Meet Our Team

Meet our Team

Glenn Loughridge

Director

About Glenn Loughridge

Glenn Loughridge serves as Auburn University’s Director of Campus Dining and Athletics Concessions. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Mr. Loughridge is a 1994 Auburn alumnus, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. Since returning to Auburn in 2012, Mr. Loughridge has worked tirelessly to forge relationships with the Auburn dining contractor, student groups, faculty and staff. He is using his innovative, creative, and forward-thinking skills to create a campus dining experience that is dynamic and responsive to changes in students’ dining needs and tastes.

Mr. Loughridge has received the Spirit of Sustainability Award for his commitment to promoting local foods, reducing waste and bringing healthier options to campus. He has been honored as the SGA Supporter of the Year and was a member of two projects (Aquaponics System and Food Entrepreneur Conference) which received President’s Collaborative Unit Awards for the 2016-17 academic year.

Mr. Loughridge is passionate about promoting Auburn’s rich agricultural heritage, and in 2017 created the Auburn Foods brand to identify foods made by the Auburn family for the Auburn family. Partnering with the College of Agriculture, local farmers and producers, Tiger Dining is bringing fresh, nutritious Auburn Foods to campus to be enjoyed by students, guests, faculty and staff.

William Walker

Assistant Director, Campus Dining

About William Walker

William Walker serves as the Assistant Director of Campus Dining at Auburn University. His responsibilities include oversight of the operations for more than 30 different dining locations across campus. In addition, he manages the University’s community garden and the Auburn University Wellness Kitchen. William initially joined the University in 2015 as the Manager of the Wellness Kitchen, a state-of-the-art dining facility that focuses on the performance nutrition of the student athletes and moved to his current role in May 2018.

William grew up in Louisiana and developed his passion for cooking from being in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother. He attended culinary school in Denver, Colorado (1995-1996) and has more than 30 years of culinary experience in catering, restaurants, country clubs, and higher education. Most recently, he served as the executive chef at The Hound in Auburn, Alabama. William also served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1996 – 2000.

Joanne LaBuda

Financial Associate II

About Joanne LaBuda

Joanne LaBuda serves as Financial Associate II in the Campus Dining Office. A longtime dream to work on campus, that door opened in January 2019, when a position became available. Joanne maintains the campus dining accounts and handles the financial record keeping for the AU Community Garden. She also helps parents and students navigate the meal plan selection process and assists with any food and meal plan related tasks.

Joanne was raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating from the University of South Florida, Joanne worked as a private investigator for many years. The duties of that job prepared her for her role in Campus Dining. Joanne moved to Auburn in July 2011 from St. Petersburg, FL after raising three amazing children there.

Towanna Sears

Accountant III

About Towanna Sears

Towanna Sears serves as an Accountant III for Campus Dining at Auburn University. Her responsibilities include oversight of accounting for the dining office. In her role, she is responsible for the reconciliation of dining funds, adjustments to students’ Tiger Card balances, and adjustments to students’ Banner ebill accounts. She also is responsible for processing the direct billing of Tiger Catering for various departments across the campus

Prior to working at Auburn University, she served as a Contracts and Grants Manager at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) for over ten years (2008-2018). She worked in the private sector before starting her career in higher education. Her experience in the private sector ranges from accounting duties across various businesses ranging from a lobbyist, a real estate investment group, and a national daycare corporation.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting (1990) and a Master of Public Administration (2011) from Auburn University of Montgomery. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Administration from Auburn University with a research focus on performance and outcomes in public higher education institutions at the state level of policy adoption. She also is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).

Gwen Ward

Administrative Specialist

About Gwen Ward

Gwen works as an administrative specialist in Auburn’s Campus Dining office. Her duties range from answering phone calls and emails to writing copy, supporting and creating programs, and making presentations.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing from Charleston Southern University (1985). As a military wife, Gwen took a 20+ year hiatus to raise children, volunteer, and work part-time. Near the end of their military service, the Ward family moved to Auburn, where Gwen gladly joined the campus dining team. Mom to three college graduates, Gwen understands the unique challenges faced by college parents.

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282 Thach Concourse
Foy Hall, Suite 105
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-8504
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