Leslie Phillips

Chief Executive Officer

Leslie came to MG in 2005 as Director of Business Development after 14 years in private law practice, having earned a BA from Randolph-Macon College and JD from University of Richmond. Her understanding of business relationships and view of operations from a client’s perspective helps MG deliver on our promises and maintain long-term, trusting partnerships. Her collaborative style, communication skills and love for the business made her a good partner to Rie in the overall vision of the company, as MG strives to set the standard for excellence in what we do, how we treat people, and the opportunities we create for our employee-owners.

Marie 'Rie' Meriwether Godsey

Founder

Like many young people, Rie and her husband, Eddie, found their first jobs in food service – Eddie as a dishwasher and Rie as a server. Hospitality soon became much more than a job and they launched MG in response to their growing concern that the major food service contractors were more focused on “standardization” and less on personal attention and customization. Rie lives the MG philosophy: to create fabulous food and remarkable service regardless of the size of the client budget. Today, Rie's passion and talent comes full circle as she devotes her time to studying trends and style and adapting them to each of our operating environments.

Allison Godwin-Kelly

Chief Human Resources Officer

Allison was born in Bermuda, and came to the U.S. to pursue her degree in business from Howard University. She later received her Masters in Human Resource Management from the University of Connecticut. Before joining MG, she had a long career with Genworth, serving in a variety of HR roles. Allison brings years of experience in recruiting, talent management, and employee engagement; as well as an in-depth understanding of the HR complexities companies face in today’s environment.

Marta Ruggles

Director of Operations

Summers waiting tables at Lake Winnipesauke hooked Marta on food services. Marta has been with MG since 1988 and is also an alum of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (1982) where she was a server under Rie. She has worked her way through the ranks to be our senior field leader by demonstrating strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills. Her commitment to quality and appreciation for teamwork consistently gain Marta the respect of staff, colleagues, and clients.

Denise Simmons

Director of Culinary Systems & Purchasing

Denise has always known she wanted to be a chef. She graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 1987. Her career has included working in hotels, clubs, and restaurants; and since coming to MG, she has been an Account Director and Executive Chef at our first restaurant, Meriwether’s Market. Her love for food and sustainability makes her a wonderful leader for all things edible at MG.

Derek Carbonneau

Chief Technology & Marketing Officer

Before joining MG, Derek cultivated 22 years of senior technology, marketing, growth, and product experience with companies both small and large, private and public. Derek is a three-time Inc. 500 VP of Marketing and Product and has served in leadership and consulted for industries as diverse as biotech, e-commerce, gaming, healthcare, hospitality, and travel. Derek is also an avid home cook and always ready to experiment with new favorite cuisines. Whether telling MG's story or guiding the development of new systems, Derek relishes the challenge of balancing operational details, business goals, and customer needs to put smiles on our guests' faces every day.

Richard Hetzler

District Manager

Rich is a talented leader and culinarian who spent his early days working in various fine dining restaurants in the DC market, ultimately prompting him to launch his own restaurant Ovvia Osteria in Fairfax, Virginia. After that, he served in culinary leadership roles in education and cultural arts venues, including George Washington University, Georgetown University, National Museum of the American Indian, and Smithsonian Institute. In those roles, he had the opportunity to lead teams of 250-plus across multiple locations. Rich has a genuine passion for food, developing others, and delivering remarkable hospitality to clients.

Bill Korhammer

District Manager

Bill’s first encounter with the food business was as owner-operator for 10 years of a Domino’s franchise, with locations throughout Pennsylvania. He joined MG as a Director of Dining at a large day school in PA, then as a traveling Director, and ultimately as Director of Dining at Mercersburg Academy. His strong business acumen and sense of customer service, both for clients and MG employees, make him a great fit for District Manager. H His exceptional team-building skills originated from his years as an athlete at the high school  (basketball, swimming and volleyball) and college levels (volleyball at Lafayette). For years while his daughter was a collegiate swimmer, Bill stayed connected not only as a fan, but as a USA and PIAA official. Outside of work, Bill and his wife Deanna enjoy travel and experiencing new cuisines.

Chris Blain

Director of Program Design & Development

Chris grew up in the Virginia Beach area and has held a variety of positions throughout his career. He got his start as a line cook in fine dining which later prompted him to attend CIA and during his schooling, he earned an internship at TheHerbfarm in Seattle. He first joined MG as a cook at the Virginia State Capitol and moved on to be our Retail & Sustainability Manager at Guilford College followed by Director at Beauvoir School, and finally General Manager at Virginia Theological Seminary.  Between Guilford and Beauvoir, Chris had the opportunity to be the Executive Chef at the Virginia Governor’s Mansion for Governor McAuliffe. Chris has a thirst for world travel and experiencing different cultures. He continually seeks to absorb new practices, principles, and languages (6 to be exact), and, of course,  flavors, ingredients, and techniques.

Cate Smith

Director of Culinary & Brand

Cate began her food journey at a very early age in her grandparents’ garden and cattle pastures where she learned to respect where food starts. Her culinary path began in 1983 and has taken her from restaurants to hotels to private schools. Cate came to MG in 2001 and, like Denise, her career has included Account Director/Chef and Executive Chef at Meriwether’s Market Restaurant. Because of her passions for healthy eating and a healthy environment, Cate has expanded her work to include teaching culinary skills, nutrition and mindful eating classes.