On the second floor of 811 Marietta Street, a festive spirit welcomes employees and visitors alike when they exit the elevator. She’s described as lovely, quiet, and agreeable, and brings fun and life to the Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) team that no one else can.

Heada Hair came to Georgia Tech in 2006, when she was introduced as part of a spooky food spread during a Halloween celebration at EIS. Since then, she’s had a home at 811 Marietta Street in various places on the floor and can be seen donning themed outfits around Halloween, winter holidays, and other times throughout the year. She has a varied wardrobe, but her personal shoppers and dressing consultants remain anonymous.

“She’s just one of the family,” said Lori Sundal, director of EIS. 

Andy Fox, a former EIS employee now in the Department of Housing, brought Heada to the department. When he moved over to Housing, Heada chose to stay, and EIS was happy to keep her. 

“She’s been a partner of ours for a long time,” said Lou Zehner, business manager for EIS. “People like seeing her when they come in.”

That is, unless you encounter her in the dark in the middle of the night. Alex Gutierrez, now a marketing specialist in Parking and Transportation, was responding to a motion sensor alarm at 811 Marietta Street during his time as an officer with the Georgia Tech Police Department a few years back. He and his partner were clearing the building when they saw Heada seated at her desk from behind. When they tried getting her attention and received no response, they approached cautiously until realizing what she was.

“She was a brunette back then,” Gutierrez said. (She notoriously changes her hair and was last seen sporting a pink coiffed bob.) “Once we got close we could see she was a mannequin, but we let the third officer responding find out for himself when he got there.”

Once Gutierrez met Heada, he appreciated her role in the building.

“It’s part of the culture,” he said. “Some people think it’s weird, but I think it’s cool.” 

In the event of a campus emergency, Heada will work closely with GTPD since her desk is situated outside the room designated as the Emergency Operations Center. Her cubicle is adorned with various Tech spirit items, including a headshot of President G.P.
“Bud” Peterson.

“She really adores him,” Zehner said. 

Heada serves as a sort of passive ringleader for other mild mischief in EIS, which includes a holiday white elephant gift exchange, Halloween parties, and monthly socials that let coworkers discuss professional and personal interests. 

“We work hard, so we need to have some play too,” said Sundal. 

The lighthearted culture is what Sundal thinks has kept Heada here for nearly nine years.

“She knows we’re fun,” she said. “Her environment changes every day, she gets to see different people, and has gotten to have different desks around the floor over the years.”