I grew up in Angleton, so getting to serve this community today feels a little like coming full circle. My first job was at Whataburger while I was still in high school. After graduation, I spent some time working in the plants, but layoffs were common, and I knew I wanted to build a career where I could grow. I found my way back to restaurants, became a manager at Burger King and later moved to Jack in the Box. When the company transitioned many of its restaurants to franchises, I suddenly found myself out of a job. That turned out to be the beginning of something much bigger.

Luby's called me in 2009. I had about eight years of fast-food experience, but I quickly learned that Luby's was a completely different world. I started as an Assistant Manager and went through Luby's training in Houston, learning the restaurant from the ground up, recipes, cooking, financials, produce, butcher, waitstaff and just about every other position in the building. Eventually, I worked my way up to General Manager.

Today, I'm doing something a little different. Our Angleton location has a much smaller footprint than a traditional Luby's, and I've really enjoyed seeing what's possible with it. We don't need a 12,000-square-foot restaurant to serve the food people know and provide great service. Being smaller also gives us an opportunity to be closer to the community, which matters to me because this is home.

I'm excited about what's happening around Angleton and the neighboring communities. The area is growing, new neighborhoods and schools are being built, and I think there are a lot of opportunities for us to grow right alongside them.

My family has been an important part of my Luby's career, too. Restaurant life takes a lot of time, especially around the holidays, and you need people at home who understand and support that commitment. When I'm not working, I like fishing, being outdoors, collecting coins and spending time with my grandchildren.

After all these years in restaurants, I'm still interested in what comes next. I've learned that sometimes the best opportunities come when things don't go according to plan. You adjust, learn something new and keep moving forward. That's how I found Luby's in the first place.