125 Years of Family Serving Family – Maria ‘Nancy’ Luke, Joint Base Langley-Eustis
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 125 years of family serving family.
Maria “Nancy” Luke will always remember how she came to work at the Exchange.
“When I walked into the shoppette, I met Ruthie Meeks, a shift manager, and I asked her if they were hiring,” Luke said. “She liked my enthusiasm and she hired me on the spot.”
As a cashier, Maria Luke rings up sales, takes care of customers, stocks and cleans the store.
That was 29 years ago, and Luke still loves her job.
The regular customers look forward to talking to her in the mornings as they start their day. Luke learns their names and recognizes their rank so she can greet them appropriately. “I love interacting with customers,” she said.
Luke started at Spangdahlem Air Base in 1991 and remembers doing inventory the old-fashioned way.
“My co-worker and I went from base to base, from store to store, counting everything without a machine, using only a piece of paper and a pencil. Then the GM who drove us around took us to lunch,” she said.
Every few years Luke PCS’d with her husband, who was active-duty Air Force serving in the U.S. and Europe. She says working at the Exchange is a great job for military spouses.
“When your family PCS’s, you can take your job with you,” Luke said. “And I feel comfortable being on base around military families—it’s a sense of community.”
In January 2005, Luke started working for the Langley Express right after her husband retired from the Air Force after serving for 21 years. She’s been there ever since. Sometime along the way, Luke knew she wanted to make working at the Exchange a career.
She is very knowledgeable about Exchange programs and is often one of the peer trainers for new associates. As a cashier, Luke rings up sales, takes care of customers, stocks and cleans the store. But beyond the job’s tasks and responsibilities, she’s also learned more about teamwork, leadership and kindness.
“When you’re sad, they lift you up,” said Luke. “We’re really one big family.”
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