How she shines: Nakita Aultman stands out because she has brought something to Xavier University that is difficult to measure but easy to recognize: trust, stability, and genuine care. She stepped into an area that had experienced years of service challenges, staffing concerns, and inconsistency, and she immediately began building stronger systems and relationships. Her impact has been significant, not only in the quality of custodial services, but also in the way her team and the campus community work together.
In leadership, Nakita leads with integrity, patience, humility, and transparency. She is approachable, dependable, and consistently communicates with administrators, faculty, staff, and her custodial team. Rather than simply reacting to problems, she works to understand concerns, find solutions, and improve processes. Under her leadership, custodial operations have become more organized and reliable, while staff turnover, safety issues, and recurring service concerns have improved. Her leadership style reflects both accountability and compassion.
Nakita is also a tremendous supporter of Xavier’s sustainability efforts. She understands that sustainability is not just about large initiatives; it is also reflected in everyday operational choices. She has maintained green cleaning procedures, supported the use of environmentally-preferable cleaning products and chemicals, and consistently assists with campus recycling and cardboard collection efforts. She also looks for practical ways to reduce paper products and unnecessary waste within custodial and campus operations. Her willingness to support these initiatives has made her an important partner in helping Xavier advance its environmental goals.
Perhaps one of Nakita’s greatest strengths is her commitment to teamwork and mentorship. She works hard to ensure that her employees have the guidance, training, and support they need to succeed. Through frequent training, inspections, clear expectations, and ongoing communication, she has helped create a more stable and supportive work environment. She also empowers managers and leads workers to mentor new employees and provide extra support to struggling and non-English-speaking team members.
Nakita does far more than manage custodial services. She leads people, strengthens partnerships, solves problems, and brings a spirit of collaboration to everything she does. Her dedication has made a lasting difference at Xavier, and she is truly deserving of recognition for the positive impact she continues to make.
Years in the industry: 20 years
Job responsibilities: Responsible for managing all cleaning scopes and custodial staff on the campus of Xavier University of Louisiana. She works with the campus liaison to address cleaning needs, issues that arise, and to support any sustainable initiatives.
Career path: Nakita has a valuable perspective as a leader because she understands firsthand the challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities faced by the employees she now manages. Nakita’s career path is a strong example of growth through initiative, hard work, and a willingness to keep learning. She began her career as a general cleaner, where she built a strong foundation by consistently performing her duties well and taking advantage of the training opportunities available to her.
As she gained experience, Nakita remained open to learning new skills and stepping into different roles, including serving as a floor technician. Her willingness to try new positions allowed her to broaden her knowledge of custodial operations and better understand the responsibilities of the employees she would later supervise.
Over time, her dedication, reliability, and commitment to professional development helped her advance into leadership roles. She progressed from frontline custodial work to supervisory responsibilities and ultimately into her current role as General Manager. Her career journey reflects her belief in continuous learning, taking initiative, and making the most of every opportunity.
Best advice received: Stay humble, respect others, know you are never too old to learn something new, and stay educated.
Fun fact: Nakita likes to plan and promote events in her spare time.