Produce Manager Slens Jadotte, #747, Plantation, Florida, has worked at Publix for nearly 4 decades and is passionate about mentoring associates.

Slens and his family moved to the United States from Haiti when he was 13 years old, and he credits a lot of his success to his Haitian upbringing.

“I remember experiencing many challenges when I moved here like making friends and learning English,” said Slens. “However, I’m grateful for those hard experiences because they have molded me into a strong and humble person, which was especially helpful for building a successful career with Publix.”

Slens started at Publix in 1986 as a front service clerk at #80, Miami. He worked his way up to the grocery department, then embraced the opportunity to transfer to produce in 1995. In 2000, he became a produce manager at #714, Miami, and has worked in that role at 12 different stores, mentoring many associates along the way.

District Manager Vince Harris believes Slens represents the spirit of Mr. George. “Slens motivates his associates to execute Publix standards and guidelines, treats his customers like royalty and understands that our greatest asset is our associates,” Vince said.

Slens added that he’s grateful his journey led him to Publix. “I take pride in my Haitian roots for instilling a strength and work ethic that’s helped my community and career.”

Publix is a family — a big, 255,000-person one — with backgrounds from across the country and around the world. This article is part of a series featuring associates from a variety of backgrounds, age groups and cultures, and we love sharing their successes. We hope our articles help you learn a little more about your fellow associates who make up our Publix family.