Dr. Edward Mc Keown, was born in Mexico, Missouri and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Mc Keown completed his Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2014 at Purdue University. Dr. Mc Keown has had a career in hospitality, food safety, and management for over 30 years, working with companies such as Waffle House, Hilton Hotels, The Flamingo Hotel and Casino, Burger King, Popeye’s Chicken, and many more. He is a certified ServSafe Food Protection Manager and ServSafe Food Safety Instructor and Proctor for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. He is also a certified trainer for the National Environmental Health Association’s food safety training program. Recently, Dr. Mc Keown has (in the past) been the faculty advisor for NACE (National Association for Catering and Events) at NAU, the NAU 4×4 club, and was the founding advisor for the NAU Disney Club and the NAU Food & Beverage Club, in addition to being an At-Large board member of The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.