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In Charge of the Hottest Ticket in Town

Shelia Allen oversees ticket operations for Duke Athletics

Shelia Allen sorts through ticket hold requests at her office in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo by Bryan Roth.
Shelia Allen sorts through ticket hold requests at her office in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo by Bryan Roth.

Name: Shelia AllenPosition: Director of ticket operations, Duke AthleticsYears at Duke: 19 years

What I do at Duke: I manage and supervise all box office functions pertaining to customer service, ticket sales and game day operations.

If I had $5 million, I would: I'd probably continue to work here part-time, but I'd buy a house on a nearby lake and sit back and enjoy my time off. I'd be happy at any lake, just as long as it has plenty of water so I could boat and Jet Ski. I'd also want to treat some friends for a vacation.

My first ever job: Working at a Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor at Northgate Mall when I was 17 or 18. It was a job during the school year - I worked there after school and handled customer service and made decorated cakes. I was pretty good at decorating. The hardest part was not eating the ice cream.

My dream job: I think I have a dream job now because I get to work with our coaches and student-athletes, and I'm a big sports fan. There's also a great group of people who work in my department. I love having access to all the sports here, from football and basketball to field hockey and wrestling. I love what I do.

If someone wanted to start a conversation with me they should ask me about: Cooking or my grandkids. Cooking is my stress relief. After a long day at work, nothing makes me feel better than getting in a kitchen and coming up with recipe to make. I also have two grandkids that are the apple of my eye. They're two special boys, and I love spending time with them outdoors playing sports, working in the garden or taking them to the park.

The best advice I ever received: Make sure you always have a backup plan. I'm in a detail-oriented job and you need to make sure all aspects are covered and ready to go at precise times. It's good to be ready for anything.

What I love about Duke: The people because we're all team players who work together and respect each other.

When I'm not at work, I like to: Cook and be outside. I love being in my garden. I like to grow vegetables because I try to use all fresh vegetables in my cooking. I've also learned how to can so I can use them later.

If I could have one superpower, it would be: Reading people's minds. It would definitely help me with my job. I think a lot of our customers think you know exactly what's going on in their head.

Something most people don’t know about me: I played softball in high school, and I was a great third baseman and then played in an adult league for years.