Black History Month
Eric Shelton
Mentors have played a key role in Eric Shelton’s success in the culinary world. When he joined Troon in 2015 at Salina Country Club in Kansas as an executive chef, that person was Jerome Louie.
“I met Jerome when he was the interim general manager at Salina,” said Shelton. “With him being a minority himself, he was able to help me integrate into the Troon philosophy and values. He made sure I could be successful when I got to Salina, and he continued to offer that assistance at Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware, where I transferred in 2019. I owe a lot of my successes to that gentleman because if it wasn’t for him, I would not be where I am now. I don’t want to let him down.”
Louie also nominated Shelton for the Troon LEADer Program. “He would always ask me, ‘What’s next? How can we challenge you in the future? How can you pass your skills on the next person so you can advance?” said Shelton. “I went through that program and it was a valuable experience.”
At Fieldstone, Shelton’s responsibilities include curating menus, creating wine dinners, overseeing special events (including receptions, member conference meetings, and wedding rehearsal dinners), developing new recipes, calculating food costs and inventory, and training employees on consistency and efficiency to deliver great culinary products to members.
But when it comes to diversity in the food & beverage world, Shelton acknowledges that there is still work ahead. “From my experience, the golf and club industry is still working through challenges when it comes to hiring minorities,” he said. “But Troon has a great inclusion program led by Kendall Murphy. He’s worked diligently to get people of diversity and culture into leadership roles.”
It’s also a two-way street according to Shelton. “Minorities need to want to have these jobs in order for me to mentor them. There are a lot of opportunities out there, but if they are not seeking them, that’s where things can get convoluted. They have to want it.”
While Shelton appreciates the value of Black History Month, he celebrates his heritage every single day. “I make an emphasis on teaching my children about it,” he said. “We’ll watch movies related to black history, and I’ll explain to them why it’s so important to know about people who paved the way for me to be in a corporate job in America.”
