From home economist to VP, University of Kentucky alum leads GE Appliances kitchen cleanup enterprise

University of Kentucky alum Cynthia “Cinthy” Fanning, is the current vice president of kitchen clean up products at GE Appliances. At the company’s Appliance Park global headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, the $450 million installation of two new dishwasher manufacturing lines has created approximately 1,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. 

Fanning recalls what this moment meant for the company.

“Becoming the number one dishwasher manufacturer in the country was a huge achievement,” Fanning said. “When you work at a company like GE Appliances, there are so many different and exciting opportunities.”

Fanning has spent more than three decades managing products, leading teams and building strategic growth plans at GE Appliances. Some of her responsibilities include new product development, manufacturing, merchandising, sales and more, working with suppliers like Lowe’s and Home Depot.

For Fanning, pursuing a graduate degree in the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles (MAT) program at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment was one of the best decisions she made.

“The University of Kentucky has a great reputation, and I love textile science, apparel and merchandising,” Fanning said. “I knew there was a good opportunity to get real– world experience, which was really important to me and valuable for my career. I got to do meaningful projects that led me to GE Appliances.”

UK Textiles Testing Lab and home economics co-op 

As a graduate student in 1991, Fanning was a teaching assistant in the Textiles Testing Lab, housed in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management at Martin-Gatton CAFE.

Under the direction of Elizabeth Easter, UK professor and consultant for textiles and textile care, the lab is a hub for the textile and apparel industry on campus — providing assistance in the development, evaluation and performance of new or existing products.

GE Appliances has utilized the services of the Textile Testing Lab to evaluate detergents, laundry equipment and clothes care since 1993. Recently, GE Appliances donated four washers, two dryers and one water softener to upgrade all consumer laundry equipment in the Textile Testing Lab.

“Over the years, Cinthy and GE Appliances has supported our research and acquiring appliances and kitchen, dishwasher and laundry equipment for the Textile Lab,” Easter said. We remain grateful for Cinthy and GE Appliances for their on-going support of the lab.”

While working with Easter in the lab, Fanning was also able to get a home economics in technology cooperative position with GE Appliances, developing and testing GE branded cooking products. In this co-op experience, Fanning’s work led to an awarded patent for developing algorithms in GE Appliances’ “CleanSensor” dishwasher launch in 1995.

These first-and experiential learning opportunities at UK helped Fanning learn important skills that still shape her personally and professionally as a leader at GE Appliances.

“I came from the lab,” Fanning said. “I loved my experience with Dr. Easter while working on real-life projects that were valuable for GE Appliances, and it was a great way to learn about the industry. I learned determination, having a strong work ethic and the value of mentorship. Mentoring people is something that is very important to me as a leader at GE Appliances.”

UK’s presence at GE Appliances 

Today, there are over 220 UK alums that work at Appliance Park, representing a consistent workforce development pipeline. Furthermore, GE Appliances’ commitment to developing their early-career professionals from the ground up is something that Fanning believes is a talent feeder.

“We definitely seek out UK students and know they are going to be great employees at GE Appliances,” said Fanning. “We know that they have great educational backgrounds and experiences, which are certainly valuable to an employer. We believe that lifelong learning is important, and we are committed to that as a company.”

Fanning has hired some of these alums to join her team at GE Appliances, including Rachel O’Bryan, recruiting liaison and Edison Engineering Development Program graduate, and Justin Bovard, executive director, kitchen cleanup product manager and member of the UK MBA Advisory Council at the Gatton College of Business and Economics. O’Bryan and Bovard are both graduates from the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.

While attending career fairs as a UK undergraduate student, O’Bryan took advantage of three co-op opportunities with GE Appliances. O’Bryan said that her educational and experiential experiences at UK really helped her be successful as an early-career professional at GE Appliances.

“UK has a rigorous program, and my education experience taught me self-discipline,” O’Bryan said. “When I’m working on a project that has really tight deadlines, being organized, getting creative, being resourceful and knowing how to chip away at the problem are all critical to being successful, and are skills I learned while at UK.”

O’Bryan is one of the lead recruiters for GE Appliances and UK, and she offers some recommendations for future graduates to stand out.

“I love going to the career fairs to meet and recruit students,” O’Bryan said. “Beyond being strong academically, I’m looking for well-roundedness, and a curiosity and willingness to learn new things. Being open to investigating a new problem is super critical. I’m inspired when I see passion from students.”

Having worked in various mid-career roles at GE Appliances since 2015, Bovard believes that UK greatly contributed to his success.

“The University of Kentucky challenged me and pulls, pushes you to learn new things,” Bovard said. “UK taught me problem-solving skills and that’s something I use every single day here at GE Appliances.”

For Bovard, working in the “global hub” for GE Appliances offers unique growth and professional opportunities to be exposed to many functions of the business.

“To have manufacturing, sourcing, product and quality management, finance, marketing and sales – everything in one place – it’s enabled me to expand my breath of experience,” Bovard said.

For students seeking long-term professional success, Bovard offers some guidance.

“Find a company that aligns with your personal goals and is committed to supporting your growth,” said Bovard. “Then understand how your specific role fits into the larger company. Once you understand your role, expand and take on additional responsibilities. Doing so will grow your network, expand your expertise and open the door to new opportunities.” 

Fanning offers advice for students that want to be future leaders. 

“Get your hands dirty and don’t be afraid to fail early,” Fanning said. “Take risks and grow from them. Get a trusted mentor and take advantage of their experiences. And finally, be bold.” 

Kentucky’s “bright future” 

As a proud alum, Fanning believes that UK students are the key to the future and are important in advancing GE Appliances’ economic impact and investment in Kentucky.

“I know the value of the education that UK provides,” Fanning said. “UK graduates give back to the community. We all take seriously the development of our community and our state. It’s very exciting to see all the investments we are making in Kentucky in workforce development, new jobs and amazing new manufacturing sites that are being built. I see a bright future in front of us in Kentucky.”

To learn more about the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles program at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://www.mgcafe.uky.edu/academics/programs/bachelors/merchandising-apparel-and-textiles.

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Writer: Christopher Carney, Christopher.Carney@uky.edu  

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.