At the center of all of the activity of the Castle, one man stands out as a staple of the community: Jim Liberacki. While many know Liberacki from his friendly demeanor and expert skills at the omelet station, most don’t know how he got here. Liberacki’s journey to becoming a beloved presence at Nobles is rooted in years of hard work and passion within the food and service industries. For over 19 years, Liberacki has built connections in the Nobles community with countless students and faculty, always showing up to support the community he serves. This is the story behind the man, the myth, and the frittata-flipping legend: Jim Liberacki.
Liberacki began his work in the food industry by working at a restaurant during his adolescent years. He worked at the same restaurant in Wilmington for 14 years, spending up to 8 hours every afternoon there. Throughout high school, Liberacki worked long hours helping in the kitchen and with the restaurant’s overall flow. “I would get out of school at 2:30 p.m., start work at 3 p.m., and work until 11 p.m. In 10th grade, I was doing that,” Liberacki said.
Having worked in restaurants since his teenage years, Liberacki learned all that he knows about food and hospitality from real-world, hands-on experience. “Everything I learned, I learned in the trade,” Liberacki said. After leaving the restaurant, he went on to work at Hilton Hotels before taking a job in Cambridge at Harvard University. Throughout the 1990s, Jim worked with Mike Ryan, who now serves as the Executive Chef here at Nobles. So, when a position opened up, Liberacki came in for an interview and has been working at Nobles ever since.
“Everything I learned, I learned in the trade.”
Liberacki has been at Nobles for just over 19 years, forging connections with thousands of students and faculty. Not only is he a smiling and friendly face in the Castle, but Liberacki believes deeply in the importance of showing up for the students. He can be spotted at a range of activities, from sports games to musical performances. His presence at these events goes beyond just being there–it’s a way of expressing his unwavering support for the students’ hard work and efforts. “It’s a way of us supporting your hard work too[…]When people show up, it makes the students really try harder. Showing up encourages them and the community,” Liberacki said. His presence at these activities reminds everyone in the community that they are seen, valued, and part of something larger than themselves. “I see Jim every morning and it’s so nice to be able to say hi because it is so clear how much he cares about me and the community,” Vedant Kulkarni (Class II) said.
Although a prominent figure behind the hot lunch bar, Liberacki is best known by many students and faculty for his work at the omelet station. Liberacki’s experience with omelets and breakfasts dates back to his time at Hilton Hotels when he would work the Sunday brunch shift. “We would serve between 800 and 1,000 customers just on the Sunday morning alone,” Liberacki said. He recounts handling around three-quarters of those customers all on his own. “I would be handling from three to six burners all at once,” Liberacki said. Liberacki enjoys the high-paced, multitasking environment of the omelet station and remembers articles in Boston magazines about the flow and mastery of his omelet station at Hilton Hotels. “The Nobles omelet station is also quick-paced, with most students coming up around 7:25,” Liberacki said.
Although he doesn’t participate as often anymore, Liberacki used to spend his weekends and free time doing a myriad of outdoor activities, many of which were centered around fishing. He would often go fly fishing in the summers and ice fishing in the winters. Liberacki is also an avid hunter and spends much of his time working with firewood. During the summers, he would get the firewood ready for the winter by cutting anywhere from 8 to 10 cords. However, more recently, Liberacki has taken a step back from cutting firewood. “I don’t burn it as often because I’m running between places up in northern Maine and here which keeps me busy.”
Jim Liberacki’s beloved status at Nobles is unique and rare. Throughout the last 19 years, Liberacki has become an integral part of the community: he is always there to support students and faculty. Whether he is behind the burners in the morning, helping serve the food during lunch, or attending student events, Liberacki’s presence continues to remind students and faculty of the value of showing up for your community.
“Throughout the last 19 years, Liberacki has become an integral part of the community: he is always
there to support students and faculty.”
