Darlington Career Day will feature a keynote address from alumna Stacy (Melton) Brown (‘92) on Jan. 12 at 8:30 a.m. in Morris Chapel. She is the founder and vice president of Brand Development for Chicken Salad Chick and president of the Board of Directors for the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation. All students in grades 9-12 will participate in the special event.
"We are so thrilled to welcome Stacy back to Darlington for Career Day," said Vicki Vincent, director of alumni relations. "Her story will resonate with students and inspire them to look for opportunities in their own circumstances. Stacy is a true confident contributor that has not only found personal success through Chicken Salad Chick but has used that success to help the world around her."
Brown never intended to open a restaurant. In 2007, she was a single mother in pursuit of the perfect chicken salad recipe and a way to provide for her children. Eight years later, she and her business-partner-turned-husband, Kevin, created a true chicken salad experience that is pleasing palates across the Southeast. Chicken Salad Chick offers guests a “custom-fit” chicken salad experience with 15 original flavors to choose from, as well as gourmet soups, flavorful side salads and freshly-baked desserts.
The Rome, Ga. native and Auburn University alum has sold over 140 franchises and opened 56 restaurants across 8 states. Chicken Salad Chick has been featured in numerous publications including the cover story for Business Alabama magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News “Breakout Brands”, the Fast Casual industry report, and was named as a Top Ten finalist in the “Best of the Best” list for Franchise Business Review magazine for emerging franchises. Additionally, Chicken Salad Chick was named to the “Top 10 to Try” in the 2015 March/April issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. She was featured in Commercial Construction & Renovation Magazine and was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal’s Focus on Franchising section. Among her honors, Brown won Restaurateur of the Year for the State of Alabama at the 2014 Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance Annual Awards Conference and 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year for Auburn University. Most recently, her brainchild earned a #37 ranking on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing-Companies in America list, and of those 5000 companies, the company earned the top spot for emerging businesses in the state of Alabama. Because of this prestigious honor, Brown & Chicken Salad Chick earned a spot on CNBC’s daytime broadcast, Power Lunch, and CNN Airport Network’s Companies on the Move.
Brown currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Philanthropy Board for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, and is co-founder of the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation, a non-profit organization whose initiatives are feeding the hungry & fighting cancer. As someone who thrives in service-lead environments, she has enjoyed leading her own organization where service is the most important aspect of the brand.
Darlington's Career Day sessions will cover a broad range of interests this year, spanning professions from software engineering to interior design, led by 27 additional alumni, including Ballard Betz (‘96), Bill Carroll (‘88), Gordon Cisney (‘98), Stephen Collier (‘00), Richard Cook, Lou Dempsey (‘87, LD’17), Ashley Alexander Duke (‘05), Mara Evans (‘91), Ryan Fox ('01, LD '17), Amber Barker Gadow (‘06), Jonathan Gilreath-Harvey (‘07), Claire Ginn (‘99), Tobin Hagler (‘99), Kent Harrison (‘01, LD’15), Dr. Robert Hortman (‘72), Mike Hudson ('94), Dr. Charles Jackson (‘98), Chris Jackson (‘02, LD’13), Mike Jones (‘04, LD’16), Thomas Kuckhoff (‘09), Frank Pratt (‘94, LD’17), Taylor Richardson (‘09), Scott Shepard (‘87), Jeff Snider (‘92), Ed Watters (‘83), Alison Taylor White (‘99), Patrick Wilson (‘08), Jennie Wright (‘99, LD’16), and Harley Yancy IV (‘07, LD’17).
"Career Day is an opportunity for our students to learn a little bit more about the vast array of career opportunities out there," added Vincent. "It is also a great way to not only connect with our alumni and keep them engaged, but to show our students the importance of staying plugged into the Darlington Community and giving back."
Career Day is sponsored biannually by Darlington School’s Alumni Council.
