About Us
Meet Our Team
Zeb Knight
Director of dining services
Zeb began his career in collegiate dining services at his alma mater, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has 20+ years of leadership experience in the foodservice, restaurant, and hospitality industry. Zeb has helped implement new concepts to improve the experience for customers, all while constantly working with student dining committees and clients to ensure satisfaction. His calm nature and leadership style naturally embody our MG Core Value, ‘Be The Best partner’, and Zeb is constantly demonstrating this every day!
zknight@merig.com
(336) 316-2895
Sneh Deshmukh
Assistant Director
Sneh began her career in the hospitality industry at one of the finest hotels in the world, the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai in India. She transitioned into the catering and then account management side of the industry eventually finding her way to UNC Chapel Hill, prior to joining the team at Guilford. Her dedication, people centric mentality and extensive experience in all aspects of the food service and hospitality industries, can be seen in all that she does!
Jeff Blackley
Executive Chef
After receiving a degree from the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana, Jeff made his way back to North Carolina, where he spent years managing high volume restaurants. He eventually transitioned into the college dining setting, overseeing the production of thousands of meals daily. Jeff’s passion for food, people, and serving others is apparent in his role here at Guilford!
jblackley@merig.com
(336) 316-2894
TANYA HIPP
DISTRICT MANAGER
Tanya’s career in food services and respect for work ethic and drive started in a local fish and chips restaurant in Virginia. After receiving a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech, her passion for the industry carried her to Northern Virginia to the hotel sector. She returned to her roots in Southern Virginia to join the MG family in 2003. Over the years she has successfully managed MG accounts in a variety of geographic locations and with a variety of styles of service. Her detailed knowledge of day to day operations and “lead by doing” philosophy help everyone she works with reach their full potential.
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We are invested in creating and maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an opportunity to participate in and contribute to the success of the business. This means fostering and protecting an inclusive environment in which all employees feel respected, are treated fairly and their viewpoints, thoughts, and ideas are encouraged and embraced, regardless of position, age, race, religion, beliefs, socio-economic background, gender, who they love, how they identify and of course, other protected statuses. We proudly support vendors, partners, and suppliers who share these values of inclusion.
Our Culture
We recognize that people are our most important ingredient and we provide them with the best resources, from training and support to progressive systems, so they may find satisfaction in what they do and feel appreciated for their hard work. We cultivate an atmosphere where we learn, grow and improve, constantly. This people-first culture fosters a better experience for each guest.