James Macon Simonson

My Objective:

I wish to excel in the Hospitality Industry as far as I possibly can. I have developed a strong passion for this industry through everyday experiences. I enjoy meeting people and learning new things about quality service. I enjoy pleasing guests and making people feel special and important from the smallest level to the largest.

My Education:

I have a high school degree from Liberty Hill High School, located in central Texas. I attended Blinn Junior College in Bryan, Texas for two years right after graduation from high school. From there I transferred to Texas Tech to seek out an education that could help me further my career in the industry I came to love: Hospitality. In May I graduate with a B.A. through the University Studies program. This program entails three concentrations that would normally be majors within themselves. I chose Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management first and foremost because I wish to have a career composed of working in restaurants or maybe even hotels. My other two concentrations are Sociology and History. I believe Sociology can be a major contributor to what I want to achieve and what I can provide an employer because it gives me statistical and fundamental knowledge about people and their habits. History is just something that I thoroughly enjoy. I can certainly have an enjoyable conversation with just about anyone over many a chosen historical event or situation.

My Experience:

This is probably my strongest asset that I bring to the table. I have nine years of experience within this field and have been in almost any stressful situation imaginable within this line of work. I am an exceptional worker under stress and I have a very active motor when things get “hairy”. I am a fantastic people person and have almost no problem smoothing out guest issues. I am very quick to empathize and I make a genuine effort to solve any issue that may arise. I treat people like I would like to be treated and that stems from my upbringing and the role models and friends I’ve had in my life. My first job was bussing tables in an all-organic food diner. I was promoted to a server within eight months and continued to work there for two more years until I graduated from college. Upon moving to College Station, Texas I began working at a restaurant as a server and was quickly promoted to lead server after six months. From there I went to work for a bar in the same city for about eight months and did everything from checking ID’s at the door to bar-backing, cocktail serving, and eventually bartending. I moved to Austin after working at the previously stated job and got a job in a fine-dining restaurant within a Marriott Hotel located in a resort. I worked there for almost three years and really developed a passion for service. I was promoted to Dining Room Supervisor after a year and a half, and then shortly

after, to Assistant Manager. I left that fantastic job to finish my schooling at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. I quickly got another job at the Overton Hotel, a four-diamond establishment just like my previous job. I started as a server and bartender and was quickly promoted after a position opened up on the immediate managerial level. I then served as the Assistant Manager there until August 2014. I then took a position at a very popular stand-alone restaurant in Lubbock, Texas called Café J, where I am currently the Assistant General Manager.

My References:

Kurt Metcalf, Overton Hotel and Conference Center General Manager, Lubbock, Texas

806.319.3449

Jose Arredondo, Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas, Texas, Manager

806.776.7085

Stacy Adams, San Antonio, Texas, Manager

210.618.7621

Greg Picarazzi, Hotel Dereck, Houston, Texas, Manager

970.708.1143

Daniel Witcher, Great friend, BHP Drilling- Engineer, Houston, Texas

512.630.4133