Meat+Poultry - June 2020 - 34

CEO SERIES

Wells, who co-founded KCBS with
her husband Gary.
"I did a lot of things in my days
at Smithfield, but I overinvested my
time in barbecue. I loved it. I loved
the people," she said. "And clearly
from a career perspective that
ended up being a good thing for me
in terms of where I am now."
Carolyn Wells said, "Emily
was the perfect fit, helping build
the future for KCBS. Her prior
experience in marketing strategy
and branding were key, and the fact
that she was already immersed in
the barbecue industry and KCBS
during her term with Smithfield
was well known."

KCBS GETS A NEW PIT BOSS

"I quickly
learned,
literally
through
feet on the
street, by just
going to all of
these events
and seeing
how things
work and
meeting the
pitmasters."
- EMILY DETWILER

Detwiler was announced as the
new CEO of the KCBS in August
2019. Little did she know that
several months into the role, the
2020 competition schedule would
be put on hold due to a pandemic.
"It's been a very interesting
nine months to be in this type of
a position with everything happening in our
world," Detwiler said.
After joining the organization, Detwiler
said she saw some opportunities to develop
and grow the KCBS even more. Initially she
spent time looking closely at all the programs
offered by the non-profit organization and
assessing the value of each of them. She
hoped to identify efficiencies and streamline
processes, she said. She also realized the value
in operating the KCBS more like a business
and made that a priority as well as growing
membership (including younger people) and
engaging more backyard barbecue enthusiasts
to try cooking in their first competitive event.
The barbecue community is still hopeful
that the annual American Royal barbecue
contest will not be impacted by the pandemic.
"The Royal" is regarded as the marquee
competition for KCBS members and the rest of
the barbecue world, held in Kansas City, Kan.

PASSING THE TORCH
Since Detwiler assumed the leadership role
at KCBS, Carolyn Wells no longer deals with

34

MEAT+ POULTRY | 06.20 | www.meatpoultry.com

the daily business operations after decades at
the helm.
"When I was named chief executive officer,
I think it was almost a little bit of a relief for
her," Detwiler said of her longtime friend.
"She's still very much part of the
organization," Detwiler said, adding that Wells
is an ideal ambassador to promote the Kansas
City barbecue culture as well as the broader
barbecue industry.
"She has essentially transitioned into a role
of historian and storyteller, which honestly, she
is delighted about."
Wells said she worked well beyond the
traditional retirement age and now she
looks forward to putting the spotlight on the
barbecue community.
"The 'People of BBQ' or our membership
and friends are a family," Wells said. "These
folks are the best people in the world and
each has a story worth relating. I want to
share that passion, enthusiasm and dedication
to our favorite food group and honor
their achievements."
Some might say Wells got out just in time,
given the timing of the pandemic.
"It's probably one of the most challenging
times to come into an organization like this,"
Detwiler said, and when COVID-19 hit, that
increased the challenge exponentially.
Her first year as CEO has been a new
adventure almost every day, Detwiler said.
"I will tell you that my role is very fluid
and quite frankly, I like it that way. I feel like
my role is like that of a business owner who's
really trying to drive strategy and future
thinking; to make sure that we're in a position
of strength for the future."
Wells said Detwiler's impact and
leadership ability since joining KCBS have
already become apparent, despite plenty of
unforeseen challenges.
"Emily has had a dramatic impact on
operations, marketing, and planning. Processes
have been reviewed and streamlined. All
revenue streams have been reviewed, assessed
and new opportunities have been planned,"
Wells said. "Marketing and planning for
attracting a younger audience and varied types
of events is powerful and managerial and
relationship-building skills are invaluable to
KCBS. What more could a 35-year-old, nonprofit hope for? She's found a home."
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat+Poultry - June 2020
