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Weisner keeps the campus moving

by Pippo

While some people follow the golden rule in life — "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" — Greg Weisner, director of Transportation Services at Coastal Carolina University, strives to follow the platinum rule: "Treat others the way they want to be treated."

“Greg’s focus is always on giving the patrons of CCU the best experience possible,” said Sandra Baldridge-Adrian, director of Contractual and Business Services at CCU.

As directors of the two departments, Baldridge-Adrian and Weisner work together to coordinate shuttle service throughout the year for student transportation and for special events such as new student Orientation, move-in weekend and athletic events. “He constantly is going above and beyond to make students, faculty, staff and visitors to the University have a ‘tealrific’ experience.”

On May 9, when the highly anticipated CCU baseball game versus the University of North Carolina ended, there was a larger crowd than originally expected waiting to get back to their vehicles at the shuttle pick-up area. There were only two shuttles running the route to the parking lots, and though the drivers were efficient and timely, many people were still waiting in line.

Baldridge-Adrian notified Weisner of the situation. Instead of finding another driver, Weisner left his home around 9 p.m. and headed to campus to drive an additional shuttle himself to alleviate wait times. Baldrige-Adrian nominated Weisner as a Chauncey’s Champion after his initiative that night, but she says it’s just one example of how he treats others as they want to be treated.

“It’s nothing special when you care about a place and your job,” said Weisner. “I want the University to look the best that it can look.” Whether it’s a hot and humid day or a stormy night, Weisner keeps student service in the forefront of his mind.

“Greg works really well with his staff because he leads by example,” said Baldridge-Adrian. Weisner’s job is to oversee the transportation department, but he has no problem stepping up to drive a shuttle when needed. He rarely asks one of his employees in the department to do a job that he can do himself. Weisner gives credit to his coworkers who figure out the intricate logistics of running the shuttles safely and on schedule.

“The reason why we step up and do what we do is because of our director who steps up and does what he does,” said Rodney Hoots, transportation manager of Transportation Services. “That’s our mentality because he would not ask us to do anything that he could do himself.” Hoots said Weisner is a great leader because the employees know what their responsibilities are, and they feel a sense of self-accomplishment because Weisner doesn’t micromanage them.

The transportation department services 30,000 riders during a busy week, but when people see the bright teal trolleys driving through CCU, they don’t give much thought to the technicalities and logistics that keep them running so smoothly.

Weisner compares driving a trolley through the busy campus to navigating through an ant hill, with all of the pedestrians crossing at will. He calls it a “labor of love” because the students have come to depend on the trolleys as an essential part of their collegiate life. He does whatever it takes to ensure that the shuttles are running efficiently and that everyone who uses them is happy with the service.

“We try to make our job look simple,” said Weisner. “We don’t want people to know that there are a thousand things that have to be done in the correct order for the shuttle to be at the shuttle stop every 10 minutes. We want it to look seamless.”

Raised in Greenville County, South Carolina, Weisner earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Spartanburg Methodist College and a bachelor’s degree in human services from Gardner-Webb University. Prior to coming to CCU, Weisner was the police chief at Spartanburg Methodist College.

Weisner joined CCU’s staff as police chief in 2005. He helped establish the emergency management department, safety department and the transportation department at CCU. Up until 2011, the University worked with an outside company to provide shuttle service on campus. That year, the University saw a need for a University-operated shuttle system, and Weisner was involved in creating it. Within eight months, CCU had around eight shuttles servicing campus.

“I think that the trolleys are iconic,” said Weisner. “When students graduate and meet with alumni 10 years from now, they will remember those teal trolleys, and they will remember their time here at Coastal. I love that we are a part of the teal tradition.”

Chauncey’s Service Excellence Champions are University employees (faculty or staff) who perform service-oriented actions that go above and beyond their job duties and that meet at least one dimension of service quality. These employees are recognized for outstanding performance and embody the Feel the Teal initiative. To nominate someone for Chauncey’s Champion, visit coastal.edu/feeltheteal, fill out the form and submit it. Approved nominees will receive an exclusive Chauncey’s Champion gift as well as consideration for additional recognition. View all the Chauncey’s Champions at coastal.edu/feeltheteal/champions/champs.php.

For an in-depth view of campus transportation at CCU, visit coastal.edu/ccustories/publicationstvshows/ccumagazine/departments/ofinterest.
 

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