Business doctoral student puts ingenuity into action to serve retirement home residents

Utilizing skills he acquired while earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration through Liberty University Online Programs, Milton McGowian has brought innovation to his job as a dining services director at a retirement home so he can better serve his residents in the time of COVID-19.

McGowian, a current Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) student specializing in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, is the Director of Culinary at Sharon Towers in Charlotte, N.C. He has worked in senior living communities for over 17 years.

“I was just interested in food service in general, and then when I was living in Florida I found a job at a senior living facility and that’s what sparked it,” McGowian said. “I had a passion for seniors, I was working there for over 14 years, and I think what started my senior living career was that experience I got with meeting and talking to the seniors and listening to their wisdom.”

When the news and dangers of COVID-19 became known in March, McGowian was directed to develop a means of delivering food items to his 330 residents to reduce their potential exposure at a public grocery store. At the time, the current system of staff shopping for each resident individually was too time-consuming and ineffective.

“The CEO of our company came to me and said, ‘It’s taking them (the staff) six to eight hours a day just to grocery shop; it’s an all-day job,’” McGowian said. “We’ve tried to come up with a better way to keep our residents from leaving their community and being exposed to COVID-19, so we came up with the pop-up grocery store.”

The pop-up store officially opened on March 24. McGowian designed an online form where residents select from hundreds of items in categorized drop-down menus and simply input their name and address for delivery directly to their room. The food items come from distributors who sell in bulk and deliver to the facility. The groceries are then sorted and delivered by the facility’s staff. McGowian said that they have fulfilled over 500 orders to date, and added that one item has emerged as the top item of choice amongst residents.

“They’re happy they don’t have to go out. They order about twice a week, and the biggest seller is bananas for whatever reason,” McGowian said. “Not only does the new system help limit their exposure, but it helps the employees because they just don’t have the time since they’re working all day. The residents also get a better price with us because we buy wholesale.”

McGowian soon added a system for Sharon Towers’ fine dining options usually served in the facility’s dining areas, which have been closed due to the pandemic. Dishes like lamb chops, filet mignon, and salmon are delivered in vacuum-sealed packaging to preserve the taste. In April,

“The specialty dining system has allowed us to reinvent what we do and tell the residents, ‘If you can’t come to our dining room and enjoy the food, we’re going to bring it to you,’” he said.

McGowian also organized a pop-up pharmacy that uses the same system for ordering and delivery.

Liberty’s online program has allowed McGowian to learn and work simultaneously, and he said that the knowledge and skills gained through his coursework have informed his work to this day.

“I’ve learned so much through studying business at Liberty, and I honestly do use so many of those practices here at work; my boss and senior leadership can see that from what we accomplish each day. I don’t think I would be as successful at my job if I wasn’t attending the university; I think going to school at Liberty was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“COVID-19 has forced us to change our mindset on how we offer service,” he added. “This innovation has allowed us to lead the senior dining industry, and I owe this creativity to my education from Liberty University.”