Photo by Christina VanHorn,
UNH Human Resources

If you're 6'7" and have a shaved head, you're going to stand out in a crowd. That's the case for Andrew Porter in the MUB, and that's the way he likes it. "I like to engage people and listen and learn from them," he says. "It's too easy to see people in lines at the register and you say 'Thank you' and they move along. I make it a point to know my staff and their families. The UNH community and the relationships I have with people here are so important to me." He smiles as he remembers when he first decided to shave his head -- "my face hurt from laughing when I looked at myself in the mirror!"

After graduating from the Thompson School with an A. A. S. in Food Service Management in 1998, (and then working at Boston University and Clark University) Andrew took an Assistant Manager position at the MUB in 2001. "As an alumini, I was interested in utilizing what I learned both at school and in the industry in this top of line dining program," he states. He's since been promoted to Area Manager and then to Retail Area Manager. In his current position he is responsible for the day-to-day operations (financial and operational) of the MUB Food Court and Coffee Office, as well as coordinating and providing guidance for other UHS retail locations including the Wildcatessen, Philbrook, and with Panache.

His engaging personality is magnified by the many personal connections he has across the campus. Not surprisingly, when asked what he enjoys most about his position, Andrew responds "the sense of community. I feel I have developed relationships with folks all across the campus - and can continue to use those relationships to further the mission of both UNH and University Hospitality Services." He constantly works with Area Managers of other areas to "make sure there is consistancy but not redundancy" and they use the MUB Food Court as "the model" for this. They survey the students once each semester to get their overall perception of the facility itself, the products they offer, the variety, and pricing. "The feedback we get from the students is extremely important to us," he says.

When asked who has had a positive impact on him while working at UNH, Andrew credits "the staff I've had the pleasure of working with the entire time I've been employed here. They have had a huge, positive impact on me. There's been a great balance of associates who have stayed with me at the MUB and also a large group who have developed skills to be strong team members at many other facilities. Jon Plodzik, Associate Director for UHS, has greatly impacted my ability to positively influence the staff by allowing me the flexibilty, guidance and leadership to provide a strong learning enviornment." Plodzik says about Porter "Andrew is our Area Retail Manager for University Hospitality Services and is responsible for the coordination and continued development of our five retail venues on campus. A hands-on manager, Andrew can often be seen all over campus assisting UHS staff serving our guests. His shaved head makes him look taller than he really is!"

A Nottingham, NH resident (where he lives with his wife Josephine, who works for New Hampshire Institute on Health Policy and Practice), Andrew has been a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. "I started watching them in 1986 and I was hooked," he says. "I played baseball as a kid and my stepfather used to tell me 'If you're going to model your swing after anyone, watch Jim Rice. He has a fundamentally correct swing." Andrew is also an avid reader (non-fiction) and is always reading up on food industry trends and information, and he also works out at the Whittemore Center four times a week. "I joke that the only reason I work out so often is so I can keep eating as much as I do!"

Andrew and some of the staff from the MUB Food Court