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CONNECTING THE CHART MEMBER COMMUNITY
VISIONARY TRAINERS TRANSFORMING HOSPITALITY LET THE LEARNINGS ROLL FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026 New Orleans Breakout Sessions: Learnings to Spark Your Growth Beyond the 12 Hospitality Training Competency workshops, impactful breakouts are where insights roll into action. These sessions are designed to stretch your thinking, sharpen your skills, and spark ideas you’ll be using long after the conference ends. One decision to attend can shape how you show up (and lead) throughout 2026.
Igniting Mentorship, Unlocking Potential Jay Hartwig | Director of People & Retention | Fox Restaurant Concepts
Stop Saying Yes to Everything: How to Prioritize Like a Strategist Shannon Ciccotelli | Director of Training and Development | Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q Meg Daniele | Founder & Owner | GEM Learning Consultants Get a Bigger Budget Than Marketing: Building High-Impact Learning Campaigns Matt Nelson | CEO | Modern Training Corban Nichols | Vice President of Restaurant Excellence | Piada Italian Street Food
Improv Your Training: Building Skills Without the Dread Audrey Benet | Associate Adjunct Professor | Valencia College School of Hospitality and Culinary Management Training Like a Netflix Show: Driving Creative Training Programs that Stick James Frank | Manager of Field Training | Dine Brands Global Conversations that Spark Change: How Trainers Ignite Engagement, Ownership, and Real Impact Nadine Willems-Antersijn, CHT | Founder & Lead Facilitator | Momax Trainings & More Elevate Yourself from Trainer to Organizational Influencer Serah Morrissey, SPHR | Senior Director, People & Culture | Schoox
Modernizing Frontline Training: Meeting Gen Z Where They Are Eran Haffetz | CEO and Cofounder | Bites
Delivering Excellence: How Exceptional Guest Service Fuels Growth and Long-Term Success Panel Moderator: Jennifer Bonilla, CGSP, CHT | Sales Manager, North America Career & Workforce Advancement | National Restaurant Association
View full session descriptions and register now at chart.org!
Strengthen Your Development in 2026 with Virtual Competencies
Free for CHART Members, and online this spring and fall
Think of these virtual workshops as your between-conference boost. Included with your CHART membership, they’re a convenient way to keep learning, stay engaged, and continue working toward your Executive and/or Instructional Designer Track certificate and pin.
Executive Track: Communication & Influence Two, 2-hour sessions from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Instructional Designer Track: Effective Learning Design Two, 2-hour sessions from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | Tuesday, October 20, 2026
FREE for CHART Members; enter the discount code MEMBER-COMP at checkout. $149.00 for non-members. Space is limited and the sessions will not be recorded. Please only register if you are confident you can attend both workshop sessions.
Registration is now open for the spring workshop! chart.org > Trainer Development & Events > Training Competencies > Virtual Workshop Schedule
Recognize Your CEO's Impact: CHART Commitment to People Award
Nominations Due May 1
Does your CEO go above and beyond to create a people-first culture? Now’s your chance to give them the recognition they deserve! The annual CHART Commitment to People Award celebrates CEOs who truly invest in their teams – championing learning, development, and workplace excellence. If your CEO is selected: Your company gains recognition for its exceptional commitment to people. Your CEO gets honored at CHART’s Hospitality Training Conference ; you can celebrate as a team in Boston! You highlight the impact of your team's initiatives and how they contribute to a thriving culture.
2025 Commitment to People Recipient Larry Ryback with the Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q team in Redondo Beach
Help us shine a light on a CEO who makes a difference. The nomination process is simple. You do not need to involve your marketing department or do anything high-tech; we just want to hear it from you! Nomination form: chart.org > Membership & Community > Awards & Scholarships
PresidenTalks The Power of Representation in Training
As we celebrate Black History and Women’s History Months, it’s a great time to reflect on the role representation plays in hospitality training. More than a buzzword, representation sparks engagement, innovation, and retention. When employees see themselves reflected in their trainers and leaders, it sends a powerful message: You belong here. You can grow here. This sense of belonging fuels confidence and career aspirations, which ultimately strengthens our industry. Representation doesn’t happen by accident. It’s intentional. Here are three ways to embed it into your training programs: 1. Audit Your Materials Look at the images and examples in your learning content. Do they reflect diverse cultures and backgrounds? Inclusive visuals and language help team members feel seen.
CHART President Kelly McCutcheon
2. Elevate Diverse Voices Get involved with mentorship programs or Employee Resource Groups. ERGs can greatly enhance professional development, and training’s presence equips members with essential skills while fostering peer learning. With training’s help, ERGs and mentorships create space for team members to feel heard. 3. Inspire Through Stories Highlight achievements of Black and women leaders in hospitality during training sessions. For example, Fawn Weaver, Founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, turned a forgotten legacy into a global brand, an example of how representation drives innovation. This same principle applies to your team: when you amplify their accomplishments with public praise you help make team members recognize their value. Representation isn’t just about fairness; it’s about business success. Diverse teams deliver better guest experiences because they understand and reflect the guests they serve. As trainers, we have the privilege and responsibility to make inclusion a lived reality, not just a stated value. Let’s use this season of celebration as a launchpad to make our team feel seen, heard, and valued. Let’s design training that shows we don’t just teach skills, we build futures.
These volunteers are working hard to spark YOUR conference experience. To get to know THEM a bit better, we asked them a few fun questions. Meet Your New Orleans Conference Team
Q: Second Line Style – If your personality had its own parade, what would be the theme and why?
Activities Co-Director Domenic B. Bartolini
Q: Lagniappe – In true New Orleans fashion, what’s a little “something extra” you give your trainees or team – your special touch that makes your training uniquely yours?
Field Training Manager, Buffalo Wild Wings - Inspire Brands A: My parade theme would be “Diversity” because we are stronger when we use diverse methods of training and when our audience is also diverse – it allows us as training leaders to stretch and learn new ways to get things accomplished. Activities Co-Director Winona Bullis Director of Field Training, GoTo Foods A: “Controlled Chaos with Heart!” I thrive in an environment where there is a lot going on, and you need to keep everyone calm and moving forward while still being the spark that keeps everyone excited. Volunteer Co-Director Sylvie Mitchell Senior Manager, Learning Solutions, SodexoMAGIC A: My parade would be “Purpose with a Groove.” It would have a strong beat, good energy, and just enough flair to keep things moving forward with intention. Think organized joy – where everyone knows the route, feels included, and still has fun along the way. I’d be out front setting the pace, making sure no one gets left behind, celebrating the small wins, and reminding everyone why we started marching in the first place. When people feel good, feel seen, and feel supported, the whole parade moves better.
Hospitality Co-Director Anna Mason
Vice President of People Experience, A.Ray Hospitality A: In my company, we use “All About Me” forms for team members and managers that give us insight into favorite snacks, ways to be celebrated, and things that the team member or manager likes to do. I use these when I am hosting a training, meeting, field visit, etc. to create a personalized celebration for the team members and managers that I work with. First Time Attendee Co-Director Paul Miramontes Manager, Learning and Development, Galardi Group - Wienerschnitzel A: I’m someone who truly values being personal. I make an effort to remember something meaningful about each trainee, whether it’s how many kids they have, a pet they adore, a hobby they enjoy, or a special skill they bring. It’s the small details that often make the biggest impact. Taking this approach helps trainees feel valued as individuals, not just another participant moving through the training program. It also reinforces the importance of delivering hospitality through thoughtful, personalized experiences at restaurant level.
Q: Laissez les bons temps rouler – When it’s time to “let the good times roll,” what’s your favorite way to unwind, recharge, or celebrate a win?
Registration Co-Director Lindy Bagby Director of Training & Development, Dish Society
Service Event Co-Director Angela Schuster Sr. Sales Manager, National Accounts, National Restaurant Association A: My favorite way to “let the good times roll” is to escape into nature. My perfect celebration would include either sinking my toes into a warm, sandy beach somewhere tropical, or a warm flannel shirt, some trusty hiking shoes, and a forest full of tall pines! None of this would be complete without a delicious meal shared with my family, and if we’re able to get it for takeout, even better! For me, the unwinding and recharging is best done outdoors!
A: I lean into the things that let me disconnect and actually play for a bit. My husband and I love video games, building Legos, and opening Lorcana or Pokémon packs; it’s our version of adult joy. There’s something about creating, collecting, or diving into a game together that resets my brain after a long day of training, operations, or tackling a big project. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it always helps me come back refreshed and ready to pour into my team again. Volunteer Co-Director Shannon Beyak Training and Operations Leader/Former Senior Manager, Training & Operations, Foodtastic A: Great food, great vibes, and great company! I usually celebrate a win by turning on some great tunes to match my energy – whether at home or in my car driving home – grabbing some great food (pizza is usually my go-to), and then relaxing at home with my dog, Mia, my husband, and a glass of wine. It's the perfect way for me to recharge and enjoy the moment. Hospitality Co-Director Alexa Arreola Regional Training and Openings Manager, Piada Italian Street Food
Registration Co-Director Cassie Miller Vice President of Training, Craveworthy Brands
A: Any time there's a reason to celebrate, my husband and I bar hop! We'll pick an area we haven't been to (or haven’t been to in a while) and enjoy a drink at each bar along the way. We celebrate each other, have fun conversation, and meet great people (all responsibly of course!).
A: My favorite way to unwind and recharge is staying at home, turning on my galaxy light, and binge watching some of my favorite shows! Like Gilmore Girls! This usually includes some snacks of course.
Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers P.O. Box 2835 Westfield, NJ 07091 chart.org (800) 463-5918
Please send content to flipCHART Managing Editor | Lisa Marovec, lisa@chart.org Deadline is 1st of the month for the next month’s issue | Back issues: chart.org New Orleans Conference: Expert Competency Facilitators
Trainer Track
This impressive line-up of CHART members lends their time and expertise so you can build skills from the best of the best! The Hospitality Training Competencies Program is the cornerstone of the CHART New Orleans conference.
Instructional Designer Track
Manager Track
Executive Track
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