People
March 30, 2011
James Freeman: Goizueta's go-to person for smooth operations
For more than 17 years, James Freeman has worked behind the scenes to keep the business school moving.
By J. Michael Moore
In the early-morning hours at Goizueta Business School, when all is quiet, a lone employee can be found roaming the halls.
James Freeman, the school's operations coordinator, arrives on campus at 5:30 a.m., checks his email and sets about on a daily walk-through to ensure rooms are unlocked, tables are straight and everything needed for a day of classes and meetings is in its place.
For more than 17 years, Freeman has worked behind the scenes to keep the business school moving. He places schedules outside each conference room listing the days' events, sets up rooms for speakers or professors and takes requests on facilities from anyone who may stop him in the halls.
"I enjoy the atmosphere and the people I'm working with," he says. "I thought I wanted to stay retired, but that's not really what I wanted. I enjoy working."
By 9:30 a.m., when most start their workday, Freeman's is slowing down.
With a genuine smile, welcoming laugh and willing hands, Freeman is well-known around Goizueta.
"Most of the students know me and I don't know them. I guess somebody told them, ‘Whatever you need done, James will get it done for you,'" says Freeman. "I think I work in the one position at the business school that has an encounter of some kind with almost every employee who works in the school."
Freeman first took a job at Emory – in the mailroom, back when the business school was in the Rich Memorial Building -- after retiring from a 30-year career at the Doraville General Motors Assembly Plant.
His role as a trainer at GM may have had something to do with his abilities and attitude. At GM, Freeman would fill in on the assembly line for anyone needing a break. He'd also get coffee for his fellow employees, though he doesn't drink it.
"I enjoy the atmosphere and the people I'm working with," he says. "I thought I wanted to stay retired, but that's not really what I wanted. I enjoy working."
Freeman retired from GM with plans to travel and have more backyard barbecues. At first, he walked five to six miles a day.
That faded to every other day.
Then he found himself staying in bed longer.
"I enjoy what I do because it keeps me active," the Hamilton, Ga. native says. "I learned from being retired if you don't have anything to push you out of bed a lot of mornings you lay there for a while. That's what I like about here, it keeps me active and I enjoy the people I work with."
He's around family every day with his daughter, Jamekia Freeman, who works in the business school's human resources and administration office. Others at Goizueta are like family, those he welcomes to the workday with knowledge of a job well done.
"Whatever I do, I try to do my best," Freeman says. "I don't come in and half-do something. Whatever I do, I try to do it to the best of my ability."
An Atlanta Falcons season ticket holder since the Georgia Dome opened in 1992, Freeman says he'll watch more sports with his wife of 28 years, do more cooking and traveling in his next retirement.
But he's not sure when that will be.
"It's great to be able to work in an organization where you feel valued and supported," Freeman said when named one of 100 Emory "Community Builders" for 2010-2011. "I always do my best to provide excellent customer service, and the people I work with make it easy to do my best work."
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