Claire Guest, a University of Georgia alumna, serves as store director of the Target store on Atlanta Highway in Athens.

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I’m actually quite introverted but I do still enjoy being around people. And so whether it’s my team members, so some of them are, you know, I’ve worked with them my entire career. They’ve seen me grow as a person and as a leader, and even the guests who shop in our store. I mean, I’ve seen, there’s one little girl in particular who, she’s been shopping here since she was 3, and now she’s 15. I mean, I’ve seen, I’ve literally seen her grow up, you know, here at Target. And it’s just that part that’s just cool. I kind of feel like, even though I sell toilet paper, like, you know, I can still, like, make an impact. And I just really enjoy being around the people here.

Q: Why do you think it’s important for Target to engage with the local community?

We are a major corporation but when you think about the people who work here, they’re part of our local community, you know, obviously the people who shop here are part of our local community. And if it weren’t for the employees and the guests, you know, we wouldn’t have a store here, you know. So, I mean I just think that that’s really important, and I would say that’s a really big reason why we want to be involved; we’re part of the community.

Q: Are there any other particular community outreach programs that you think is worth mentioning?

We donate thousands of pounds of food to the (Food Bank of Northeast Georgia), and a lot of Targets actually partner with their local food bank to donate any of their food they can no longer sell. We also compost anything that we can’t donate, that’s not hazardous of course, we compost. That’s just another thing we do from a sustainability standpoint.

Comments trimmed for length and clarity.

Doriana Serrano is an international affairs and public relations major covering business and consumer news.