Greetings from Greenville!

It has been a long year and a hectic semester of projects, tests and diverse events.

ECU has just hosted its graduation ceremonies, and SHL wished over thirty students well on their way to their careers. Reflecting on our graduates reminds me that this is our COVID-19 class of graduates. These were the students who got to ECU and then were sent home due to the pandemic. Things changed; all learning was virtual, and we (all of us) students, faculty, and staff began a new era of higher education.

We have mostly moved on from COVID-19; it’s in our rearview mirror, as they say. Many thanks for that! Many students found jobs and took courses virtually once they got home, and then some decided to stay where they were and finish their degrees online. This was a logical thought progression, and it seemingly changed the program forever. The number of SHL students on campus and online students is approximately equal. This also meant that offering courses needed to be balanced: one semester on campus and one semester online. Therefore, students and faculty were more flexible and adaptable. The students needed to hang in there and progress to graduation. For many faculty, teaching online became a reality on a semi-regular basis. SHL has always had an online version of our degree. Now, course offerings are more balanced online vs. on-campus than they had been.

The spring 2024 semester started in mid-January, which seems a long way off. The semester has been full of events, programs, and activities, many of which are highlighted in this newsletter. To name a few, we had our second annual Career Pathways Conference and hosted nearly 300 regional high school students to introduce them to the hospitality industry. We hosted great speakers, and our student leaders shared their stories on a panel.

SHL also held its second annual Food and Wine Festival, a scholarship fundraiser that was sold out. The reviews were great, and the students representing multiple courses focused on delivering a great event and did a great job! Several courses, guided by Dr. Chabert Rios, Michael Fazzini and Craig Marshall; all participated in preparing and delivering the event. Shortly after that event, Rios’ courses staged the Awaken Coffee Gala, which is also featured in this newsletter.

Additionally, we have had students and coursework connecting with local and regional businesses. In club management, Dr. Cynthia Deale worked with ECU alumni Mark Sipple from the Forest Creek Golf Club to help students create innovative event ideas. Dr. Jenna Lee and her students worked with the Hope Lodge in Greenville to create innovative management and marketing ideas for lodge operations. In HMGT 4650, students conducted feasibility studies for hotel recommendations in Elizabeth City and Zebulon. The list of activities continues and includes a CMAA SHL Chapter featuring a club manager panel with Avery Thomas leading the efforts.

SHL also had a regular group of students engaged in their major, helping to spread the word about opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry. Thanks to all the students and faculty for their efforts at ECU Open House, Admitted Students Day and more. The list of SHL students included Sara Rodriguez, Bryan Dorschel, Madison Pearson, Noelle Edwards, Jannelle Schwartz, Corin Francisco, James Sweeney, Colton Craver, Avery Thomas and Zach Stephenson. Apologies if I missed anyone. It was a group effort, and thanks to all! The year's home stretch also included Waffles and Wisdom with Waffle House!

Thanks to Zachary Stephenson for his efforts as the SHL Social Media Coordinator. Zach has done a fine job getting the word out in the SHL social media accounts. This past spring, he was joined by Colton Craver, who will take over as the social media coordinator in fall 2024.

It was a long and satisfying year. Our students are heading out to their jobs, some working at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst or other summer positions before starting their entry-level management positions. 

If you get to Greenville, please stop in and say hello. Many thanks to our faculty, staff, students, graduates, and industry partners for their efforts on the advisory boards, recruiters, and educational partnerships.

Be well and take good care!

R.M. O'Halloran,

SHL professor and director

More than 100 people attended SHL’s second annual Food and Wine Festival. Held in Rivers, 20 separate wines were poured, and 14 dishes were served. SHL students planned, prepared, marketed and managed the event. De la Boue, Big Table Farm, Duplin, Biltmore, and Empire Distributors provided the wine. Performance Foods Group provided $1100 worth of food. Golden Corral, U.S. Foods and TRM (a technology company in Raleigh) provided cash sponsorships. Nino's Cucina Italiana and Mickeys Pastry Shop provided additional food to taste at the event. The proceeds will go to help increase SHL scholarship dollar amounts. 

For the second year in a row, the School of Hospitality Leadership held its Career Pathways Student conference, designed to introduce high school students to the world of hospitality business careers. 

SHL student panels discussed their educational experiences at SHL, and industry panels discussed the lodging sector (specifically) and the career paths available for the high school attendees to pursue. 

A group of East Carolina University hospitality management students gained real-world experience as part of a project. Still, their personal experience may far surpass any grade they earned. The School of Hospitality Leadership partnered with Greenville-based Awaken Coffee to help plan the A Night at Awaken gala and fundraiser on April 16 at Harvey Hall. The event celebrated Awaken’s first year of business and was attended by employees, board members and local community members.

Awaken Coffee is a nonprofit that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, promoting their skills, confidence and dignity.

The Club Management Association of America East Carolina University (CMAA ECU) Student Chapter's Club Management Leadership Panel on March 26 was a resounding success, showcasing the synergy between industry professionals and the academic community. The club management professionals who participated on the panel included Mark Sipple (alumni), Haissom Baityeh, Lezlie Williams (ECUSHL alumni), and Stormy Flinchum. They shared valuable insights with the enthusiastic participants. Orchestrated under the leadership of Avery Thomas (CMAA Secretary) and assisted by the efforts of CMAA officers Zachary Stephenson (president), Megan McCabe (vice president), and Hannah Billings (treasurer), alongside approximately 10 volunteers, the event focused on the importance of professional networking in club management. With 73 attendees on hand, the panel not only elevated awareness of club management careers but also built meaningful connections among students and professionals. Submitted by Zachary Stephenson 

Ridgewells Catering recently paid the School of Hospitality Leadership (SHL) a visit to look for SHL students willing to work the 2024 U.S. Open Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Ridgewells, who for more than 30 years has served hundreds of thousands of fans from the U.S. Open Golf Championships to the Super Bowl, is responsible for recruiting, hiring and training all staff needed to support food and beverage operations for the championship.

Dr. Bob O’Halloran, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership, says several students have already been hired for supervisory, front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house roles. He expects more to be hired.

Hospitality Financial Management seniors earned a 100% pass rate for the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA). 

Hotel analytics has become an increasingly important skill for professionals such as revenue managers, general managers, corporate staff, and research professionals. The Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) is the only hotel-related certification that recognizes the skills and knowledge that these professionals have. It is offered in partnership with STR, the global source for benchmarking and forecasting data.

Additionally, a shout out to the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Foundation, which supported this effort for SHL students with a $1.1 million grant with the NC Department of Commerce for hospitality workforce training

On April 4, 2024, the ECU School of Hospitality Leadership hosted All SHL Day, held in SHL’s Golden Corral Culinary Center. This meeting saw the spring 2024 induction of new members into the Eta Sigma Delta (ESD) International Honor Society and then Waffles and Wisdom, a program offered by Waffle House.

SHL Senior and ESD Chapter President Avery Thomas led the ESD ceremony. After introducing the inductees, Colton Craver and Mayanna Cooper, and providing those gathered with some history of ESD, the new and existing members recited the Eta Sigma Delta oath.

SHL's Dr. Stephanie Bae is serving as an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator. She will be the first COB participant in the upcoming Intercultural Competence Summer Institute, part of ECU's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). 

As an administrator, she will work with individuals and groups around the university to measure their current intercultural competence. She will work with them to develop a plan to reach the desired intercultural competence level. 

During last month's COB retirements and award dinner, Dr. Jalayer (Jolly) Khalilzadeh was awarded the AoL Outstanding Faculty Award in recognition of his contributions as a certificate coordinator for sustainable tourism. 

ECU recently hosted graduation ceremonies on Friday, May 3, 2024, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The School of Hospitality Leadership (SHL) participated in the College of Business (COB) recognition ceremonies at 4 p.m. on May 3 in the ECU Student Center.

The SHL named three outstanding seniors, Avery Thomas, David Voelz and Cody Bingham, representing both on-campus and online students in the SHL program. The students were welcomed to the ceremony by Dr. Robert O’Halloran, professor & director of the SHL program. They were led to the stage by the faculty marshal, Mike Fazzini, a teaching instructor in the SHL. Students were noted for their degrees, B.S. in hospitality management and content concentrations: lodging management, food and beverage management and convention and special events management. Drs. Cynthia Deale, Craig Marshall and Jacqui de Chabert Rios, a professor and instructors in the SHL greeted the graduates.

If you jump over to SHL's LinkedIn page, you'll find what Drs. Bob O'Halloran and Cynthia Deale will be up to when they attend the National Restaurant Association Show, May 18-21 in Chicago. 

They'll be looking to speak with reps from three distinct markets: recruiters looking to hire SHL grads, alums/industry friends and student recruits. 

Check out their LinkedIn article for more details. 

SHL alumna spotlight: Maddy Mize

Maddy Mize is a proud SHL alumna. Her education and career have landed her a spot at Umstead Hotel and Spa. 

Want to learn more about SHL's experience and what she's doing for Umstead? Check out SHL alumna spotlight: Maddy Mize and learn more about her. 

"My name is Erika Edmundson, and I had the privilege of graduating from the School of Hospitality Leadership in 2018. My concentration was food and beverage, as I have always had a passion and desire to bring people together through a shared meal. I am grateful to have learned about the SHL as a freshman and to use the opportunity to combine my interests and education with the hopes of using both for a future career. Throughout my four years at ECU, I was able to dive into various avenues within the hospitality field and learn how to incorporate those skills into a business."

Check out SHL alumna spotlight Erika Edmundson for more of her story. 

"After graduating in 2011 from the College of Business and the School of Hospitality Leadership with a minor in conventions and special events, I knew I’d find career opportunities in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. I began my career with Marriott International as a sales coordinator, learning essential qualities to be successful, making connections and paving a path to where I am today."

Check out SHL alumna spotlight Emily Childs for more of her story. 

"Graduating from ECU and the School of Hospitality Leadership in 2017 opened the doors to a rewarding career journey at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

As its senior event manager, I orchestrate 80-100 fundraising and community events annually, each a unique challenge and opportunity."

Check out SHL alum spotlight Aaron Heft for more of his story. 

"Participating in the hospitality leadership program at ECU’s School of Hospitality Leadership has been a transformative journey that significantly contributed to my professional growth and, ultimately, paved the way for my current role as a controller with Chartwells Higher Education (HE).

The program, with its comprehensive curriculum and hands-on experiences, provided me with a robust skill set and a profound understanding of the intricacies of the hospitality industry."

Check out SHL alumna spotlight Ravon Murphy for more of her story. 

"During my time as a School of Hospitality Leadership student, I gained the experience to grow as a professional and work toward the goals I set for myself. I have loved working in restaurants since I was young, and graduating from ECU’s SHL program put me into a position of leadership for which I am forever grateful."

Check out SHL alum spotlight Andrew Kensey for more of his story. 

"I graduated from ECU’s School of Hospitality Leadership in May of 2018 and then moved to Raleigh a month later, where I began my sales career in business development. Fast forward to 2024, I am now located in Boston, Massachusetts, where I am currently the Head of Business Development for North America for Board International, a global software company specializing in Business Intelligence (BI), Corporate Performance Management (CPM), and Advanced Analytics."

Check out SHL alum spotlight Zach Dettlinger for more of his story.