Podcast: Download

Ryan Magnon/Chick-Fil-A

Ryan Magnon is a Senior Manager of Hospitality and Service Design at Chick-fil-A Corporate.  He has expertise in the following improvement and business excellence practices over the past 15 years. Hospitality Industry: Customer and Client Experience, Quality Management Implementation, Service Excellence Training, Leadership Best Practices, Employee Selection and Onboarding, Customer and Employee Engagement, Business Metrics Analysis, Survey Feedback Design and Implementation, Process Improvement Team Facilitation and Excecution, Problem Resolution and Service Recovery Certification, and Strategic Planning.

As a US Air Force Officer: Operational, Logistics, and Health Care Quality Improvement Initiatives including Six Sigma projects and manpower optimization.

With E-Business Internet and Technology Companies: Supply Chain Technology Implementation, Supply Chain Process Improvement Consulting, Inventory Management, E-Procurement Major Account Management.

Matt Lynch/Atlanta Braves

Matt Lynch is the Director of Guest Services for the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Matt is a high performing operations-management executive with 10+ years of expertise in building/optimizing organizational process, measurement systems, programs and support systems to maximize business results in the hospitality and broadcast industry.

Matt has established success in the Guest Experience sector with 5+ years of experience designing the guest experience for a professional sports team including the oversight of all selection, training and empowerment processes for all staff. He also has extensive experience in the coaching of senior leaders on the processes and systems behind high performing organizations including a focus on strategic planning, customer focus, people and leadership development and results.

Mary Blackmon/USA Farm Stars

USA Farm Stars CEO and founder Mary Blackmon is a 3rd generation farmer from Arkansas. She has lived in New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta and pursued a successful career in publishing and advertising, working for Wired, Walt Disney Internet Group and Vivendi-Universal Internet Group. She founded the first national discount site for the spa & wellness industry, Spa-Addicts.com in 2002.

In 2008, she learned her family farm that bordered Arkansas and Louisiana would be sold. Adamant to preserve her family heritage and the farmland that her family had cherished, Mary moved from Los Angeles back to the south in order to sustain and operate the farm. She discovered that ‘saving the family farm’ had changed her life forever, and for the better. Today she admits that she is happier than ever — inspired, loving the farming business and now launching USA FARM STARS, which she felt compelled to create for the good of farming and the people she has met along her new path.

Sky Lee and Brianna Smith/Georgia State University

Sky Lee and Brianna Smith are students at Georgia State University – J. Mack Robinson School of Business.

The School of Hospitality at GSU and the students organize The Annual National Hospitality Championship event. This event will take place at the GWCC on April 12th 8:30am-1:30pm. All fees collected for the event will go towards a scholarship fund.

There are two parts in the event. One is a team/moral building competition where different companies’ employees compete doing various relay games in order to get the trophy and bragging rights. These team building challenges have been immensely popular over the years with repeat participants like World of Coca Cola and The Hyatt.

The second part of the event is a vendor competition where different restaurants in the Atlanta area compete in “A Southern Paradise” competition which includes Battle of the Biscuits, BBQ sauce off, Country Cupcake Challenge and many more!