Marilea Grider, 25 years

Marilea serves as the Executive Administrator for the division of Pathology and Emergency Medicine.

Tell us about your career at Emory.

I started at Emory in 1999 as a Laboratory Director at Emory Medical Laboratories. During that time, I also gained approval to start a Medical Laboratory Scientist training program and served as the founding program director during its development and initial accreditation process. I believe that was the most impactful role and contribution I've made over my career. After 10 years, I became the Administrator for the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In the past 15 years, while Pathology has remained my "home" department, I have also acted as an Interim Administrator for Neurology, Psychiatry, the Department of Medicine, and finally Emergency Medicine, where it was decided I would remain as part of my regular duties.

What are some of your favorite Emory memories?

I've been really blessed to work with some amazing people over the years. The staff and faculty are brilliant, and I've learned so much from them.

Erin Owoade and Marilea celebrating Staff Fest 2024.

What are some of the most significant changes you've witnessed?

I came to Emory when we were preparing for Y2K. Looking back now, it seems kind of funny that we put so much time, money, and concern into it, but I guess if we hadn't, we would have regretted it! Our technology has become very sophisticated, and of course, the use of Zoom has relieved a lot of stress for those of us who oversee operations and staff at multiple sites. No more driving from site to site in Atlanta traffic! I would also say the conversion to Compass was one of the most disruptive changes I experienced from an administrator's point of view - that was really something. Lastly, I was an early adopter of the Blackberry. Now look at us... we can't stay off our smartphones!

What do you miss from “back in the day”?

I miss my colleagues who have since left Emory or passed away. But otherwise, I tend to be a forward-looking thinker and love that we continue to evolve.

Marilea embarking on her long career in Laboratory Sciences as a Medical Laboratory Scientist at Grady Hospital in 1987.

What do you hope for the future of Emory?

I hope for free tuition for medical students at Emory in the future.

Anything else you would like to share?

It's been a joy and privilege to be here 25 years. I would not go back and change my path at all.