First Resort: Hospitality Graduate Starts Career at Orange Beach Retreat

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Posted on November 13, 2024

Marketing and Communications

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#MyFirstJob is a series focused on recent graduates of the University of South Alabama.

Lenzie Richardson moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama, the day after she graduated from high school in Chatom, a small town about an hour north of Mobile.

“I knew all along I wanted to live near the beach,” she said. “So I made that happen.”

While working full-time, Richardson attended community college and then enrolled in Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of South Alabama. Twice a week, she made a 90-minute commute to classes in Mobile until she graduated this summer.

Now she’s starting her career at the Perdido Beach Resort on the Alabama coast.

“It has a lot of history and is truly an amazing place to work at,” she said. “We have many repeat customers and  families that have been coming here forever. I’ve made connections with a lot of guests, so I don’t have to ask what kind of room they want, and I can go ahead and make their dinner reservations.”

Richardson describes herself as “driven” and “motivated.” She appreciates the discipline and dedication that goes into the service side of the tourism industry. 

So does Amanda Donaldson, her mentor in the hospitality department at South.

“She was very inspiring with her work ethic, teaching many classes and doing extracurricular activities, and she always answered calls and texts right away,” Richardson said. “I appreciate that in a person.”

Richardson is a front desk assistant manager. Part of the job is covering different shifts. Sometimes she works in the morning  or  evening, while other times she does an overnight shift. She takes it all in stride.

Her experience also  includes working at the resort’s fine-dining restaurant. This helped make her a fan of “The Bear,” the award-winning TV drama about the tensions and frustrations of a Chicago restaurant.

She knows what it’s like to ease people through a fine-dining experience, despite any chaos behind the scenes.

Richardson, 25, enjoyed growing up in Chatom, but says her hometown was small. How small? One stoplight. And a half-hour drive to the nearest Walmart.

In Gulf Shores, she lives 9 miles from work. With summer traffic, though, it can also be a 30 minute trip.

On days off, Richardson does her chores,cooking, gardening, and shopping. She often goes to the beach with Jax, her golden retriever.

When she can, she loves to travel. Her experiences include visiting friends who live near Elafonissi Beach on the island of Crete in Greece.

“It has this pink sand, and the water’s clear blue,” she said. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

This past summer, Richardson traveled to Perugia, Italy, with Donaldson for a seven-week study abroad course. The summer before took her to the neighboring Tuscany region. Both visits, she enjoyed the scenery and savored the slow-food culture.

“The Italians turn a meal into a three-hour experience,” she said. “From the appetizers to the wine and cheese. You don’t see a lot of people on their phones. It’s such an interesting and intimate adventure.”

At the Perdido Beach Resort, her responsibilities include everything from customer service to forensic accounting to frequently serving as manager on duty. Guests come and go, along with business conferences, events and sales meetings. Holidays are a big deal.

“This summer, we had a huge Fourth of July event and will soon have our Thanksgiving celebration,” she said. “We always have exciting and cool things going on. Whether it is a convention, wedding or just families on vacation. ”

Richardson finds the Gulf Coast relaxing. She doesn’t question the lifestyle choice she made the day after graduating from high school.

“I just love being out in the sun and on the water,” she said. “Luckily, I can get a good tan.”

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