Trey Blankenship reflects on his time in the RHIM program and how it’s prepared him as operations leader
Trey Blankenship graduated from the College of Human Sciences in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management (RHIM). He also received a master's degree in RHIM in 2020. Along with his degrees from the College of Human Sciences, Blankenship has received certifications from the Culinary Institute of America and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Blankenship is now the operations leader at H-E-B.
Choosing to pursue a degree from the College of Human Sciences was a no-brainer for Blankenship. He said that Texas Tech University stood for innovation and leadership, and he wanted to be associated with the best school out there.
“My time as a RHIM student taught me to forge my own path versus following the path of others,” Blankenship said. “This has fueled my thirst to be a constant student of the field I have chosen and to allow myself to continue to grow and not be afraid to take chances on opportunities that others may walk away from.”
As a student in the Hospitality and Retail Management (HRM) department, Blankenship worked at the Skyviews Restaurant. Skyviews allows RHIM students to learn what it takes to manage a real restaurant by cooking, serving, and hosting weekly lunch and dinner series for the Lubbock community. After graduating, he operated tasting rooms in Napa Valley. Running different winery tasting rooms has helped Blankenship learn the operations of a storefront and client relations.
“I can honestly say that all my previous roles have contributed to my preparedness for this role,” Blankenship said. “One of the great things about working for H-E-B is that we truly put the partners first with the decisions we make as a company.”
Currently, Blankenship is the operations leader at H-E-B. In this role, Blankenship works with the top store leaders to ensure every store is in pristine condition. He is also responsible for planning holiday events across multiple store locations. His job also encompasses managing each store's expenses.
“We are responsible for the proper maintenance of all the equipment used to run the store, from HVAC units to the food preparation equipment,” Blankenship says. “As operations leaders, we also work with various store teams and each department to ensure that we meet and maintain the highest standards.”