Life At Levy

Every year, we select a group of blossoming leaders from across the country to participate in a program we call Top Gun. Just like in the Navy, our top leaders are admitted into the program following a robust application process. While Tom Cruise has never flown in, each Levy cadet is a star in their own right.

For seven months, participants are placed into groups and assigned a project to present at the end of the program in Chicago. Parts of the curriculum include investment finance, team dynamics, partner relations and more. Topics for the presentations range from Labor Optimization to the Future of Talent. Now that the class of 2024 has successfully graduated and is ready to launch, we asked a few of the participants about their experience.

Stevie Chumley, Director of Operations, Georgia World Congress Center

“Top Gun was so much about the fellowship that occurs when you put hospitality leaders together. The content taught me so much about myself and my management style, but the sense of belonging that is Top Gun is really the secret sauce. Top Gun is set up in a way that uniquely positions the cadets to be surrounded by different types of leaders from all business sectors. Hospitality is magic, it takes special types of people to excel in our industry. Having the good fortune to be surrounded by the best in business throughout the program was truly amazing.”

Jon Ziskal, Vice President of Hospitality, Soldier Field

“I was most excited to meet my fellow cadets, travel to different cities for a look at other properties in Levy’s portfolio, and embrace the training material that will help me sharpen my leadership skills. Time management skills were highly necessary and I think that’s an unspoken emphasis of the program. Top Gun cadets are some of the busiest leaders in our company and somehow we all found a way to excel within the program while performing at a high level for our operating units and partners. Having culinary and operations professionals from stadiums, arenas, universities, convention centers and cultural attractions all in the same group was remarkable. In the end, I gained 22 new friends. Our group projects allowed us to share challenges each business unit faces and think strategically on how those challenges can be resolved to benefit each business unit and the company as a whole.”

Michele Van Der Werff, Director of Operations, Oregon State University

“I was most excited about taking a look at the bigger picture within Levy and developing relationships with the other participants. We do really cool things as a company and it was awesome seeing other venues and what they do to make their properties special. One of the great things about the program is we all have unique attributes, units and clientele, and being able to share our experiences with one another and seek guidance is amazing. Now we know we have 22 additional people that we can reach out to if we ever need anything.”

Justin Grandstaff, Regional Director of Operations, Professional Sports Catering

“As I completed the program, I was most surprised about the number of quality leaders we have within this company and how close we bonded over the course of six months. I come from Professional Sports Catering, and when we were assigned to out Top Gun project, I had a wonderful experience teaming up with 3 top notch leaders from the convention centers as well as a Regional Chef. My teammates opened my eyes to a lot of similarities and differences within our world. Top Gun is just like the movie — taking the best of the best and making them better, training and preparing them so they are ready to step in and step up when called upon.”

Timothy Elderkin, Regional Culinary Manager

“I was surprised by how well all of the cadets worked together and really formed lasting friendships, despite all being from different sectors and business models. I found it to be really engaging and insightful to see the perspective of all leaders and how they handle and execute not only their day-to-day responsibilities but how they handle their partners and potential new business relationships. The importance of Top Gun is to engage our future leaders to look at themselves in a way they wouldn’t have traditionally done, and to apply what they have learned to drive high performing teams to deliver beyond what they know or what they think is possible.”

Elana Kopp, Regional Manager, Cultural Attractions

“I was most surprised by the impact it had on my confidence and presentation skills. I felt more empowered and aware of my strengths and vulnerabilities. I made strong connections with my project team, and even extended the team project length by inviting one of my teammates to work with me on an additional project. Company culture and leadership development are crucial to a fast paced environment and ever growing company. Connecting your top leaders is a brilliant investment in collaboration.”