Meet Valkyrie Musarra | Executive Vice President/HR Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valkyrie Musarra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valkyrie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and my Dad, Michael Bowlin was the acting President of Bowlin Travel Centers Inc. since 1974. I was in and out of the stores as a child and my Dad would send us in first to see if we were greeted and to check the cleanliness of the restrooms. We were always told stories of our Grandfather, Claude Bowlin, who founded the company in 1912, that he could sell anything to anyone. To be a good salesperson you needed to get to know your customer. Everyone has a story and if you ask the right questions, they will tell you their story which usually leads to why they were on the highway and what they might need or want.

In high school, I worked at our corporate office both answering phones and tagging our native American jewelry. This was great experience as to a portion of what we sold in the stores.

All of this impacts where I am today since in 2012, I was offered an opportunity to become the HR Director at Bowlin Travel Centers Inc. In this role, I have been able to learn more about what our employees do on a daily basis and how they interact and engage with customers, which hasn’t changed much since 1912.

In 2019, I was made Executive Vice President but still doing my HR Director job duties. All of my knowledge of the stores both from growing up until now have made it possible to make good decisions about how the stores and Dairy Queens should run.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Bowlin Travel Centers was started in 1912 by Claude Bowlin, in hopes to become Indian Traders. Claude and Willa Bowlin would then open trading posts along the highways and start their adventure. Around 1974, their youngest son, Michael Bowlin would become President of Bowlin Travel Centers Inc.

Today, we have 10 travel centers along the highways in New Mexico and Arizona, five of which have Dairy Queens connected to them. We house employees that don’t live near our stores in company owned mobile homes and RV’s. We also employ seasonal RV workers who want to make some money while they are traveling the country.

I am personally proud that I was able to rejoin the company in 2012 in a position that makes a difference. I communicate one on one with all of the employees and try to get their input in making our company the best. I am a very caring person that wants to listen to employees and help them when we can, that can be a struggle in my position but I feel the employees respect me more because I get to know them, their family and their story. They are able to call or email me at any time and I never put myself above them, we consider each other part of one big family.

There have been challenges along the way, the most recent being the covid19 pandemic. During this time, we stayed open due to being considered an essential business by the highway transportation act so we had to enact policies to keep our staff safe while still working with the customers. We also had a challenge finding enough people to staff all of our stores. There were even times we would close the stores and I would have companies come in to do professional covid19 disinfecting to make our stores safe for employees and the public.

Our story is rich in history with a vast timeline of many stores being opened and closed and even trying out some side ventures along the way. Our core business is the travel centers which have always been owned by the Bowlin family. We are able to continue with family running the business and hope the tradition continues thru the years. As long as there are travelers on the highways, our travel centers, which provide fuel, food, gifts, souvenirs and convenience items will be needed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In both New Mexico and Arizona, we have many places to hike, including Picacho Peak. After your hike there, you can go across the street to one of our two stores to get a souvenir t-shirt that says, “I climbed the Peak”. There are also a lot of historic things to see, like Tombstone in Arizona. All you have to do is get on I-10 and you will run into many billboards of different sites to visit, including our store The Thing, located between Willcox and Benson which houses a brand new museum.

Both states have wonderful Mexican food restaurants but there are other restaurants that have amazing food.

I you enjoy wine, there are many local vineyards along the highway.

You won’t be disappointed when traveling thru both Arizona and New Mexico, it’s beautiful.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank my Parents and sisters for supporting and trusting me to do what is right for the company. I would like to thank the Director of Operations, Kit Johnson for giving me the tools to learn my position. I would like to thank all of the employees, past and present that have worked hard for this company, they are the reason our company continues to be in business.
Lastly, I would like to thank my husband, Tony Musarra for standing by my side and putting up with many work calls.

Website: www.bowlintc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bowlintravelcenters/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bowlin-travel-centers-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bowlintravel