Hudson Group Supervisor D’Anna Patterson recently received the Caring Support award in Philadelphia International Airport's (PHL) Employee Recognition Program. This award recognizes employees who provide exceptional care and services to seniors, families with young children, disabled passengers, and others with special needs.
Patterson has over 20 years of retail, customer service, and management experience. She has been at PHL for more than two years and works the 12:30 – 9 p.m. shift, Tuesday through Saturday. As a supervisor, Patterson oversees the performance of Hudson Group-operated stores, which include Tumi, Life is Good, Carry On, PHL Sports, Rip Curl, Coach, Sunglass Hut, Kiehl’s, and Vera Bradley, among others.
“I’ve always wanted to work in the airport,” said Patterson. “I like meeting people from different countries.”
At PHL, Patterson upholds strong values of customer-centrism, prioritizing passenger needs, transcending expectations, respect, and integrity.
In her nomination of Patterson, Hudson Group General Manager Lauren Rago stated, “D'Anna used her own money to purchase a hat for a passenger receiving chemotherapy whose card declined. This was a selfless act for a traveler in need. I was so proud of D'Anna. Her generosity is priceless! I will also be recognizing her on our company site.”
Two quotes Patterson lives by are, “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” and “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.” Her goal is to uphold kindness and respect when interacting with all people. “I hope someone else will pay it forward,” she said. “You never know what someone is going through. Saying 'Hello,’ 'Have a nice day,’ and 'Safe Travels,' can make all the difference to someone else.”
Patterson enjoys working for the Hudson Group. “I feel seen by my boss, Lauren, and I respect that she acknowledged what I did,” she said. “I was not looking for recognition. It’s refreshing that someone from upper management pays attention.”
Coworkers describe Patterson as outgoing, friendly, and understanding. They all collaborate to ensure they provide guests with the utmost customer service. “We work well together,” she said. “This is my extended family.”
Patterson enjoys that every day is different at PHL. “It’s never a dull moment at the airport,” she said. “One day I’ll be talking to passengers about sports teams at PHL Sports, the next I’m talking about colorful prints on bags at Vera Bradley, then the next I’m at Hudson News asking them where they’re flying to while selling them a bag of chips and soda.”
In her free time, Patterson loves to travel, counting the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cancun, and Jamaica as her favorite sunny places to visit.
“I thank my mom for instilling in me the kind and caring heart that I have,” said Patterson. “She was the same way, so I’ve always had her to look up to. She’s no longer with me, but I try to live my life according to how she lived it.”
The PHL Employee Recognition Program was established by the airport’s Guest Experience (GX) Department. Honorees are nominated by their peers and selected by the GX Council Steering Committee’s Employee Conduct and Recognition Committee. For more information about the program and to nominate an employee, click here.
