Meet Mandi Venable, often on the go
with Mandi Venable
Mandi Venable helps people travel for a living, which is fitting since she always seems to be on the go herself. Since joining Southwest Airlines at its Albuquerque reservation center in 1993, Venable’s career path has gone in almost as many directions as the airline’s route map.
From ABQ, she headed to LIT (Little Rock).
Then it was off to OKC (Oklahoma City) and BNA (Nashville).
She circled back to ABQ and BNA before career stops in DEN and New York’s La Guardia (LGA).
New York was something of a dream job for Venable, one that ultimately proved both exhilarating and grueling. Those five years tested her mettle so much and so often — she was the airline’s station manager at La Guardia during Superstorm Sandy. Her efforts during that trying time were noted when she received Southwest’s highest internal honor, the President’s Award, in 2014.
“La Guardia was one of the hardest jobs I took,” she says, “but one of the most rewarding on so many levels.”
Home — her parents, the green chile, the mountains — has once again beckoned, though.
Earlier this year, Venable landed back where she started. She is Southwest’s station manager at the Albuquerque International Sunport, overseeing everything from the local check-in counter to the baggage operation for the state’s busiest air carrier. Is this her final destination? Maybe. Maybe not. But Albuquerque — like every stop she’s had so far — was her choice and she’s happy to be here.
“I really want to give all that I have to this community, this airport and this team of employees,” she says. “I can’t really predict five years down the road, but everything tells me I will be here.” Q: Describe yourself as a teenager. A: I was very active in extracurricular activities as a teenager. I went to Del Norte High School, and I was a cheerleader there for three years and on the state championship Castelles (drill team), which was fun. (I was also) involved in the choir program and was in the New Mexico state girls choir
one year, which was fun. I was very involved in extracurricular activities and I worked as well when I was in high school. Very busy . ... I was also in a ballet and jazz company called the Performers Dance Company, so I’ve always loved to perform, but I’m pretty introverted. I can get up and speak in front of people, but just normally I sit back and watch (others). Q: You don’t seek the spotlight? A: I don’t mind it. I love to perform, but I’m not normally the person in the middle of the room. I’m more toward the edge of the room, taking everything in. Q: What was your first job?
A: My first job was at Burger King, the one on Montgomery close to San Mateo, kitty-corner to Del Norte. I was there for about a year, but quickly followed that at Putt Putt Golf & Games, which was more fun for me. I enjoyed that one a lot. I got to be “Putt-Putt Paula,” the birthday party queen. (laughs) I got really good at doing clown makeup. I was the birthday party clown. Every weekend, there would be a group of 30 kids that would come through and I would entertain them on the greens, and have burgers and cake. Q: When you enrolled at University of New Mexico, what were your
career ambitions?
A: I went there on an activities scholarship, hence all the extracurricular activities. When I started at UNM, I had a work-study job in sports information. That was really fun and it kind of (got) me thinking about communications. I actually started the sign language interpreting program, so that’s what I did for a couple of years while I worked at UNM (too), but my work-study job evolved. I worked in sports information, then moved on to football secretary and basketball secretary, and then got hired in the athletic academic advisement office full time so I could continue my studies , but I was working full time.
Q: Did you think you would parlay those sports-related jobs into a career?
A: No, I really didn’t. I would sit at the student union building and look up at the sky and see those red-bellied airplanes. I had a friend who just got hired at Southwest Airlines and it sounded like a wonderful job . ... She got hired and loved it, spoke very highly of Southwest Airlines. From the moment I applied until I was hired, it was about a year
process.
Q: You’ve gone on to have a number of different titles since you started at the reservation center.
A: I went from secretary to station manager (along the way), which (is) what I love about Southwest Airlines. You can do anything you set your mind to.
Q: But you’ve never had a job on the aircraft?
A: No. I’ve always been an operational employee, surrounded by the operations of the airline. But never on the aircraft. I worked in cargo for a while, but that would still be operations.
Q: You’ve worked in seven different cities along the way. Is that kind of the appeal or does it wear on you?
A: It’s exciting. It’s fun. I look at people that are in the same place all the time and I feel a little envious because they have really put their roots down, but I’ve also got to experience many things that I never would have been able to experience if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith to take the first move to Little Rock, Ark.
Q: How would you describe yourself as a boss?
A: That’s a four-letter word. I don’t let people use that word. (laughs) Q: That’s telling. A: I strive daily to be a servant leader. I want to make sure our employees are well taken care of so they can take care of the customer. I want to be approachable. The servant heart, fun-loving attitude, warrior spirit, I think, (is what) defines me as a leader. I strive for that.
Q: Are you an airplane nerd now?
A: I’m not. If it’s not a 737, I don’t even know.
Q: You’ve done a lot of dancing and singing in the past. How do you live out your creativity these days?
A: I took a flamenco class in college and I’ve always wanted to do that, so I’m going to take some flamenco classes — and Albuquerque is probably one of the only cities in the United States where you can do that easily. I would like to do that.
Q: If you weren’t doing this, what else could you see yourself doing?
A: Goodness. You stumped me. I’ve always (been) airline, airline, airline. (Here’s) kind of a funny thing: I love QVC and I would love to be a QVC on-air host, and I think that would be a kick. I’m not saying I’d be any good at it. (laughs) Or you hear people joke they’ve always wanted to have a job of naming nail polish colors. ... But QVC on-air host, why not?
Q: What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?
A: I am terrible at receiving compliments. I think people will compliment you on your work if you do a good job, so I just continue to try to do the best I can every day and daily compliments along the way is enough for me. I’m not one that has to toot my own horn or say, “Look at me.” If my team is performing well, it’s almost better than a personal compliment. I would rather get a compliment based on how our station is performing.
Q: What are your pet peeves?
A: I hold myself accountable, so I expect people to hold themselves accountable for their actions, take responsibility and adjust and do better.
Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
A: Baskin-Robbins mintchocolate chip.
Q: What was your last splurge?
A: I bought a pair of cowboy boots in Manhattan before I left (from the La Guardia job for Albuquerque). They were congratulations to me (and had) butterflies all over them.
Q: What would you do with an extra hour every day?
A: Read. I’ve never been a reader and I always want to read. I have a stack of books and think, “If I only had more time.”
Q: What would be the first one you’d crack open?
A: I have a stack of leadership books and I couldn’t even tell you the titles of them. Every time I go to a speech, I’m like “I’m buying that book.” And then it goes in the pile. If I only had more time to crack it open, I’d be a much better leader. (laughs)
Q: How would you describe yourself in three words?
A: Servant. Fun-loving. Warrior.