SHL Alumna Spotlight: Meredith Poteat

Meet Meredith Poteat. She graduated in 2021 with a BS in Hospitality Management – convention and special events management concentration.

Poteat is currently a year into her job as the catering services and operations manager for the New York Athletic Club (NYAC). For her role, Poteat splits her time between selling event space, food and beverage, and other services and executing banquet events.

“I love how I’m able to learn about both sides of it (club management) instead of just focusing on one or the other, especially as a young professional in the industry,” Poteat said.

As a proud SHL alumna, she recently spoke to us about her time at ECU and the School of Hospitality Leadership.

“I owe it to ECU and the connections I built during my time there,” said Poteat. “It’s been an amazing opportunity to move to New York City and learn from the professionals here.”

“Joining Club Management Association of America during my junior year introduced me to the club industry and my first internship at The Country Club in Pepper Pike, OH in catering and banquets, even though it was during COVID and there weren’t many events happening, I still learned a lot about how clubs operate, e.g., food and beverage operations in the club setting and the service standards of clubs. Through that internship, I connected with club managers, leading to my post-graduate internship at the NYAC as a banquet supervisor. I guess I did something right because I was then hired on full-time!

Poteat did provide nice advice for students studying hospitality.

“Get involved in CMAA, make connections, and put yourself out there,” said Poteat.

• Categories:
• School of Hospitality Leadership