Food service industry leader Regynald Washington has awarded Georgia State University’s hospitality school a $1 million endowment to grow the program and provide graduate student scholarships.
As part of the gift, the school’s graduate program will be named the Regynald Washington Master of Global Hospitality Management within the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. The funds will allow for enhanced global experiences and provide expanded teaching technologies, school officials said.
Washington has been a member of Georgia State’s school of hospitality’s industry board for 15 years. After college, he served much of his hospitality with The Walt Disney Company. He joined Atlanta-based Hojeij Branded Foods in 2010, and was named the company’s chief executive officer in March 2015. In that position, Washington is responsible for 70 restaurants in 12 of the nation’s largest airports, with brands including P.F. Chang’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Chick-fil-A.
During his career, Washington served as chairman of the board of the National Restaurant Association from 2003-2004, and was inducted into the College of Diplomates of the association’s education foundation in 2007.
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