Promote From Within: New Austin Service Center Director Started as Part-Time Dock

Promote From Within is a cornerstone of our culture, and we have countless stories that show how we truly support and uplift our associates throughout their careers. Our new Austin Service Center Director, Donnie Reagan, is one of those stories.

Donnie has been with Averitt for 17 years, beginning his journey in 2008 as a part-time dock associate. Over the years, he has steadily moved forward—gaining new skills, embracing opportunities to learn, and taking guidance from mentors along the way.

From the moment he became an associate, Donnie was immersed in Averitt’s culture and quickly noticed how intentional leadership was about supporting his growth.

“My operations manager at the time, Jason Whitaker, and my frontline leaders all treated me like part of the family,” Donnie says. “At other jobs, I would ask questions and be told, ‘You don’t need to know that.’ At Averitt, they answered my questions and showed me how things worked. That made me fall in love with business—and with Averitt.”

After six months on the dock, Donnie moved into a full-time operations support associate role. A year later, in 2010, he was promoted to frontline leader—a position he held for nine years before advancing to operations manager.

When the longtime Austin Service Center Director recently retired, Donnie was promoted to fill the role. He credits his journey to the strong mentoring and support he received throughout his career.

Donnie also has advice for new and future associates: growth starts with simply raising your hand and being willing to learn.

“Don’t be scared. Ask questions. Be curious,” Donnie says. “If you want to move up, your leadership will push you. They’ll give you every tool to be successful and work with you hand in hand to help you get where you want to be.”

Donnie’s story is just one of many examples of how Promote From Within comes to life at Averitt. To read more associate success stories, visit our Promote From Within blogs.