VGCC faculty and staff hear from local Chick-fil-A owner

Joshua Towne, Franchised Restaurant Operator of the Chick-fil-A in Henderson, was the guest speaker for Vance-Granville Community College’s spring convocation of faculty and staff in January.

 

Towne has owned and operated the local Chick-fil-A since 2005 and has worked with the company for the past 20 years. He is also an alumnus of the North Carolina Community College System. After graduating from Cape Fear Community College with an associate degree, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at UNC-Wilmington with concentrations in marketing and management. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, said that Towne’s journey from community college to a successful business career “exemplifies the potential we see in every student.”

 

Towne’s remarks touched on leadership, competition and customer service. The Chick-fil-A chain ranked fourth in a 2014 national survey on the quality of customer service at 150 of America’s best-known companies across 15 industries. In addition, the Henderson restaurant is highly regarded for customer service in the local community and within the Chick-fil-A family. “I’m not really in the chicken business — I’m in the people business, just like Vance-Granville is,” Towne said. He discussed the importance of listening to customers and appreciating their own life stories and circumstances. His number-one priority as a leader, however, is not his customer, but rather his 65 employees. “You should focus on your colleagues, so you have a strong team to serve your students,” Towne said.

 

“We appreciate the insights that Josh Towne shared with us, as a business leader in our community and as someone with great experience in a leading food service brand,” said Dr. Williams. “Nationwide, the Chick-fil-A model of customer service is recognized for setting a high standard of excellence. At VGCC, we strive to continuously improve in all areas, and we want to take the quality of our service to students and our community to an even higher level.”

 

Above:  Joshua Towne, Franchised Restaurant Operator of the Chick-fil-A in Henderson, addresses VGCC faculty and staff. (VGCC photo)