team of two. I’ve had to become Mr. PowerZone. I’ve had to learn as much as I could about every product and brand.
“I didn’t think I could be a manager. Of course, I am ex-military. I consider myself old school. In the military, you learn how to be more assertive. Things are cut and dry, but not everything can be in black and white. Some things have to be in color. I’ve learned to taper back some because I’ve had to realize I’m not in the military anymore.”
Memorable moments: Hannon said each day is unique.
“We have all walks of life come through the doors. One thing I’ve learned about working here is people will come in and just tell me their problems. I’ve had people come in and say, ‘Hey, I’m buying a new TV,’ then spend 30 minutes telling me why they’re buying a new one. Initially, I never knew how to respond, but eventually, I figured out it’s just a people thing.
“I had a shopper come in every Tuesday. I never knew his name, but he knew mine and I’ve met his wife. It took me a while to realize why I kept seeing him every Tuesday. As we get older, sometimes we lose friends. I’ve become friends with a lot of people since working here.
“I also remember, one day, a kid came straight up to me. I guess he ran away from his mother. He had to walk through all these people, but he came straight to me and said he was lost. I guess I just have that face that says I can help.
“But to me, everything in life has a reason or purpose. There’s a reason why that kid walked up to me. There’s something from the universe or God that has me here to help people. I think I’m in the right place doing the right thing.”
Family serving family: “We take care of each other and the people around us. We want them to understand that family is very important. That’s the biggest part here; it’s the core. It’s the foundation that holds this whole thing together.”
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