Where Are They Now?
Cathy Spruill has always been good with people. From growing up in a close-knit family to now being the director of human resources for a transportation company, Spruill enjoys helping others and fostering healthy relationships in her work and personal life.
Spruill graduated from Dublin High School in 1987 and went on to Tarleton to study human resource management and business administration. She graduated in 1993, and started a seasonal job at the Container Store in Fort Worth while she was looking for work.
“I fell in love with the Container Store and was given lots of opportunities there,” she said. “I went full time with them and actually ended up working for The Container Store for almost 25 years.”
She held different roles over the years, starting out working in the store and then transferring to corporate headquarters, where she helped train new employees and open stores across the country. “I did a lot of traveling at that time,” she said.
When her son was born in 2001, Spruill shifted into the distribution side of the business, which allowed her to be at home more. After 10 years in distribution, she started working in human resources as an employee support manager.
Spruill loved the work, and decided to focus the rest of her career on human resources.
“People have always been a big part of my life, whether it was family or friends or whatever, so I’ve loved working with people,” she said. “I just learned so much from the Container Store about how to treat people well. They are really an employee-first company.”
Although working in human resources can be difficult both professionally and emotionally, Spruill finds it rewarding. “I feel like I’m helping people and being that resource for them and I really enjoy that,” she said.
While working at the Container Store, she bought a lake house in Granbury so she could live closer to family in Dublin. Her family has deep roots in the town; her mother Linda Crouch was one of the original rodeo queens, and one of her cousins runs Dublin Bottling Works.
In 2018, Spruill found a new job at Fort Worth-based trucking company Lone Star Transportation as the director of human resources. “I do all things HR; hiring and employee development and all that stuff,” she said.
Each day at the company is different. “Today I updated our employee handbook and ensure that everybody gets a new copy for the new year,” she said. “I had an employee crying in my office yesterday, but I also do employee celebration like service awards and things like that.”
She also helps out with social media and newsletters, and works closely with the company executives. Spruill still lives in Granbury, and commutes to work in Fort Worth. She hopes to stay at her job for a few more years.
When she’s not working, Spruill enjoys being out on the water on Lake Granbury and watching football. “I’m a huge NFL fan and love traveling to different stadiums. I’ve been to Lambeau and Soldier Field, amongst several others,” she said. “I love my Cowboys and hope my son gets to see them in a Super Bowl in his lifetime! We’ve been to games together since he could walk.”
She and her boyfriend of five years, Troy Nicoll enjoy traveling — this year they’re headed to his home town of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Spruill also spends a lot of time with her son Carson, 22. Carson and his girlfriend have one daughter, and Spruill is excited to spend more time with her grandaughter once she’s retired. “She’s going to call me G — not Grandma, just G,” Spruill said. “I want to be the cool grandma.”
Throughout her life, Spruil has found inspiration in her family, especially her grandparents, Robert and Willie Mae Crouch. “We were always just tight,” she said. “I grew up going to the First Methodist church there in Dublin and I always knew that family was important. My roots are super important to me.”
Spruill’s advice to Dublin students is to slow down and appreciate their time in Dublin. “Enjoy that small town,” she said. “Sometimes you may just be bored to tears because you’re in such a small little town but I think as you get older, there’s always no place like home. Just always treasure that and always remember where you came from.”
Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen. com.