Rebecca Burney was born and raised in Texas and moved to Nashville in 1991 to attend Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. Her restaurant career began at just 14 years old as a dishwasher, and she’s been in the industry ever since—spending more than 35 years in hospitality, including over 30 years as a General Manager.
Although she stepped away from MTSU during her final semester to take an incredible career opportunity, Rebecca returned in January 2025 to finish what she started. She proudly earned her B.S. in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Sociology and Psychology in August 2025.
Today, she is pursuing her M.S. in Hospitality at the University of New Orleans while also joining the faculty at Nossi College of Art & Design, where she teaches lecture classes in the culinary program. While she won’t be leading the cooking labs (she’s the first to say she’s not a chef!), Rebecca specializes in teaching the “un-fun” but absolutely essential side of the restaurant business—the kind of knowledge that keeps doors open, guests happy, and careers thriving.