In June of 2009, Keri decided to change her professional path and become a part of the Areas team because she knew it was an organization that puts people first and encourages professional growth. During her tenure with Areas, Keri has dedicated herself to the success of the company. Most notably she transitioned over 10 stores to new ownership, opened up the Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach service plazas and assisted in the opening of the Pompano Beach service plaza along the Florida Turnpike.
As GM of the West palm Beach Plaza, Keri is responsible for seven concepts including: Nathans, Market Place, Earl of Sandwich, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC and the lobby area. She loves that every day is different, bringing with it new challenges and rewards. “You have to be able to constantly adapt and embrace change in every aspect of this business,” says Keri sharing one of her secrets to running a successful and happy ship at West Palm.
The best leaders know that talent is not enough. When asked what motivates her to work hard, she answers without hesitation, “My team.” At the top of Keri’s day-to-day list of priorities is her focus on hiring the right people for West Palm. “You have to start with the hiring process and focus on placing the right people in the right places,” says Keri who invests in people first. She has earned the trust and respect of her team by making it a priority to work alongside them. “If you don’t gain their trust and respect by working alongside them in the trenches to really see what they’re day-to-day is like, they’re not going to respect you as their leader. We work as a team,” explains Keri.
Keri shares a special compassion for diversity, especially for team members from outside of the United States who must adapt to a different culture and learn a new language. “What most people don’t know about me is that my dad was in the military, and we moved around a lot. We moved to Madrid when I was just a child where I attended Catholic school. My first language went from English to Spanish. When we moved back to the US several years later, I couldn’t speak or read English. I had to learn all over again.” Her compassion for diversity speaks for itself when team members that come from some of the most diverse backgrounds have the highest inspection scores, with the latest score being 100% at KFC. “They are proud of their work and take ownership of their roles. They think of it as their KFC and the high inspection scores the restaurant received as a result of that, are their greatest reward,” says Keri.
Legendary leaders are coaches and mentors to their team. Like Keri, they understand that no one can succeed alone and make it their mission to share the vision of the organization and attract the best people to their company. Her team-first management style is evident when you look her retention rate. At least 50% of Keri’s team has been with Areas for over 10 years! We thank Keri for her devotion to her career, her team and our organization. Keri is recognized as an Areas Legend today, but in truth she is beloved by all and has been a legend for many years.