Senior Director, Employee Training
CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE | Lebanon, TN | June 2020 – March 2025
Enterprise Communications, Learning & Development, and Change Management Leadership
- Led enterprise-wide internal communications, learning & development strategy, and change management for 70,000+ employees across 700+ distributed locations. Partnered directly with C-suite and senior leadership to translate strategic priorities into clear, actionable messaging, comprehensive training programs, and change enablement strategies that aligned teams and drove measurable business outcomes.
- Established company's first Change Management Office with integrated communication strategy, projected to deliver $5M+ in operational efficiencies; embedded change communications into enterprise governance for all initiatives exceeding $100K.
- Designed and scaled sustainable communication systems—channels, cadences, and workflows—that reduced change resistance by 40%, accelerated adoption speed by 20%, and increased employee engagement by 25% through sentiment tracking and tailored messaging.
- Built and led cross-functional team of 15+ communications specialists, instructional designers, and change practitioners delivering strategic messaging and learning strategies for 85+ enterprise projects annually.
- Managed multi-platform communications ecosystem including SharePoint knowledge hubs, Schoox LMS, Achievers engagement platform, GoHappy direct text messaging, email campaigns, and Vimeo video distribution—establishing governance, vendor relationships, and measurement frameworks for each channel.
- Redesigned new hire onboarding communications and learning experience, cutting turnover by 52 points, reducing time-to-proficiency by 50%, and generating $1.1M+ annual cost avoidance through improved clarity, engagement, and competency development.
- Produced corporate town halls and leadership communications achieving 98% employee participation rate with consistently positive engagement scores; managed executive messaging, content design, speaker preparation, and post-event follow-up communications.
- Developed executive thought leadership content including keynote speeches, strategic presentations, executive briefings, and all-hands messaging for C-suite leadership, ensuring alignment between business strategy, culture, and employee experience.
- Created award-winning "It's Dinner Time" gamified learning campaign supporting largest product launch in company history—drove 87% leadership engagement, 200K+ employee views via multi-channel distribution, and earned industry recognition (CHART Training High 5 Award) for strategic storytelling and integrated execution.
- Modernized learning infrastructure by implementing new LMS platform and establishing instructional design and project management capabilities to scale enterprise training programs.
- Managed compliance training portfolio ensuring 100% regulatory adherence across 70K+ workforce including OSHA, food safety, and harassment prevention programs.
- Led change communications for sensitive organizational initiatives including enterprise restructuring, store closures, workforce realignments, and crisis response—serving as lead communicator for weather events and business continuity situations requiring real-time deployment.
- Developed and executed targeted email marketing campaigns as core component of integrated communications strategy, optimizing engagement metrics while maintaining channel integrity by reserving email for high-priority organizational updates and strategic campaign reinforcement.
Director of Operations
CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE | Lebanon, TN | May 2016 – June 2020
Internal Communications, Executive Strategy & Culture Transformation
- Served as strategic communications partner to executive leadership, leading company-defining moments including quarterly business reviews, national leadership conferences, and enterprise transformation initiatives. Designed communication frameworks that connected business strategy to employee experience across retail and restaurant operations.
- Architected and executed "Bringing the Brand to Life" enterprise narrative initiative spanning 70,000+ employees, translating refreshed brand strategy into clear behavioral frameworks and consistent multi-channel messaging that aligned distributed teams.
- Delivered measurable business impact through strategic communications: Reversed 15-month customer loyalty decline (+12.5% sustained improvement), reduced service complaints by 35%, increased employee engagement by 20%, and drove +8% high-value traffic growth.
- Designed 28-week communication sustainment plan with phased messaging, performance dashboards, gamification, and cadenced touchpoints—moving organization from reactive announcements to proactive strategic communications.
- Produced high-impact leadership events including executive keynotes, town halls, AMAs, and quarterly briefings reaching 700+ locations—managing everything from narrative development and speechwriting to leader prep and follow-up communications.
- Built and managed cross-functional team of 12 communications specialists, project managers, and regional partners to ensure messaging consistency, transparency, and alignment across all organizational levels.
- Led enterprise crisis communications and reputation management during multiple disruption periods including comprehensive COVID-19 response strategy—managing safety protocols, case communications, regulatory updates, workforce messaging, and employee support through coordinated email, SharePoint updates, and leadership communications.
- Established scalable communication systems with integrated feedback loops and knowledge repositories on SharePoint, ensuring real-time information access and day-to-day execution aligned with enterprise priorities.
Project Manager, Strategic Communications & Operations
CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE | Lebanon, TN | May 2013 – May 2016
- Managed enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and communication rollouts designed to enhance operational productivity and drive business growth. Partnered cross-functionally with Operations, Merchandising, HR, and IT to translate strategic priorities into clear field communications and measurable performance outcomes.
- Developed and executed field communication strategies that reinforced key organizational priorities through diverse internal channels including email, SharePoint, and leadership briefings—enhancing message clarity and alignment across 700+ locations.
- Served as strategic communications advisor to Vice President and Regional Vice Presidents, ensuring leadership alignment and consistent messaging across senior field teams.
- Created communications frameworks and training support materials that enabled distributed leadership teams to deliver consistent, high-quality messaging on operational standards and strategic initiatives.
- Monitored KPIs to identify performance gaps and implemented scalable solutions that improved customer experience and profitability through targeted communications and training interventions.
Store Manager & Leadership Development
CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE | Nashville, TN | September 2006 – May 2013
Progressed through operational leadership roles with full P&L accountability. Recognized as District Leader of the Year (2009) and Regional Leader of the Year (2013) for exceptional performance, team development, and operational turnaround expertise. Built foundation in frontline operations that informs strategic communication and learning approach rooted in employee experience and business impact.