Betty McWhorter has worked at UGA for 51 years.
And, no, she doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon.
“I just really enjoy coming to work,” she said. “I’m a happy person right here.”
McWhorter, who is from Madison County, began working for the Facilities Management Division in what is now River’s Crossing in 1970. In 1996, she moved to Barrow Hall, but she’s also worked in Conner Hall, Computing Services and several other buildings. During her time at UGA, she’s worked for eight supervisors.
“Every one of them was good,” she said. “You know, I’m here to do a job, and I’m happy to do whatever is asked of me.”
While McWhorter’s main responsibilities are to care for and clean Barrow Hall, she’s also stepped into a lead position when needed, maintaining the schedule for other workers in the building.
“It was a good experience,” she said.
McWhorter said that she’s a people person and that what she enjoys most about her job is the interactions she has with others in her building. And that love of helping people extends beyond UGA. For 42 years, she also worked as a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home.
According to McWhorter, keeping her customers happy and her buildings clean is the most important part of the job, but she also makes time to get to know the people around her.
“I enjoy being here,” she said. “It keeps me going, and it keeps me young.”
That energy is something her supervisors notice.
“She’s dedicated and productive in everything she does. She’s like the Energizer bunny. She keeps going and going,” said Pamela Jones, building services supervisor. “She believes your work should speak for itself, and her work says a lot about her work ethic. I’m proud and honored to have had the opportunity to work with Ms. Betty.”
McWhorter’s goal was to work at UGA for 50 years, and at that point, she decided to keep going as long as she can. She said that she’s all for change and has enjoyed seeing how the campus has transformed—from new buildings to thousands more students—through the years. And she has some advice for the students she meets.
“This is the starting place,” she said. “You need to educate yourself and then go on and keep going.”
Outside of work, McWhorter is very involved in her church. She’s served a deaconess, secretary and treasurer and has been in the choir for 61 years. She spends time reading her Bible or doing Bible quizzes and likes watching “Law & Order” and “NCIS.” She also enjoys traveling and “riding around” with her family.
“I hope people can tell that I’m a happy, cheerful, outgoing, loving person,” she said.
