Women of Excellence Finalists – Hospitality

The Women of Excellence awards celebrate exceptional Columbia businesswomen in eight categories — education, finance, health care, hospitality real estate, retail, public service, and professional excellence — who strive to grow in their field, mentor other women, and serve in the community.

The finalists for excellence in hospitality are:

Amanda Elliott

Chef and Recipe Developer, Peachtree Catering and Rustic Supper

Amanda Elliott work as the chef for Peachtree Catering and runs Rustic Supper, a food development and lifestyle website. She loves the community opportunity cooking provides to grow with each other through the sharing of stories, guidance, and experience, while enjoying a delicious meal at the end.

Rachel Holman

CEO, Les Bourgeois Vineyards

As CEO of Les Bourgeois Vineyards, Rachel Holman describes her role as a zookeeper, a finder of the people and the things, an instigator, a mediator, a leader, an ambassador, a student, a teacher, and a cheerleader. She admits to having a lot of jobs, but describes her primary role as being a listener.

Lydia Melton

CEO, Gunter Hans

Lydia Melton manages a European pub that specializes in rare and hard to find European beer. While her job duties differ every day, she consistently leads a team of 18 team members. Unlike her start-up days that were comprised of seven staff, her success now hinges on her ability to lead and develop others.

Click here to see the finalists in other categories.