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NASHVILLE, Tenn. July 18, 2003 Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE:GET), the leading hospitality and entertainment company whose primary holdings include Gaylord Hotels and the Grand Ole Opry, today named Melissa J. Buffington its senior vice president of human resources and communications.
Buffington, who will report directly to Gaylord Entertainment President and CEO Colin Reed, will join the Company in mid-August.
"Melissa is an outstanding addition to our already-strong leadership team and our Partner Group," Reed said. "Her expertise in the field of human resources and communications will complement and enhance our team's ability to maximize value for our customers, employees and shareholders.
"She firmly believes in the linkage between a highly satisfied workforce and superior customer service. Her track record in effectively developing, implementing and administering broad programs will enable us to continue making important progress in human resources management as we grow our Gaylord Hotels and Grand Ole Opry brands."
Prior to joining the Company, Buffington was senior vice president of human resources and strategic planning for Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General Corp., a Fortune 500(R) retailer, where she oversaw human resource programs for 50,000 employees. In this role, she managed all corporate compensation and benefit programs, training and recruitment, employee relations, organizational development, succession planning, corporate communications, and community and charitable program development. She also worked directly with the chairman and CEO to facilitate the corporation's strategic-planning process.
Before joining Dollar General, Buffington held the position of executive vice president of human resources at Nashville-based First American Corp. In this position, she served as a member of the Executive Management Committee, chaired the Benefits Plan Administrative Committee and acted as liaison to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Previously at First American, Buffington was senior vice president and director of quality management, and director of strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions. Before moving to Nashville 11 years ago, she was employed as a senior financial analyst at NationsBank and an accountant at Geico Insurance Co.
"I am delighted to be joining Gaylord at such an exciting time," Buffington said. "The Company's commitment to its employees is inspiring. Gaylord is known for delivering world-class customer service, and I look forward to working as part of the team that continues to set Gaylord apart as a leader in hospitality and entertainment."
Buffington is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, where she received her degree in business management. She earned her master's in business administration with a concentration in finance from Old Dominion University.
She is active in the Nashville community, serving on the boards of Vanderbilt University Diabetes Center, Nashville Ballet and United Way of Middle Tennessee.
About Gaylord Entertainment
Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE:GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., owns and operates Gaylord Hotels branded properties, including the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville and the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla., and the Radisson Hotel Opryland in Nashville.
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