Employee Spotlight: Alemneh Teshome

Housekeeping Supervisor Alemneh Teshome literally won the lottery nine years ago when he moved from his native Ethiopia to Marietta, Georgia. He was chosen in the Diversity Visa Lottery, a program in Ethiopia which provides emigration visas to the United States.

While the move to Georgia was a dream, Teshome was alone.

“When I came, the only person I knew was my sponsor who lived in Atlanta. It was lonely,” Teshome said, adding that while he has always spoken English, his first language is Amharic, and the intricacies of U.S. English are different from what he had known.

Shortly after his arrival, he found a job in housekeeping at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Nine years later, he has alternated back and forth between Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Centre, although now he spends most of his time at Cobb Galleria Centre. His job entails monitoring the entire 320,000-square-foot facility for areas that need housekeeping attention, assigning daily duties for housekeepers, and preparing for the next day.

“I like busy,” Teshome said. “I like to be very detailed in my cleaning, and I want things done right. I enjoy teamwork, and I like to learn new things.”

Teshome lives in Marietta with his partner and two children. When he is not at work, he enjoys reading and plans to go back to school to earn his college degree.