Tobia J. Burdette, Sr | Food & Beverage Director
Tobia J. Burdette, Sr. was
born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee but made his way to Nashville to earn a Bachelor
of Science in History at Tennessee State University. Tobia has managed in
private clubs for decades, serving as Clubhouse Manager at Chickasaw Country
Club in Memphis, Food and Beverage Manager at Brentwood Country Club, and
Assistant Clubhouse Manager at Hillwood Country Club. In his free time, Tobia
enjoys spending time with his wife, 2 sons, and daughter, running with his dog
Nala, and gardening.
615.509.1883 | tburdette@tngrasslands.com
SHAWN CONKLIN | LAKES HEAD CHEF
Chef Shawn Conklin was introduced to the Culinary Arts at the age of 17 in his small hometown of Hudson, New York. He started his career in the restaurant business as a busser working his way up, where he eventually learned the fundamentals of cooking under 4 star chefs. After moving to Tennessee and graduating with honors from the Art Institute of Nashville, he ventured out on his own as a personal chef for some of the biggest names in country music, including Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, Miranda Lambert and Priscilla Presley to name a few. He now hangs his chef hat close to home, here at Tennessee Grasslands, where he brings his unique style of elevating classic comfort food to introducing new and exciting modern Molecular Gastronomy dishes that will entice all your senses.
615.575.4309 | shawn@tngrasslands.com
WILL GRAY | LINKS HEAD CHEF
Chef Will Gray was born and raised with deep
southern roots. His passion for cooking began at a young age watching his
grandfather smoke meats and grill for large family functions. Soon, he was
taking over for his grandad, creating new family heirloom recipes. During his
time at MTSU while pursuing a degree in journalism, the call of the kitchen
came again, and wanting to learn all aspects of a professional kitchen, he took
a job learning how to butcher from farm to table and then went on to advancing
his skills cooking on the line. He has spent the last decade serving as an
executive chef in hotels and country clubs around Nashville and Davidson
County, as well as a two tournament tenure at Augusta National as the banquet
chef for the Magnolia Ballroom. Chef Gray is a Gallatin High School Alum.
615.675.5763 | william@tngrasslands.com
NATALIE LYON | SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Natalie lives, works and plays right here in Gallatin, TN. She has been with Tennessee Grasslands for almost two years, working her way up to her current position as the Special Events Coordinator. Natalie started out as a server at the Foxland Links Clubhouse, and from there, she took over managing the Links Midway. Next, she became a Dining Room Manager at the Lakes Clubhouse, which led her to where she is now. Natalie loves planning events and being a part of the Tennessee Grasslands family. Out of all her roles, her favorite is being a wife and a mother to three beautiful children. Natalie is looking forward to what the future holds for her at the Club.
615.575.4307 | natalie@tngrasslands.com