Campus Dining

Student Affairs

Meet the Team

Glenn Loughridge, Director of Dining and Concessions

Glenn Loughridge

Director of Campus Dining & Concessions

Glenn Loughridge serves as Auburn University’s Director of Campus Dining and Athletics Concessions. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Mr. Loughridge is a 1994 Auburn alumnus, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications.  Since returning to Auburn in 2012, Mr. Loughridge has worked tirelessly to forge relationships with the Auburn dining contractor, student groups, faculty and staff. He is using his innovative, creative, and forward-thinking skills to create a campus dining experience that is dynamic and responsive to changes in students’ dining needs and tastes.

Mr. Loughridge has received the Spirit of Sustainability Award for his commitment to promoting local foods, reducing waste and bringing healthier options to campus.  He has been honored as the SGA Supporter of the Year and was a member of two projects (Aquaponics System and Food Entrepreneur Conference) which received President’s Collaborative Unit Awards for the 2016-17 academic year.

Mr. Loughridge is passionate about promoting Auburn’s rich agricultural heritage, and in 2017 created the Auburn Foods brand to identify foods made by the Auburn family for the Auburn family.  Partnering with the College of Agriculture, local farmers and producers, Tiger Dining is bringing fresh, nutritious Auburn Foods to campus to be enjoyed by students, guests, faculty and staff.

Assistant Director, Campus Dining

Towanna Sears

Accountant III, Campus Dining

Towanna Sears serves as an Accountant III for Campus Dining at Auburn University. Her responsibilities include oversight of accounting for the dining office. In her role, she is responsible for the reconciliation of dining funds, adjustments to students’ Tiger Card balances, and adjustments to students’ Banner ebill accounts. She also is responsible for processing the direct billing of Tiger Catering for various departments across the campus.

Prior to working at Auburn University, she served as a Contracts and Grants Manager at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) for over ten years (2008-2018). She worked in the private sector before starting her career in higher education. Her experience in the private sector ranges from accounting duties across various businesses ranging from a lobbyist, a real estate investment group, and a national daycare corporation.

She holds a doctoral degree in public administration/public policy from Auburn University. She is an Auburn University Montgomery alumna at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, with a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in business administration with a minor in accounting. She is also a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).

Gwen Ward

Administrative Specialist

Gwen works as an administrative specialist in Auburn’s Campus Dining office. Her duties range from answering phone calls and emails to writing copy, supporting and creating programs,  and making presentations.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing from Charleston Southern University (1985). As a military wife, Gwen took a 20+ year hiatus to raise children, volunteer, and work part-time.  Near the end of their military service, the Ward family moved to Auburn, where Gwen gladly  joined the campus dining team.   Mom to three college graduates, Gwen understands the unique challenges faced by college parents.

Joanne LaBuda

Financial Associate II

Joanne LaBuda serves as Financial Associate II in the Campus Dining Office.  A longtime dream to work on campus, that door opened in January 2019, when a position became available. Joanne maintains the campus dining accounts and handles the financial record keeping for the AU Community Garden. She also helps parents and students navigate the meal plan selection process and assists with any food and meal plan related tasks.

Joanne was raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating from the University of South Florida, Joanne worked as a private investigator for many years.  The duties of that job prepared her for her role in Campus Dining. Joanne moved to Auburn in July 2011 from St. Petersburg, FL after raising three amazing children there.

The Campus Dining team is passionate about connecting students, parents, faculty and staff with the resources they need on campus.

We work tirelessly to ensure everyone in the Auburn Family has a seat at the table.

We also partner with campus colleges and departments to provide practical experience for students.  When students combine classroom knowledge with marketable skills, they more fully understand how they will be able to use their talents in the workforce after graduation.

We have an open-door policy and we welcome feedback!  Stop by the office to meet our staff and share your thoughts.  Whether you’re interested in a new type of cuisine, or you want to share kudos for your favorite employee, we want to hear from you.

Our office is conveniently located in Foy Hall, Suite 105.

Last modified: January 6, 2025