Ellis Adams Group > ABOUT US
Chris Adams was born in Florida and spent his formative years in the hospitality industry working his way up The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. After growing up in the entertainment industry, Adams founded Ellis Adams Group (EAG) as an international hospitality consulting firm. The group focuses on all aspects of businesses, including building brands, concept and design development, training, management, revenue generation, and profit margin increases. Under the EAG umbrella, Adams owns YNK, an ever-changing bar experience tucked inside the Irvine Marriott, and rumored to have a new concept launching in the OC in 2019. The hospitality firm's current project list is dynamic and constantly growing, with over 100 active ventures underway around.
MARICELA SALCIDO
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCES & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Maricela Salcido developed her passion for the hotel industry while attending California State University, Long Beach. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dietic and Food Service Administration with an emphasis in Hospitality Foodservice and Hotel Management while working at a local restaurant. Upon joining the Marriott International team, Salcido held many positions, including training the Food & Beverage teams at numerous hotel locations on brand standards, service, and core job duties, providing her with the foundation for her career. During her role with the Hotel Openings & Transitions team, she met Chris Adams, founder of international hospitality firm Ellis Adams Group (EAG). They worked together to oversee hotel openings across the United States. As the Director of Operational Processes & Efficiencies, Salcido supports EAG's efforts in creating and executing all programs, assisting in bar setup, and staff trainings. Additionally, she assists with the operations of all current and future EAG concepts.
GORDON KELLEY III
SENIOR MANAGER – OPERATIONS & CREATIVE SERVICES
Senior Manager – Operations and Creative Services
Gordon Kelley III was born in Los Angeles but has most recently found himself in Atlanta as an integral part of the Ellis Adams Group family. Kelley is a hospitality industry veteran, continuously evolving along with his family of nightlife impresarios as owners of Boulevard3. He launched his career with the Gerber Group at SkyBar, followed by an industrious few years opening and operating several nightlife hot spots, including Boulevard3.
In 2012 he moved to New York where he would eventually open the beer garden P13R. Later that year, he was recruited to join the EMM Group, now Catch Hospitality Group, as their Operations Manager. With the birth of their first child, Kelley and his wife moved to Atlanta, where he rejoined Gerber Group as their Director of Marketing & Events. Kelley joined Ellis Adams Group to focus on the consulting side of EAG and use his previous experience to continue to expand the brand.
CHARITY EVERETT
OPERATIONS & CREATIVE SERVICES SPECIALIST
Born in Atlanta and raised in a small town in North Georgia, Charity Everett knew from a young age that she wanted to be a chef. Influenced by her grandmother, who owned a Southern Fried Pie business, she developed a love of hospitality and an intuition for baking and pastries. While earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA, Everett began to hone her pastry skills in professional kitchens, developing and executing the opening pastry program for a local bakery. Over the next 10 years, she continued to grow her expertise in the hospitality industry working in a variety of roles, from pastry chef to culinary manager to managing all aspects of business operations as co-owner of a small catering and event company.
In 2015, Everett opened Revel Pastry Company in Chattanooga, TN, specializing in hand-crafted, seasonally inspired pastries and desserts and serving a variety of wholesale clients. In 2016 she expanded Revel to include a retail space in Atlanta, GA. Shortly after closing Revel, Everett joined Ellis Adams Group. Since joining the EAg team, she has used her extensive experience in a variety of ways, establishing menus and recipes for concepts, overseeing culinary operations, developing corporate operational processes, and assisting with marketing.