But love finds a way, and so do strong partnerships like ours. As we take cautious steps towards reintegration, we met once again with GHG’s Co-owner, Mike Quillen and COO, Fiona Farrell. It was clear that the rose is still on the bloom, and our commitment to work together is as fervent as ever. Since our initial meeting in 2021, Fiona has returned to tour the Academy with Tripletail Executive Chef, Trea Peavey, and Academy job coaches have toured the restaurant to narrow in on the right job for our members.

There are so many characteristics that make a solid TE. A successful TE site must have accessible public transportation, hours that mirror our own at the Academy, entry-level positions in which the tasks remain constant and managers who are willing to work with our job coaches and maintain routine communication. GHG checked all of these boxes and more. The most vital quality is that of culture. GHG is the result of a now-50-year friendship between the two co-owners (Mike Gowan is the other co-owner), and it is run like a family. They believe in acting locally, supporting their community and sharing their good fortune. We couldn’t be happier to be joining them; helping the GHG teams meet their goals of creating a strong labor force while we meet ours by providing an exceptional employment experience for Academy members.

Pictured above are (left to right) Patty Haltinner, Gecko’s COO Fiona Farrell, Tripletail Executive Chef Trea Peavey, Autumn Peterson and Jeffrey Jean.