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Food Service Director, Lawrence Lisborg, was born in Liberia, Africa. He has four sisters. Two live in Denmark, one lives in Greensboro, and one lives in Washington, D.C. Lisborg has a daughter attending school in West Virginia. He lost one daughter to leukemia. He has worked for N.C. Central University for 1 1/2 years.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
Trying to please the students.

What is the most fun part of your job?
Creativity, marketing, merchandising ... trying to make it exciting everyday.

What where your aspirations as a child?
I always wanted to be a pilot, but the family owned a restaurant. I worked there and I liked it.

Did you attend college?
Yes, I went to Northern Virginia Community College and the Culinary Institute of America.

What made you come to NCCU?
I was at Norfolk State University when a unit manager position became available, so I took it.

Are your hours long?
It depends. Sometimes I may come in at 7 am and leave at 8 pm. It really depends on what is happening that day. For instance, if there is a banquet or an event. It really depends.

What company supplies the food at NCCU?
FDY, a partner with Sodexho-Marriott. FDY is a minority-owned company in Charlotte.

What upgrades are in store for the cafeteria?
We hope to be able to expand the seating area and bring the kitchen into the cafeteria.

Who are the people you answer to?
Christopher Hinton, Joseph Alston, and Ursula Berger. Let’s say I give them a menu for the week and they come to the cafeteria and a food that I say is going to be on the bar is not there. They will ask why and I must answer to them.

How is your relationship with students?
My relationship with the students is very good. I find them to be like students at any university.

Who screens the employees?
Myself, along with the managers, because I want to give them that experience.

What schools did you work at before coming to NCCU?
Norfolk State, George Washington University, Juineta College, Howard University, American University, Bowie State, Florida A&M, Temple University, and Drexler University.

What is your favorite meal at Pearson Cafeteria?
I like the sizzling station, because not only is it good, but healthy. It is cooked when ordered. But to me it is all good.

What do you say to students who complain about the food at Pearson Cafeteria?
It depends on the complaint. If we can change or improve we try to do it.

Do you eat at Pearson regularly?
Yes, we all do. Darren Logan eats six meals a day. We eat all our meals here because we practically live here.

Are you a good cook? What’s your specialty?
Yes ... I like to cook international cuisine ... Oriental, African, and Caribbean.

Did you witness the cafeteria brawl last semester? What was your reaction to the incident?
No, I did not. They called me after. I was surprised. Central was not the first incident. I’ve seen this at other universities. We will try to prevent other incidents by having security, especially on chicken day. The students seem to be more excited with that. Workers will be more visible and there will be more security.

What are your future plans?
I plan to stay as long as the university lets me. We try to do what is asked, but we all have goals. Someday I hope to move to a bigger account, one that is two or three times bigger than here. But that is further down the road.

Has your staff helped you a lot since you’ve been at NCCU?
Yes, tremendously. I also must thank Darren Logan, the operations manager, Curtis Harris, the productions manager, Alexis Johnson,the kitchen manager, Michael Williams, the catering manager, and Nicole Haith, the office manager. During the snow storm everyone was snowed in and could not get out. These people live four or five miles from Central. They all walked to work, myself included, so we could get food to the students. We are all committed and dedicated to Central.

Thank you for sharing your time with the Campus Echo.
Interview & transcription by DeShelia Hall, with Angeria Lipford