With GTCC career in the rearview mirror, Beitz is concentrating on grandkids and pottery

“I’m going to miss the students and their passion for learning, their desire to do more,” said Beitz. “The students are what I loved the most about my job.”

Linda Beitz hasn’t found even the tiniest amount of boredom in retirement.

She has four grandkids close by and a potter’s workshop in the basement. Retirement has been pretty sweet for Beitz.

Beitz recently retired after over 17 years as an associate professor for hospitality management at Guilford Technical Community College. Although she will miss many aspects of her college career, she looks forward to having more time to pursue her pastimes.

“I’m going to throw more pottery,” she said. “And there will be grandkids, grandkids, and grandkids.”

Beitz has four grandchildren ages four, three, two, and one, and all live close by.

But it’s her love of creating pottery that will probably consume most of her free time. A few years ago, she discovered that passion when taking a pottery class at GTCC. One class led to another and soon she invited close friend Beth Shull to join her for a class. That class led to another which led to a partnership in pottery, complete with a potter’s wheel, kiln, and a market for their products.

“Pottery is going very well for us. We went to a show and literally sold out,” said Beitz. “Now we are rebuilding our inventory. The goal is to go to a couple of shows a year.

“We still have a lot of fun and laugh a lot and that’s the number one goal.”

In her almost 18 years as an associate professor for hospitality management, Beitz helped grow GTCC’s hospitality program into one that is always in demand by students and consistently produces successful employees for the Triad hospitality industry and beyond.

“I have former students working for cruise lines, restaurants, special events, wedding venues … most anything hospitality related,” said Beitz.

Beitz brought a strong hospitality background with her to GTCC after working for a major hotel chain for 28 years where she learned the business from top to bottom.

“I worked in every position in the hotel business,” said Beitz.  “I was able to apply what I did in the industry into the classroom. And I think what made my teaching impactful was providing real life scenarios. I didn’t sugar coat things. I gave them the truth.”

And it is the students that Beitz will miss the most with retirement.

“I’m going to miss the students and their passion for learning, their desire to do more,” said Beitz. “The students are what I loved the most about my job.”