Employee Spotlight: BJ Reece and Dimetre Grainger

Here at APH, we have amazing employees who play a crucial role in our mission. There are so many wonderful people who work in various departments around APH. Today, we want to highlight two APH employees who work in customer service: BJ Reece and Dimetre Grainger. 

A Louisville, KY native, BJ Reece started working at APH in 1978. Within the first few years, she spent time in multiple departments before taking a position in 1992 as the Educational Aids Supervisor on the production floor. While she was a part of the Educational Aids team, BJ ran the floor and managed the carpenter shop, spending a lot of time on her feet and moving around the building. Even amidst the busyness, she enjoyed her job and the people she worked with. 

In 2016, BJ retired from APH and spent a few years away. Returning in 2020 she began working in customer service’s Order Entry department. Even though it is a change of pace, BJ finds her new position enjoyable. While on the floor, she spent a lot of time making sure the products were up to standard for students, but now she gets to see APH’s impact from a different angle. 

BJ is more than happy to have come out of retirement to return to APH, saying, “APH is like a second family to me. Everybody is really nice to work with.” She loves the work she does, and the people she gets to work with. Outside of work, BJ enjoys spending time with her family. She has two kids, six grandkids, and fifteen great-grandchildren! 

Dimetre, also a Louisville native, started at APH about two years ago. Although he didn’t know much about APH when he started, Dimetre has found that the work suits him well. He values inclusivity, open-mindedness, and helping others; and working in customer service gives him the chance to make sure our products are able to help the students as much as possible. Dimetre believes “the students are the future of tomorrow,” and has a passion for making sure they get what they need to be successful. 

Dimetre also finds APH to be like a second family to him, saying “I like working here because of the atmosphere. Once you start working here and meeting people you can tell that this is a place that actually cares about its employees and mission.”  

Overall, Dimetre is an energetic, outgoing, and happy person. He likes to bring that to his work as it allows him to make the greatest impact on the students APH serves. He takes his spirited outlook to the rest of his life, finding the good where he can. Outside of work, Dimetre enjoys going to karaoke nights as well as spending time with his family celebrating different life events, holidays, or milestones. 

BJ and Dimetre both play vital roles at APH, not just for the work they do, but for the people they are. APH is lucky to have employees like BJ and Dimetre working to make the world a more welcoming place!