Costa McDonald’s People Experience Lead started with company when she was 15

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Costa Enterprises McDonald’s has announced Theresa McKone, 24, as the company’s new People Experience Lead.

McKone has a long history of working for Costa Enterprises. Nearly a decade ago, she began her path with the company when she was 15 years old, working as a crew member at its Bluewater Bay location before being promoted to shift manager.

During her tenure with the company, McKone was gifted the Archways to Opportunity scholarship from Costa Enterprises. This program was created to provide Costa employees with the funding needed to pursue their path to success and continued education.

Between college semesters, McKone returned to the Emerald Coast to continue working for Costa Enterprises, enabling her to receive the Archways to Opportunity scholarship for all four years of college.

McKone went on to graduate from the University of Mississippi with a degree in business management and a focus on human resources. She also completed the Disney College Program, a semester-long internship at Walt Disney World where participants had the opportunity to learn about the Disney brand and how the fundamentals of the organization, before returning to Destin to work full time.

“I wanted to work for Costa Enterprises because I value companies that treat their people correctly with dignity and respect,” McKone said.

“I am so excited to work for a company that puts their people as a number one priority, especially with taking a position that allows me to help recognize our outstanding team.”

McKone’s new role as the People Experience Lead focuses on retention, staffing, and supporting three of the company’s supervisors. Costa Enterprises employs over 1,400 employees across its 28 locations.

“My favorite part about my job is the focus on recognition,” McKone said.

“I concentrate my efforts on birthdays, anniversaries, and our employee of the month program. I love getting to work with our supervisors and management team to show our team members how much we truly appreciate them and everything they do for our organization.”