STAFF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: JERI WALLIS

Housekeeping Manager Jeri Wallis realizes that the cleanliness of public assembly facilities is of utmost importance during COVID-19. While previously, clients and guests would take for granted that restrooms and public spaces had been properly cleaned and disinfected, now such procedures are at the focal point for event planners, and the success of an event can hinge on it.

“We sanitize bathrooms, wipe door handles and high-touch areas, wash hands and change gloves more frequently than ever before,” Wallis said. “You just have to do it to keep COVID away. Everyone relies on us to make sure the building is clean for everyone’s safety, so they don’t get sick.”

Wallis has been on staff for four years as housekeeping manager at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and more recently for the last seven months at Cobb Galleria Centre.

Prior to joining Cobb Energy Centre, Wallis spent 45 years working in childcare and served as the director of three different schools. While the two fields on the surface seem completely unrelated, Wallis clearly makes the connection. Cleanliness is a major focus in both fields, as childcare centers make a large investment in cleaning and sterilization to prevent the spread of germs among children, she says.

Wallis credits her team with making work a pleasure each day. “I love my people,” she said, adding that learning about the different cultures of her employees and celebrating both big and small occasions helps her team bond.

Wallis is a resident of Dallas, Ga., and has two children and five grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and golf.