Herb Burdeaux is a hospitality professional with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, and a culinary degree in Banquet and Catering Operations, both from South Seattle College. He also holds a master's degree in Native American Leadership, with an emphasis in Hospitality Marketing, from Southeastern Oklahoma State University; a program that prepped him for work in organizations like non-profits, tribal governments, and government agencies that work with Native American populations. Herb is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana and has a strong belief in the philosophy of “Enlightened Hospitality” (Danny Meyer, Transforming Power of Hospitality, 2006).

ENLIGHTENED HOSPITALITY:

Follow your passion. Knowing why you do what you do helps inspires those around you, and they will see your vision as you work towards your passion.

Take care of your team first. Treat people like people. People with hopes and dreams and goals and talents and knowledge. The goal is to care for your people, and they will in turn care for others.

Hospitality over service. Service is how well you do your job; hospitality is how you make others feel when you do your job.

Give back to your community. It’s where we are, it’s our neighborhood, our community that we live and work in. Giving back gives our tribe a place to lead from, to help and share, and it also gives the community an opportunity to see that the tribe and leadership truly care.

Be a mentor. Mentorship allows for growth for everyone, to assist them in their development. Be the person today that you needed when you were younger.