Nationwide — Loretta Neely, an African American woman from Memphis, Tennessee who worked at a local KFC restaurant for 47 years, is being recognized for her many years of service to the company as she finally prepares for her retirement.For almost 5 decades, Neely has worked in various roles from taking orders to cooking in the kitchen and training new hires. She believes the key to success is taking pride in one’s work, regardless of the task.
As soon as her managers learned of her retirement plans, they immediately paid tribute to her. KFC has created the Loretta Neely Drive and Passion Award in honor of Neely, which the company has named the “Living Legend Award.”
Moreover, Neely has been commended for her exceptional passion, strong work ethic, and resilience as someone who never complains. Despite witnessing several changes over the years, her dedication to serving others has kept her going on the job.
“My people coming in,” she told Fox Carolina. “I like working with people… I like developing people, making sure that they be successful, along with me being successful.”
Meanwhile, Neely said that although she’s not in a hurry to leave her work family, she is excited about what comes next, including spending more time with her husband, grandchildren, and church community.