Publix Patriots: Army Electronics Maintenance Officer to Assistant Produce Manager

Brittany is an assistant produce manager at The Shoppes at Avalon Store #1282. Her journey with Publix began in 2002, when she started as a cashier. This part-time job was originally just a way for her to earn extra money while she was going back to school, but it didn’t take her long to fall in love with the Publix culture. She eventually transitioned into the produce department as a produce clerk, where she continued working until joining the United States Army in 2004.

Brittany served in the Army for six years and retired as an electronics maintenance shop non-commissioned officer in charge. She worked on fixing electronics like encryption devices, military GPS systems, night vision goggles and other equipment important for soldiers in the Army. While Brittany had little pre-existing technical experience before joining the Army, she was intrigued by the job description after she had enlisted and was given the training she needed to perform in the role.

Attention to detail is a quality that is essential to work in produce. Our produce clerks are always visible on the sales floor, often rotating product to ensure our customers are getting the freshest quality produce. The military taught Brittany how to be detail oriented and how to follow procedures. These lessons allowed her to take pride in her work in the military and at Publix.

The Army also showed her what it meant to be self-disciplined, which included arriving 20 minutes early to every appointment and doing the right thing, even when no one was looking. Brittany shared: “The military overall helped me to be a better person and gave me the tools to work in every-day situations. I have become the best version of myself because of the training I was given and the situations I faced in the Army.”