General Manager’s Goal to Inspire Associates— ‘If I Can Do It, You Can Do It’
In early 2004, Mikel Hunter was a security guard in at Mainz-Finthen, Germany, standing watch over the gate near the housing area that was home to Exchange associates at the Europe Region headquarters
in Wiesbaden.
“I want to inspire those folks who are coming up through the organization. If I can do it, you can do it.”
This July, Hunter’s career came full circle. Thanks to tenacity and leaders who believed in him, he’s now general manager of the Wiesbaden Exchange.
“I want to inspire those folks who are just coming up through the organization,” Hunter said. “If I can do it, you can do it.”
Didn’t give up
While working as a security guard, Hunter applied for a full-time position with the Wiesbaden Exchange. The job was offered to someone else, but he didn’t give up.
By September 2004, Hunter accepted a 20-hour-a-week position in Services as a machine operator, filling out vending machine installation reports. That job was temporary—it was to have lasted only 90 days.
After a few weeks, Hunter, fluent in German, was translating documents for his boss. He quickly made himself invaluable and was hired permanently, providing support to the facility management office and Services.
More opportunities came for Hunter. He was temporarily promoted to services business manager, and when a permanent manager was hired, he served as
an assistant.
Taking career to the next level
In 2006, he took his career to the next level by deploying to Afghanistan for three months.
“I felt like I needed another challenge,” Hunter said. “Someone asked if I was interested in deploying. I thought it’d be a great way to serve Soldiers.”
After his deployment, Hunter took his first assignment in the United States as the services business manager at Fort Lee, Va. Hunter held both German and U.S. citizenship—his father was in the Army, stationed in Germany, where Hunter grew up. He had never lived in the States until he took the Fort Lee job.
Expanding horizons
His career in Services took him to Fort Campbell, Ky., and then to Dallas headquarters. He expanded his horizons, serving as the Europe Region retail program specialist in 2015 until he returned to Wiesbaden as the general manager this summer.
Hunter credits his success to working hard and having a team of people who supported him.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without people who believed in me,” he said.
Learning from a winding path
Hunter is an example of perseverance and fortitude who lives by the core value of “family serving family.” He says others can learn from his long, winding path to general manager.
“With the Exchange, opportunity is there—you just have to grab it,” he said. “You have to find a way to say, ‘I might not get the promotion today, but I’ll do my best to get that promotion tomorrow.’ ”
