Alumni Success Stories

Chenara Sylvester currently serves as the Customer Experience Director at Chick-fil-A Vicksburg. Chenara grew up in Redwood, MS, where she attended and graduated from Warren Central High School in 1997. Some of Chenara’s hobbies are spending time with her family, riding ATVs, and shopping. 

Chenara started working at Chick-fil-A in 2013 as a Back of House team member with a starting pay of $7.25. Over the last ten (10) years, Chenara has grown from Back of House team lead to Kitchen Director and her current role as Operations Director. Through various books, podcasts, and leadership classes, Chenara learned a lot about controlling food costs, labor and the importance of food safety. However, she created her mentorship with Nick Jones, which has significantly impacted her growth. 

As the Customer Experience Director, Chenara has grown as a leader and would love to be able to run a store of her own if given the opportunity. Chick-fil-A has allowed her to grow as a person and a leader. Chenara has learned to be a strong leader in a diverse environment, and as a result, she has developed other strong leaders during her tenure.

Jacob Smith is originally from Rome, GA. Jacob received a B.S. in History from North Georgia College and State University in 2011. He served in the Georgia Army National Guard from 2007 to 2018 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 2011. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Paige and sons Avery and Liam, cooking, gardening, and reading. 

Jacob began his career at Chick-fil-A at the grand opening of Vicksburg FSU in May of 2013. He served on Nick’s leadership team as a Director of Operations with a starting pay of $15 per hour. During his time with Nick, he learned how to operate a successful and profitable business and, more importantly, how leaders influence and prioritize relationships to drive long-term results. Nick’s early investment in him helped lead him to a Christ-centered life, allowing him to continue to grow and serve the Lord, his family, and hundreds of other Chick-fil-A Operators. 

In 2014, Jacob transitioned back to Georgia, where he served the next three years with Operator Doug Barnett at Starr’s Mill and Fayetteville Towne Center FSU’s. In 2017, he was selected to serve as a Chick-fil-A staff member with Facilities and Equipment, supporting Operators in the Atlantic Region. In April of 2021, Jacob transitioned to serve as a Principal Program Lead, supporting Operators in the Southeast Region with the Strategic Reinvestment Team. In his current role, he is responsible for leading design, development, and construction efforts to address the growing business needs of the aging portfolio of existing restaurants in Mississippi and Florida. 

Jacob said,  " I have remained connected with Nick over the last ten years. Nick continues to be a trusted mentor to me, professionally and personally. Nick’s lifelong mantra of “Do the right thing, for the right reason” has been a cornerstone of his professional career and led to incredible results. Nick’s investment in me has changed my life in ways he would never have imagined. Proverbs 22:1 states, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” Many people know that the founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy, selected Proverbs 22:1 as his life verse and that he had an incredible impact on thousands of people during his lifetime, Nick included. I have never met Truett. However, Nick did and was impacted greatly by his leadership, and Nick continues to precipitate Truett’s legacy through his good name. Learning from and serving with Nick over the last decade has been a pleasure. He is a leader worth following."

Hello, I’m Diamond. I was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and recently moved to Fort Worth, Texas, to start a new journey. I have a beautiful, bright, and intelligent 4-year-old daughter. I attended Vicksburg High School, and afterward, I attended Hinds Community College, where I received my Associate Degree. While juggling school and being a first-time mother, 

I worked for Nicholas Jones at Chick-fil-A in Vicksburg, MS, for about four years. I started as a rising star, then was promoted to different positions such as Hospitality Professional, Team Lead, and Dive-Thru Manager. 

My time there was excellent and probably the best job I have ever encountered. Chick-fil-A was not just a “Job” to me. I was passionate about coming in daily and doing what was best for the customers and the team. We looked at each other as a family instead of just coworkers and made fun of everything we did. I honestly do thank Mr. Nicholas Jones for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a fantastic team. Even when I was promoted, I always doubted myself, thinking that I could not do it, but he would always push me because he knew that I could. Chick-fil-A will always be a part of me.

Evette Arnold worked at Chick-fil-A from 2017 to 2020 as the Talent and Administration Director. 

She is employed at Ergon Construction Group in Flowood, MS, as the Human Resources Administrator.  ECGI consists of two construction companies, Alliant Construction and ISO Services.  ISO Services is a multi-craft industrial service and construction operation providing all industrial maintenance and construction disciplines. 

Evette’s role as HR Administrator is essential in the day-to-day job site function. HR assists with various tasks related to maintaining the organization of time entry, payroll, onboarding, recruiting, and other general office needs. The HR Admin position includes regular interaction with the employees. ECGI wants all interactions to be a positive experience and should be conducted in a helpful and professional, similar to how Chick-fil-A (CFA) runs its business. 

Evette credits her time at CFA with helping shape and mold her ideas of how a business should treat its employees and customers.  CFA gave her a great foundation to aid her in her current role.  She will always be grateful for the valuable lessons she learned at Chick-fil-A Vicksburg. 

Evette has over 20 years of experience in administration, human resources, project management, inside sales, document control, and purchasing.

Professional current headshot or a throwback picture from the time at Chick-fil-A as the profile photo 

Personal Bio - Grew-up where, High School, Activities, Hobbies (short, one paragraph)

Chick-fil-A Bio - Started year and in what role and at what pay rate, developed skills, promotions or roles, lessons learned, looking back over the years what are things you wish you would have known and what are things you learned you didn't expect? (short, one paragraph)

Career Success Bio - Where are you now and where are you going? How did Chick-fil-A Vicksburg help get you there? (short, one paragraph)