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Greg Smith, Team Lead Security, Sentara Port Warwick
Once upon a time, Greg Smith used to spend his weekends in the ring as a professional wrestler. He wrestled under the name “Mickey Thompson” (like the tires) and used Toni Basil’s song “Oh Mickey” as his entrance music. Greg wrestled for about five years and is even pictured at Fort Lee, Virginia, holding up the East Coast Heavy Weight Champion title (c. early 2000s). To be a wrestler, you need to be alert, attentive to what’s happening around you and able to pick up on the body language of your opponent. This experience in situational awareness undoubtedly has helped him out of the ring and in his career as a security officer.
Greg served as a uniform patrol officer for Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Sentara security team. In fact, it was a tip from his sister, who also works at Sentara, about a job opening in Sentara security that started Greg’s career that’s now spanned 15 years at three Sentara facilities. He started at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, moved to Sentara CarePlex Hospital and is now a team lead at Sentara Port Warwick.
I patrol the hospital and grounds, making sure both patients and staff feel comfortable and safe.”
“I patrol the hospital and grounds, making sure both patients and staff feel comfortable and safe,” says Greg, whose sister, Donna Nichols, works as an ER nurse at Sentara Obici Hospital. “I also do battery jumps for vehicles. There are times I have to take reports for incidents that occur.”
Since joining Sentara, Greg, born and raised in the Hampton Roads area, has instructed during the security portion of orientation and taught the fire extinguisher class. He also teaches employees how to use evacuation sleds. The sleds are used to transport a patient out of a single-story building or down the stairwell of a multi-floor building.
Greg enjoys the camaraderie among the security officers he works with. Fun fact: One tradition outside of work that unites them is getting souvenirs for the team when they go on a trip.
When it’s time to plan an activity during his time off, Greg enjoys bowling and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.
Greg Smith, Team Lead Security, Sentara Port Warwick
Once upon a time, Greg Smith used to spend his weekends in the ring as a professional wrestler. He wrestled under the name “Mickey Thompson” (like the tires) and used Toni Basil’s song “Oh Mickey” as his entrance music. Greg wrestled for about five years and is even pictured at Fort Lee, Virginia, holding up the East Coast Heavy Weight Champion title (c. early 2000s). To be a wrestler, you need to be alert, attentive to what’s happening around you and able to pick up on the body language of your opponent. This experience in situational awareness undoubtedly has helped him out of the ring and in his career as a security officer.
Greg served as a uniform patrol officer for Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Sentara security team. In fact, it was a tip from his sister, who also works at Sentara, about a job opening in Sentara security that started Greg’s career that’s now spanned 15 years at three Sentara facilities. He started at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, moved to Sentara CarePlex Hospital and is now a team lead at Sentara Port Warwick.
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