Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards: Outstanding Leader
J. Michael Floyd: Providing Extraordinary Leadership for More than Three Decades
Although the Service Excellence Award for an Outstanding Leader is intended to represent
extraordinary leadership over the last year, I can think of no better representation than a leader who has
not only exemplified the qualities of service excellence over the past year, but throughout his career.
As a long-time employee at the University of Georgia I have been privileged to observe just such a
leader for many years and I am honored to nominate our Associate Vice President for Auxiliary
Services, J. Michael Floyd for this leadership award. For over 30 years Mike Floyd has provided a
shining example of customer service excellence on behalf of the University and the State of Georgia.
One would be remiss not to acknowledge the long-term impact he has had on both our internal and
external customers. His leadership, enthusiasm and stamina have ensured customer service
expectations continue to rise year after year and his many accomplishments during his career
exemplify the effect he has had on our customers, his team, and the University of Georgia. The
programs he has established throughout his tenure have stood the test of time and continuously provide
a level of service to our customers above and beyond their expectations.
Mike began his career as a student employee with Food Services at Valdosta State University and soon
discovered a passion for dining and auxiliary services. As a student employee, he was quickly
promoted to the highest management position a student employee could hold. Although he briefly
explored the corporate world after graduation as a manager for Morrison’s Food Service, he returned to
Valdosta State University two and a half years later as their youngest ever Director of Food Services.
After spending seven years at Valdosta State University, Floyd assumed the leadership role for food
services at the University of Georgia in 1986.
In a time when many dining programs transitioned to contractual arrangements with major food service
providers, Floyd has grown UGA’s voluntary seven-day meal plan by more than 750%. When he
came to UGA, the administration was actually considering abolishing the seven-day meal plan.
Instead, under his leadership, UGA Food Services became recognized as a national leader in the
college food service industry. Even as UGA became the national record holder in NACUFS Loyal E.
Horton Dining Awards (72), Floyd continued to develop and implement programs to meet his
customers’ needs. Throughout his career in food services, he has continuously set a higher standard
with major improvements to dining halls, service expansions such as 24-hour service, and programs to
create a connection with the customer. Floyd leads by example and has taken the time every single
semester to go behind the lines and serve students at the Midnight Pancakes and Beignets event. His
“Meet the Director” program ensured he could let every meal plan participant know he cares by
meeting and greeting all of the meal plan participants in the first two weeks of school. The proclaimed
Taste of Home event held each year showcases the recipes of parents and extends the doors of the
dining commons and the University to parents and students alike. “We really want students to feel that
they have a second home at the University,” Floyd has said, and he never hesitates to go the extra mile
to guarantee they do.
Those dining on the meal plan are not the only ones who experience the exemplary service of Mike
Floyd. The employees in the Food Services division have felt his impact for nearly three decades.
Always supporting the culinary interests of his employees and encouraging their growth Floyd has
continually provided his employees with training opportunities, but he also took it further and
supported the growth of the entire industry. Floyd was one of the founding members of NACUFS
Culinary Education program that brought the Culinary Institute of America to colleges and universities
around the country to host chef workshops. In 1998 he brought the Culinary Institute of America to
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Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards: Outstanding Leader
J. Michael Floyd: Providing Extraordinary Leadership for More than Three Decades
UGA. Long before the Chancellor’s awards existed or even UGA’s own F&A merit awards, Floyd
recognized the value in his employees and the need to take note. Very early on in his career he
introduced an annual employee recognition event to show his employees he truly cares and appreciates
their work and he’s seen to it that this program continues and never becomes stagnant.
Mike Floyd has not only provided leadership to the State of Georgia and its customers but to other
major food service programs as well. It has been common practice for food service programs around
the country to seek the guidance and assistance of this team. Some recent examples include the U.S.
Olympic Team’s dietetic intern, the U.S. Navy, the University of Iowa, the University of North
Carolina – Chapel Hill, the Ohio State University, Georgia Southern University, and Kennesaw State
University. Many of us have heard the quote, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but with
Mike Floyd you see it truly come to life. Several years ago, Athens native, Darrell Huckaby, traveled
to Glacier National Park where he came upon just such an example. In the article found here, he tells
the entire story, but the reflection is simple; even as far away as the University of Montana, Mike
Floyd is an icon. The University of Montana’s food services director put it quite simply: “He’s the
best of the best. I try to emulate as much of his program as I can.”
In 2012, Mike was promoted to Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services and expanded his
leadership focus on service excellence to the entire Auxiliary Services Division including the
operations of the Bookstore, Campus Transit, Food Services, the Golf Course, Parking Services,
Printing Services, UGA Card Services and Vending Services. Despite being relatively new to this
leadership role, he has initiated programs focused on furthering a culture of customer service
excellence for the entire division. Mike guided the formation of the Auxiliary Services Customer
Service Circle of Excellence and inducted five employees from the division in 2013 and seven more in
2014 to this coveted honor society. Mike Floyd recognizes the importance of congratulating and
encouraging employees and through this initiative he has ensured the Auxiliary Services Division
strives to encourage outstanding performance; reward excellence; and foster staff development by
recognizing exceptional service in support of the Division’s operations. Each inductee is invited to a
luncheon where they receive a certificate and a medal. To encourage others to excel and become a part
of this elite group, Floyd has each unit hang a picture of the new inductees in their office for an entire
year and places a picture along with the inductees’ names on the Auxiliary Services website. This past
year, he expanded the division’s customer service efforts as he charged the Auxiliary Services
Customer Service Ambassadors to further enhance the division’s culture of service excellence by
providing training opportunities and resources for the staff.
It is difficult to know where to begin in explaining Mike Floyd’s many accomplishments and more
difficult still to give full credence to the accomplishments of such a noteworthy career. Under Mike
Floyd’s remarkable leadership, the University System of Georgia, Valdosta State University and the
University of Georgia have enjoyed many successes and have been recognized repeatedly. The
following offers specific examples of the service excellence resulting from his dynamic and enduring
leadership:
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81 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards (9 at Valdosta State and 72 at UGA); UGA holds the
national record for the most Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards
1995 Ivy Award of Distinction
2002 Silver Plate Food Service Operator of the Year Award
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Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards: Outstanding Leader
J. Michael Floyd: Providing Extraordinary Leadership for More than Three Decades
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Inducted into the Sphinx society at UGA
2003 Community Champion Award for involvement in the Full Plate Food Recovery Program
Served as the Liaison for the National Association of College and University Food Services
(NACUFS) to the Council for Noncommercial Food Services’ Hunger program and received
the 1994 Richard Lichtenfeit Award for his work on the project.
2007 Governor’s Commendation for Customer Service – 24 hour dining
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/govenors-award-2007
2010 Governor’s Commendation for Customer Service – Special Events
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/governors-award-2010
2011 Governor’s Commendation for Customer Service – Service during the snowstorm
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/governors-award-2011
2009 Chancellor’s Customer Service Team Award – Food Service Orientation Host Team
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/chancellors-award 2009
2013 “Best in Business” Campus C-Store Award for excellence in the Updating Your Existing
C-Store category for renovations made to “Tween the Pages” in the Main Library
1998 Great Menu Design Award – 3rd Place for Institutional Foodservice
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/menu-design-1998
2005 Best Concept Award – Best Special Event (Let the Argentines Roll!)
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/best-concept-award-2005
2009 Best Concept Award – Best Special Event (Trailside Taste Along the Appalachian)
http://foodservice.uga.edu/awards/best-concept-award-2009
10 employees have received Finance & Administration Merit Awards under his leadership
since the program’s inception in 2007.
Participation in UGA’s voluntary seven-day meal plan increased by more than 750% since he
arrived.
Instituted the Eating Smart program which offers low-fat menu items as well as dietitian-taught
classes for students.
Established a food service program that consistently ranks in the Princeton Review’s top 20
college food service programs based on student satisfaction.
Originated the Gift-O-Grams program which creates and delivers gift baskets to students
celebrating birthdays, slogging through finals, or just needing a pick-me-up.
Created the Taste of Home program that solicits recipes from parents and awards the very best
by featuring them on the menu and sending them a commemorative plate and the recipe to
make their six to eight serving recipe into 8,000 servings. Floyd has always wanted to make
the dining halls seem more like home and create a comfortable dining experience for the
students, so what better way than to serve something right off mom’s menu.
Responsible for the motto, Let the Big Dawg Eat, which is alive and well today.
Led the effort to provide more than 280,000 meals during the 1996 Olympic games hosted in
Athens
Even after all of these remarkable accomplishments, it is most noteworthy that Mike Floyd continues
to strive for excellence. Over the course of the last year he continued to foster a culture of service that
goes the extra mile throughout the Auxiliary Services Division. What follows are a few of the
noteworthy initiatives he was responsible for in this past year alone:
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Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards: Outstanding Leader
J. Michael Floyd: Providing Extraordinary Leadership for More than Three Decades
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Announced the addition of a Sunday dinner for seven day meal plan participants for fall 2014.
When a request came to the Auxiliary Services division to begin offering a Sunday evening
meal for meal plan participants, despite the added costs and the logistical issues adding an extra
meal would involve, Mike Floyd worked with his team to quickly develop a solution. Never
questioning the needs or expectations of our students, but merely determining a way to make it
happen for them, Floyd worked with his team to swiftly adjust the planned Friday schedule for
the new Bolton dining commons to accommodate this request. Beginning this fall, the new
Bolton Dining commons will play host to a Sunday evening meal and gathering place for
students as they return to campus following the weekend.
Charged the Auxiliary Services Customer Service Ambassadors to further enhance a culture of
Customer Service Excellence by providing training opportunities and resources in the division.
Instituted the Auxiliary Services Customer Service Circle of Excellence in 2013 and inducted
five employees from throughout the division in 2013 and seven more in 2014. Mike Floyd
recognizes the importance of congratulating and encouraging our employees and through this
initiative he supported further excellence of all of the Auxiliary Service employees. Each
inductee into the Customer Service Circle of Excellence is invited to a luncheon where they
receive a certificate and a medal. To encourage others to excel and become a part of this elite
group, Floyd has each unit hang a picture of the new inductees in their office for an entire year.
Planning and oversight for the new 1,000 seat Bolton Dining Commons which will open this
fall.
Initiated bus service for the second day of Freshman Orientation so the thousands of parents
and students attending orientation wouldn’t have to walk up Baxter Hill in the summer heat
after a long day. Floyd recognized the importance of leaving these future customers with the
best possible impression of the University of Georgia.
UGA Golf Course ranked in the top five public golf courses in Georgia by Golfweek, hosted the
Women’s NCAA championships and ranked number two in host sites by Golfweek, and
considered the 8th best college course in the country according to Links magazine.
Encouraged the creation of the Build Your Plate App that allows customers in the dining
commons to review the nutrition value of whatever they choose to eat.
Introduced an Auxiliary Services Facebook page and encouraged all of the units in the division
to connect with their customers through social media.
Supported the installation of Level II Electric Vehicle Chargers in the North Campus Parking
Deck.
Guided and directed the development of a year in review video for the division which
showcases all of the success and hard work of the employees, further recognizing and
encouraging excellence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AyzQNgECrUk
Supported the installation of the RouteShout program at Campus Transit designed to allow
students to see the bus routes from their mobile device.
As I reflect on Mike Floyd’s career, it is a great honor to offer this nomination to recognize the
extraordinary effort and dedication he has shown throughout his career to the State of Georgia, its
customers and the University of Georgia. His trademark is constant customer communication and he is
committed to “meet and greet” and shake hands with as many customers as possible to let them know
he cares. It is not unusual to find him assisting a customer with their dining selection, walking lost
students to their destinations, and insisting the division hand out free water on an extraordinarily hot
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Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards: Outstanding Leader
J. Michael Floyd: Providing Extraordinary Leadership for More than Three Decades
day. He believes the University’s services can often be viewed as a tipping point for students in their
decision about what school to attend and it is his goal to always tip the scales in the direction of the
University of Georgia.
I am but one voice, but mine is certainly not alone in recognizing the excellent leadership and service
of Mike Floyd. What follows will provide a small sampling of the hundreds of customer comments
and reflections the University has received regarding his service over the years:
“I can’t tell you how proud I was to get the Taste of Home plate. You people are so very kind to send
me one! I will always cherish it and one day will pass it to my grandson.” - Quote from Elizabeth
McGinnis, a proud grandmother and winner of a Taste of Home memorabilia plate.
“I can remember eating in the dining halls when I was a student, and the food was pretty miserable.
Thirty years later, I couldn’t believe how much it has improved. Some people say HOPE Scholarship
attracts people to UGA, but I think it could just be the food.” - Quote from Laura Bennewitz, a 1973
graduate of UGA whose son attended UGA and brought her back to the dining hall. This quote came
after Laura won her second Taste of Home plate. She now has a total of 8 Taste of Home plates.
“Every time I go up there I just have to make sure that I go to the cafeteria and eat there. The food is
just so good – everything.” Todd Gurley – UGA running back has stated on more than one occasion,
including when he committed to Georgia, on how much he likes the dining hall food served at the
school.
“I just wanted to let you know it was a pleasure interning with one of the best university food service
programs in the country. I learned many new skills this summer, and furthered my interest in the food
service industry. Thank you for this great opportunity.” – Quote from Asenath Na’Aman, a student
intern from Murray State.
“Thanks for all you did to assist with the Public Health merit badge on Saturday. I am not surprised
at the rave reviews that I am hearing from one and all about your tours of the dining facilities. As
usual, you do everything first class.” – Dale Green, Professor, UGA’s Center for Business and Boy
Scout Troup Leader.
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