Our Team

Our Mission is to offer customized and engaging safety education programs for foodservice professionals to ensure the safety of consumers.

Southern Hospitality Education, LLC was established in 2011 to promote and provide food safety education to local independent restaurants in the St. Louis, MO area. Since its inception, it has never strayed from its mission to offer customized and engaging educational programs for foodservice professionals to ensure consumer safety.

Today, Katkin is proud to be able to help business owners and their employees meet certification and safety education requirements nationwide. In partnership with Illinois Casualty Company, Katkin continues to grow; supporting restaurants, franchises, multi-location food and beverage vendors and associations, breweries, wineries, convenience stores, country clubs, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, childcare facilities and others throughout the country. Course materials and exams are now available in multiple languages and course offerings are affordable, customizable, and include in person and online learning in all fifty states.

Michelle Fieser

Head of Safety Education

Michelle Fieser began teaching safety education in 2011 as a value-added service for her bar and restaurant clients. After realizing there was a need for quality instructors and programs, she formed Southern Hospitality Education, later to be named Katkin. In October 2021, after partnering with Illinois Casualty Company and many of its appointed agents and insureds, Katkin was acquired by ICC. Michelle is now serving as Head of Safety Education for ICC’s Loss Control Department.

Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Mississippi State University. She brings with her both sales and agency experience, as well as more than ten years in developing and delivering safety education programs for the hospitality industry.

Sara Loser

Instructor

Sara has worked in the restaurant industry since 2010. She has worked in many positions over the years including serving, bartending, and managing. In addition to teaching food safety, Sara is also an elementary school educator.

Kimberly Wright

Instructor

Kimberly brings more than 25 years of experience as an owner and operator of restaurants to her role as an instructor for Katkin. In addition to teaching, she works as a full-time business broker for the hospitality industry. Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Secondary Education from University of Missouri.

Melissa Maness

Instructor

Melissa Maness has worked in the industry for over 26 years. She is currently a certified secondary foodservice educator and has been teaching at the secondary level for over 14 years.

Stacy Nolan

Instructor

Stacy brings over 25 years experience as an educator at all levels of public school and private education. She holds a master’s degree in Education from Lindenwood University. Stacy is a natural teacher with experience in media, technology, and research. Her background gives her extensive knowledge in learning strategies and test-taking skills. This experience extended to the food safety industry when Stacy joined Katkin in 2018. Alongside her teaching career, she has worked part time in the food industry for most of her adult life and is not afraid to get her hands dirty and jump right in to understand and meet clients’ needs

Antonio Murillo

Instructor

Antonio Murillo is a Certified Food Safety Instructor. He joined the Katkin Food Safety Team in 2012. Antonio has been working in the foodservice industry for more than 35 years..

Scott Holubetz

Instructor

Scott has over 25 years of hospitality experience and is passionate about building relationships and investing in people within the hospitality industry and his community.

Rick Plunkett

Instructor

Rick has over 35 years of multi-line claims experience spanning multiple states including both personal and commercials lines as well as litigated claims.