Benton native Alan Odom is passionate about his job as a food safety manager with Compass Group. His enthusiasm has afforded him an opportunity to be part of high-profile sporting events and a papal visit.
The 1982 graduate of Benton Consolidated High School began his advanced studies at Rend Lake College before transferring to John A. Logan College because it was where he was employed.
“I served as director of dining services from 1986 until 2000 at John A. Logan College,” Odom said. “I also taught food safety and community education cooking classes part-time.
“I had an opportunity to change direction a bit and took it,” he said. “I had grown as much as I could and wanted to move to a career in food safety. I joined the corporate quality assurance department when it was formed in 2000.”
Odom now provides regional support to the food management company, which means a lot of travel.
“I am on the road about three months out of the year,” he said. “My territory includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
“I also had an opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002 to help with the Winter Olympics,” Odom said. “Compass Group was the official sponsor. We fed athletes in Olympic Village. I also worked at World Youth Day in 2002 that was held in Toronto, Canada. World Youth Day was hosted by the Catholic Church and included a visit from the Pope.”
Odom said his supporting role at high-profile events also includes food safety compliance during the U.S. Open.
“The original company I worked for was called American Food Management,” he said. “Compass Group North America is the leader in food management and hospitality.
“This is an $8.2 billion organization with associates throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada,” Odom said. “Our parent company is United Kingdom-based Compass Group PLC, a $20.2 billion foodservice company. It was named the world’s 13th largest employer by Fortune magazine in 2007.”
Travel has also taken Odom to New York City, to plan for the Winter Olympics.
“While we were in the preliminary stages of the Winter Olympics, we attended a planning meeting at the United Nations Building,” he said. “A colleague and I were looking out the U.N. window at the flags hanging in front of the building and it suddenly struck me that I was pretty lucky. Who would have thought that a guy from small town Benton would be standing inside the United Nations Building? It was all very exciting.”
Odom said he supports all divisions of the company.
“I am responsible for regulatory compliance, health hygiene, general sanitation and cleanliness at the base level and work with employees in crisis management in the event of a food-borne illness,” he said.
He also participates in the Boy Scout Jamboree held every five years.
Odom’s passion extends to John A. Logan College.
“I am very active with the JALC Foundation,” he said. “I am vice president of the newly formed alumni and friends association. The purpose of the association is to develop relationships with alumni and friends of the college through fund-raisers.
“The association is also a networking resource for college students going into the workforce,” Odom said. “The association is still in the formation stage. We are still fine-tuning fundraisers and a membership drive for alumni.”
Odom and his wife, the former Melissa Perry, have three children.
“Aaron is 15 and attends BCHS,” he said. “Our daughters, Kristin, 13, and Ashley, 11, both attend Benton Middle School.
“Both Melissa and I attend a lot of sporting events when I am not on the road,” Odom said. “Aaron played freshman football this year. Kristin has softball, and also participates in basketball and track. Ashley is not quite old enough to start playing sports, but I know she will follow her brother and sister.
“We try to do a lot with our kids and have fun with them.” Odom said. “We want them to be able to travel with us, to have quality time together and to have a good upbringing.”
Odom said he feels lucky to be able to work in his chosen field.
“I am very lucky to have this job and am passionate about what I do,” he said. “We provide support to local clients, as well, including the cafeteria of Continental Tire in Mt. Vernon, and the John A. Logan College dining room and catering service. We also provide food service at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southeast Missouri University in Cape Girardeau, the Johnston City school district and the Marion Regional Medical Center.”
Other passions include his work with Downtown Benton, Inc., and a love of trains.
“I started supporting DBI last year during the Antique Street Festival,” Odom said. “This year I was asked to chair the organization committee. I was pleased to be asked to serve.
“Mary Jane Graham, who formerly owned The Buzz, asked me to become involved in DBI last year,” he said. “Our paths had crossed when she worked in the Mt. Vernon School system. I was pleased when asked to support the program. DBI does a lot for the community. I don’t think people realize how many people we bring to the downtown area during our events.”
Odom believes community service is the key to building a stronger Benton.
“Through DBI, we have brought concerts, cruise nights, an antique street festival and holiday activities,” he said. “I have always enjoyed community service. We have a great community. We need to support growth and citizenship in Benton and not take our historical inheritance for granted.”
He has been fascinated with trains since he was young.
“I have been collecting railroad memorabilia for years,” Odom said. “I take a lot of railroad photos myself and am working on a model train landscape complete with buildings in my spare time.”
