Fred Reese, General Manager of Little America

LEADERSHIP

@7000ft

Advancing a Strong Community

Fred Reese is the General Manager of Little America Flagstaff, and an important member of the Flagstaff community. We are happy to spotlight him this month as he has worked in hospitality for 34 years, and always greets people with a smile. Fred attended Northern Arizona University, and considers himself a proud Flagstaff local.

Photo Credit: Barbara Sherman

FRED REESE

GENERAL MANAGER LITTLE AMERICA FLAGSTAFF

2515 E. Butler Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86004 flagstaff.littleamerica.com | (928) 779-7900

WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? I have a desire to serve and interact with people. Sitting at a desk and performing the same task every day is not very desirable to me. In hospitality your day is always different and offers so many challenges and rewards.

HOW LONG HAS YOUR COMPANY BEEN IN BUSINESS OR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS PROFESSION? The Little America Hotel in Flagstaff opened in 1973, so we just celebrated 45 years last year. I started in the hospitality profession over 34 years ago and have enjoyed all the highs and lows that it brings day in and day out. You are never bored when you work in this profession.

FROM WHOM DO YOU SEEK BUSINESS ADVICE? I seek business advice from many different people. The individuals I report to, the staff I have the pleasure of working with, the customers I have the honor of serving and my family. Remember to put your ego aside and be humble, and you will find there are many out there that want to help you.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT IN YOUR PROFESSION? Have patience and don’t take feedback personally. In the hospitality industry, your patience will be tried on a day to day basis by your peers, your customers, and your staff. Listen to all of them and encourage feedback. When you get the input, don’t take it personally and use it to become better at what you do.

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS? I attribute my professional success to what I learned from my father. He was a very hardworking and honest man who spent his life in the public sector. Both as a police officer and a college professor, he committed

his life to helping others. He instilled in me that same strong work ethic and drive to interact with and help in the community.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? I like to remodel homes. I get a great sense of accomplishment from tearing something apart and rebuilding it better than it was before. I also get great enjoyment spending time with my family. We are a close-knit crazy bunch that likes to go out to eat, travel, listen to music, go to the movies or just hang out and talk.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? My family inspires me. They mean the world to me and I want to be the same example to them as my parents were to me. I lost my father at a young age, yet the life lessons and work ethic I learned from him are engrained in me, and I apply them every day.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE AND STAY IN FLAGSTAFF? I attended NAU in my youth and always wanted to come back. My wife is from Camp Verde, and we wanted to be close to our extended family and Flagstaff is the perfect location for that. I also love the four seasons and mountain destination as well as how conveniently it is located to all the places we like to go.

WHAT IS WORSE THAN FAILURE? I think being afraid to fail is worse than failure. You must fail in life to get better, and you learn from your failures. There is a great quote from Michael Jordan: “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying”.

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU TODAY THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO? Spending quality time with my family and finding a better work-life balance. We have a very short time on this earth, and you must make time for those that you love and care for.

WHAT MANTRA OR RULE DO YOU STRIVE TO LIVE BY? There are two I like to live by. “You get what you expect from what you inspect.” Mr. Holding lived by this, and it has carried on in our company culture. The other one is, “You should never ask someone to do something for you that you wouldn’t do for them.” I believe a good leader should always be willing to roll up their sleeves and work side by side with their employees.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE IN 10 YEARS? I hope to still be working for Little America. I am very blessed to work for this excellent company that treats all its staff with so much respect and like we are a part of their family. The kids will all be out of the house by that time, allowing my wife and me to travel. Who knows, we might even have some grandchildren to dote on.