Jackie Little Started as a Temp and Now Leads a Team of 30

University Environmental Services Senior Supervisor encourages colleagues to think beyond their first job

A woman standing on a staircase
Since arriving at Duke in 2008, Jackie Little has made the most of the professional opportunities that have come her way. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Every time University Environmental Services Senior Supervisor Jackie Little welcomes a new housekeeper to her team, she takes a minute to describe her Duke journey.

In 2008, Little arrived as a temporary housekeeper, navigating a campus that felt big and hectic and learning the rhythms of buildings whose needs changed from day to day.

Years later, after advancing into leadership with the support of mentors and professional development opportunities, Little helps others imagine a future she couldn’t yet see herself.

“If you work hard, do your job and prove yourself, good things can happen,” Little tells team members. “You can write your own story.”

Since becoming a Senior Supervisor last year, Little, 43, has used her thoughtful communication skills and campus knowledge to lead roughly 30 housekeepers caring for the bustling and visible facilities in the core of West Campus. Her team keeps the Brodhead Center, Bryan Center, Penn Pavilion, Page Auditorium, Flowers Building, Divinity School, Student Wellness Center, Duke Gardens and Duke Chapel looking their best.

Jackie Little, right, has earned the trust of her colleagues as an experienced and understanding leader. Photo by Travis Stanley.

“Jackie seems at home in this role,” said University Environmental Services (UEVS) Logistics Support Supervisor Levi Rice, who has known Little since middle school and worked alongside her since 2010. “It’s not surprising that she came in and nailed it. She had all of the tools.”

In 18 years at Duke, Little earned a reputation for warmth, reliability and a drive to help those around her. In 2018, when UEVS Executive Director Leslye Kornegay needed an Assistant Supervisor for the West Campus team, Little was a natural fit.

“Jackie is always positive, she thinks things through and is a real team player,” Kornegay said. “There are a lot of skills we can develop, but these are important qualities and we saw them in her early on.”

Little enhanced her management skills with Duke Learning & Organization Development courses and completed a Durham Technical Community College program to earn the Certified Environmental Services Executive designation.

When the Senior Supervisor position opened last year, Little felt ready.

“Stories like Jackie’s, where she progressed from a frontline staff member to senior supervisor, demonstrate the career growth that’s possible at Duke,” said UEVS Senior Operations Manager Asia Hicks.

Over the years, Little has watched colleagues build careers that began much like hers. Some, including Rice, progressed into UEVS management. Others used Duke’s educational benefits to become pharmacy technicians or nurses.

Now, when she welcomes new employees, she hopes they see what she once couldn't: that today's job can become tomorrow's career.

“Don’t think that you can’t do something,” Little said. “There’s always an opportunity. You’ve just got to find the right path.”

How have you thrived in your role at Duke? Tell us by writing to working@duke.edu.