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Both a servant and a leader, Lee Allen has dedicated his career to taking care of others.
As administrator for patient support services at Greenville Hospital System, the Southern Wesleyan University graduate oversees the daily operations of engineering, environmental services, food service, security and campus safety.
He supervises more than 500 employees, with an annual budget of about $10 million at a 3.5 million square foot healthcare facility located on more than 400 acres of property.
"I love my job and GHS is a great place to work," the Easley, S.C., resident said.
Allen served in the U.S. Air Force before he began his professional career as an electrician and later as a mechanic. He first came to work at Greenville Hospital System in 1980. Several years later, Allen started an in-house construction team for the hospital system. His group tackled office and medical area renovations.
Over the years, Allen's passion for serving others grew and he enjoyed his roles as manager of engineering and as director of community facilities engineering before moving into his current position in 2008. He sees each day at work as an opportunity to serve the hospital's patients and employees by making sure they have the best environment he can provide.
"We're constantly looking for ways to improve our services to our customers here at GHS. We serve our patients by giving them the best facility we can for their treatment and recovery," he said. "We really try to provide the highest quality environment for everyone at the hospital."
Allen oversees the food, environmental and engineering services for patients, making sure they have clean, comfortable rooms as well as quality food at each meal. His employees also make sure that hospital workers have good meal options and a nice working environment. He enjoys the people he works with and finds his greatest satisfaction in serving the patients and his fellow employees at the hospital. The call to pursue his education at Southern Wesleyan University came loud and clear one day in 1995, Allen said.
On the way to work one day, Allen was listening to the radio and heard an advertisement for SWU.
"If I wanted to stay in a manager's role, I would need to see how to earn a degree," he said. "And it all worked out."
Allen hadn't been in a classroom since the late 1960s and the prospect of studying and exams made him nervous, he said. But the Southern Wesleyan University professors and his study group helped him throughout his classes, Allen said. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration, then continued on to earn his master's degree in business administration, also from Southern Wesleyan University.
After a few classes, Allen found a comfortable balance for work, family and education. He chose to attend classes at the Central, S.C., location of the university. He wanted a more traditional college campus experience, he said. Southern Wesleyan University also has locations in Greenville, Columbia, North Augusta and Charleston, as well as Greenwood and Spartanburg. He would encourage those who are interested in earning a college degree to consider attending Southern Wesleyan University.
"If you had the tenacity to finish high school and you have a dream of getting a college degree, Southern Wesleyan University is a way you can make that dream come true. If you do the work, you'll be successful," Allen said. "Having God in the plan makes Southern Wesleyan University different. It allows students to reach deep down and succeed."
And Allen attributes his career success to many of the things he learned at Southern Wesleyan University and to God, who led him to pursue his education.
"I'm a firm believer that God had a hand in my coming to Southern Wesleyan University. I would not have heard that ad and decided to come if that wasn't in God's plan and having that feeling has always led me to be a big supporter of the university," Allen said.
He has served as the first adult graduate president of Southern Wesleyan University's Alumni Board as well as a member of the SWU School of Business Academic Advisory Board.
Allen's father especially wanted him to continue his education and was proud to see his son at his bachelor's and master's graduation ceremonies.
"The day I walked across that stage with my bachelor's degree, I don't know who was more proud, him or me," Allen said. "That will always be special to me."
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