Thank you for entrusting me with the opportunity to be AKFCF President again! The AKFCF Board voted in Nashville to keep the officers in place for the 2025-26 term and it’s my honor to serve another year as your AKFCF President.

Speaking of Nashville, if you weren’t able to join us, you truly missed out on a special experience! We gathered together to “share our stories,” and I was inspired and renewed after our time together.

Thank you to those of you who opened up and shared your stories with me. Thank you to those of you who stopped me and said that your teams were writing down their stories. I’ve heard from so many of you, and I cherished each memory and every moment.

It’s easy to be motivated coming out of our Convention, but how will we keep the pen moving on the page? Or how will we keep the song playing? Kelly Swanson said at Convention that before you write your story you should know why you are telling it. I shared with you my reasons ‘why,’ and I asked you to take a moment to think about yours.

The stakes are high, and when I think about the future, I think about what my actions will mean. And so, I ask you: What is it worth to you? What’s worth all the energy and effort? What’s worth KFC turning around to you? What are your reasons why?

Sharing at the Convention was only the beginning. 2025 has to be the year of honesty, accountability, collaboration, effort and I’ll add one more — vision. We cannot only ride the legacy of our past, we MUST be in the driver’s seat this year. Let’s continue the work with a renewed focus. Proactively taking this energy back to every single cook, cashier, RGM, team member, and executive who is a part of this Brand. Remember, every story matters.

I’d like to share with you some personal thoughts I took away from our time in Nashville, in hopes that it will give you a little insight on my goals for this upcoming year. Not to bury the lead, but in case you missed it, I played the piano at the Grand Ole Opry and shared the KFC story, OUR story, from that historic stage! Talk about a dream come true! Through that experience, we were able to create something that I will treasure forever.

Equally as great for me was the overwhelming response and impact that your stories had on me. I asked you to open up that vein in Nashville, and you did. The stories you shared with me and the energy that I felt from each of you was both unexpected and beyond my imagination. Through your comments and stories, I saw your dreams that have been realized thanks to this Brand, and in particular, thanks to the people who make up this great Brand. It cannot be overstated that our system has a wealth of knowledge! But this past year has taught me that it takes vision to realize our dreams, and that vision doesn’t always come from within us. So often, our dreams come true because of what others see in us.

I want to leave you with a quote … and no, it’s not a Real Housewife quote (IFKYK)! A couple of years ago, just as I was beginning this journey of running the Chairs of the AKFCF, I was visiting Disney World with my family and a sign on the wall of an under-construction site grabbed my attention. The sign read: “Dream Builders: Whatever we accomplish belongs to our entire group, a tribute to our combined effort. –Walt Disney”

These words inspired me, but I didn’t understand why at the time. I quickly snapped a picture and filed it away for a different time … a time where it would make more sense. I feel like now is that time.

As a Brand, we are “under construction,” uncertain, yet preparing for our future, and wondering where do we go from here? Coming out of Convention, I’m certain that the ability to dream and create a vision for our future is within our reach! Our future can be bright, and it will be because of you, the people who make up this great Brand! I know that as we build out of this, our accomplishments and victories will be a tribute to the combined effort of our entire group. Like I said at the Opry, I’m so proud of the people in this Association. We have it within us!