Kelly Downes, MBA

HOSPITALITYMANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL

Director of Catering/Food and Beverage Director/General Manager

Top-performing, well-educated hospitality management professional with a proven track record in driving revenue growth and reducing costs through productivity, efficiency and quality improvement. Excellent communication, presentation and leadership qualifications. Core competencies include:

Food & Beverage OperationsStrategic Sales & Market Planning

Staff Training & DevelopmentNew Business Development

Banquet Planning & CoordinationCatering Sales & Operations

Customer Service & Member RelationsP&L, Budgeting & Forecasting

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CORPUS CHRISTI TOWN CLUB, Corpus Christi, Texas2005 – Present

Director of Catering / Assistant General Manager

Accepted dual responsibility for catering and operating management of this private, fine dining establishment (five star white glove service) to include a banquet facility accommodating 350+. Hold P&L responsibility for a catering and service team of 30, strategic market planning, new business development, convention/banquet management, special event planning, community outreach, staff training and development, budgeting and reporting. Serve on the Catering and Social Development Committees, with full reporting responsibility to the Board of Directors. Create menus, negotiate event contracts, and manage all special events in house and off premise.

  • Instituted customer service and bartender training programs, and consistently educated staff on providing the highest level of white glove service.
  • Partnered in securingClub as preferred vendor for the Art Museum of South Texas.
  • Restructured, planned and facilitated the curriculum for Kid’s Culinary Camp.
  • Marketed, promoted and managed offsite catering services that successfully tripled the Club’s offsite catering business.
  • Drove catering revenues from $2.8 million to $3.2 million in less than two years.

OVATIONS FOOD SERVICES, Frederick, Maryland2004 – 2005

Interim General Manager / Assistant General Manager / Executive Chef

Recruited by this catering company to manage all F&B and catering operations to support the Harry Grove Stadium, an 8,000 seat minor league baseball stadium. Functioned in a quasi management/executive chef role with full P&L accountability for a staff of 90, budgeting, catering event coordination, menu planning and creation, staffing and training, purchasing and negotiations, inventory management, billing and collections. Managed catering events for an 80-seat café, 15 skyboxes and a picnic area accommodating 400.

Kelly Downes, MBAPage Two

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (Continued)

  • Designed and instituted recognition and incentive programs for staff.
  • Spearheaded the development of an intern recruitment program for upcoming students.
  • Introduced a comprehensive wine training program that significantly increased productivity and reduced labor costs.

(Part-time employment while attending college fulltime)

THE MISQUAMICUT CLUB, Watch Hill, Rhode Island2003

Beach Club Manager

Retained to recruit, train and empower a staff of 55 performing back of the house and front of the house operations for this exclusive golf and beach club with 450 members. Coordinated and managed wedding receptions and special events.

  • Authored and implemented a training manual that was adopted for use at The Masters Tournament.
  • Redesign and implemented new wine menu for the club.

KIAWAH ISLAND COUNTRY CLUB, Kiawah Island, South Carolina2000 – 2003

Assistant Manager / Head Trainer / Server

Advanced through increasingly responsible positions for this exclusive golf and beach club. Supervised front of the house and back of the house operations. Facilitated customer service training to a team of 15.

COOPERATIVE EXPERIENCE

WALT DISNEYWORLDLake Buena Vista, Florida

Culinary Assistant

Selected from a competitive group of undergraduate students to train and mentor under Disney’s top executive chefs. Educated in food preparation, product quality and innovative cooking techniques. Participated in the Food & Wine Festival.

EDUCATION & CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Johnson & Wales University, Rhode IslandSouth Carolina

MBA Global Business Leadership 2004

BS, Food Service Management 2002

AAS, Culinary Arts 2001

Magna & Summa Cum Laude Graduate…Who’s Who Among College Students

Safe Serve Management Certification  TIPS Alcohol Certification

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Club Managers of America

(Partnered in planning state chapter conference 2005 & 2006 in Corpus Christi, Texas)