People of the U: Jacqueline Williams
Published on Tuesday, December 3, 2019
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Passengers of Bus no. 962 get more than a ride to and from their workplace. They get a smile and a kind word from Jacqueline Williams.
Williams, a Groome Transportation driver for the past three years at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has been a commercial driver for more than 27 years. It’s a job she takes seriously, and always follows in her parent’s example and motto: “Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.”
“She’s an excellent employee,” said Robert Redd, operations manager for Groome, the company that keeps UMMC buses running around the Medical Center’s campus and to the Jackson Medical Mall each day. “Everything she does, she does it to a T.”
Before starting her shift driving the Red Line, Williams takes her attention to detail and applies it to her bus. Like all Groome drivers, Williams checks over the bus, popping the hood to check oil and radiator fluid levels and wear and tear on belts. Air pressure, tire condition and lights are checked over carefully.
“If it’s not perfect, she lets me know,” Redd said. “She is professional and looks at all of her duties in a professional manner.”
Jacqueline Williams’ care isn’t just about keeping her bus in tip-top shape. She also gives her passengers a friendly greeting and looks out for their safety, said Elizabeth Thoman, the registered nurse at the Children’s of Mississippi primary care clinic who nominated Williams to be included as a “Front and Center” profile.
“She’s always friendly,” said Thoman, “and she’s always looking out for our safety. She even has a stop sign so cars will stop for our bus like they would for a school bus. I just love her!”
For Williams, passengers like Thoman are the reason she loves her job. “The best part of driving at UMMC is communicating and having fun with all the people on 962.”
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