EPHRAIM—A “Karen” has come to be known as someone who loves speaking to managers, regardless if something has gone wrong or not.
What does April Nelson, new manager of Ephraim Walmart, think about such people?
“I’m pretty fair and consistent when it comes to stuff like this,” Nelson said.
The no-nonsense response, not to mention the clear, crisp communication that Nelson issued while on the Walmart floor with the Sanpete Messenger, may help reveal why Walmart chose Nelson as its next manager of the Ephraim store. Nelson replaces Blain Hardy, who retired.
Nelson comes from the Cedar City Walmart. When asked what she thinks about the difference between Cedar City and Ephraim, Nelson said, “I love it, actually.”
“I love the small-town feel. Like, Cedar City was small, but this is know-your-neighbor … small,” Nelson said.
When told that Walmart is a social hub for Ephraim, Nelson said “I think that Walmart can provide such great things to the community in that regard.” She said she was in the produce department and saw four or five gentlemen, talking and hanging out. One of them told Nelson “You know, it’s kind of nice, we come here to gather [and] see faces we haven’t seen in a while.”
“I said, ‘yeah, it’s like the Ephraim City mall,’” Nelson told the man.
It’s the same way in Cedar City, Nelson said.
“My husband called it the Cedar City mall,” Nelson said. “It’s where everyone goes to she gaggle and hang out.”
It must be cool to be over the mall, then?
“I like the mall,” Nelson said.
Nelson, who is from Mesquite, Nev., is already making Sanpete County home. She just bought a house in Centerfield.
Actually, with a half-sister in Ephraim (she’s going to Snow College), Nelson has been connecting with her.
“It’s been nice,” Nelson said.
Nelson said “I’m excited to provide more to the community to make it a better place for them to be.”
Nelson is even excited to go to city council meetings, she said.
“I’m excited to really engross myself in the community,” Nelson said.
As for being the new manager in particular, Nelson said she is “very excited” about holding the position. “I don’t really know what sort of feelings I should have,” she added.
Nelson describes herself as “very, very self-driven.”
“So I don’t really know of anything that motivates me in particular,” Nelson said.
Nelson said that contrary to the opinion of many, Walmart is a “great” place to work, Nelson said.
Nelson said she is “almost always” out on the floor because she wants to make sure people are seeing her face.
The Cedar City store wasn’t just her last location of work. Nelson started her Walmart career in the store. And in between, Nelson went to the Mesquite and Bloomington Walmart stores.
She moved to the Bloomington store because she had been commuting about 2 hours and 40 minutes round-trip from Cedar City to Mesquite for three years and wanted to get more family time.
Nelson enjoys fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, shopping, singing and going to the beach.
“Just spending time with my family,” Nelson added. “All the stuff probably normal people like.”
Nelson is the oldest child of eight full siblings (besides her half-sister), so Walmart’s management program was “home” for Nelson, she said.
“I took to it very well,” Nelson said.
Nelson has a mother in Overton, Nev. and a father who lived in Mesquite and is trying to relocate to Richfield.
