Our Team

Todd Winn, Co General Manager

Todd Winn grew up learning all facets of the fine protein business from his father, Robert Winn. Todd leads the company today with a particular focus on developing and cultivating relationships with first-rate suppliers around the globe to serve the restaurant and hospitality business in Texas and the Southwest. Todd is involved in every aspect of these relationships, from product assessments and purchasing to the logistics of getting the product to Winn Meat Company, in an efficient, safe, and economical manner.

The family business approach to customer service and the friendly and quality-oriented culture at Winn Meat Company is a benefit to our customers. Todd is continuing a family tradition of great business that started in 1902.

Todd attended Oklahoma State University where he studied business management. Todd and his wife Julie live in Dallas with their sons William and Adam.

Travis Holder, Operations Manager

Travis Holder is another leading veteran of the fine protein business, heading up Winn Meat Company’s expert and efficient processing of products to meet individual customer specifications.

Travis started his career studying agriculture, with a specialization in meat production and processing at Tarleton State University. At Tarleton, Travis was very involved in the intercollegiate meat judging program. Travis joined Winn Meat Company in 1985 and was with the company for 8 years as plant manager. He then served as plant manager for other major operations in Texas.

Travis then returned to Winn Meat Company, contributing his leadership and quality management skills to help our brand grow.

Travis has a ranch in Sand Flat, Texas, where he lives with his wife Kellie and their son Dakota, who is a senior in high school. Travis enjoys shooting sporting clays and skeet in his spare time.

Gary Grady, National Accounts Manager

Protein industry veteran, Gary Grady, has 33 years of experience serving the fine dining, retail and food service businesses, with particular emphasis on protein. After beginning his career in the industry with Safeway in Texas and independent retailers in Arkansas, Gary joined the meat producer/supplier, Cargill Meat Solutions (Excel beef & pork). He served Cargill for 20 years, directing wholesale programs for center-of the-plate producers and grocery chains throughout Texas.  He rose through the ranks, leading training initiatives, marketing campaigns and sales for the Cargill meat brands throughout the Southwest.  Gary has watched the meat industry transition into a more streamlined business serving larger needs for growing markets. 

Gary joined Winn Meat Company in 2005 to lead the company’s sales and marketing programs. He currently manages the strategic partnership between Winn Meat Company and Cargill Meat Solutions, which includes the premier Sterling Silver® Premium Meats brand.  Not only does Gary possess vast experience and leadership in the industry, he is a Certified Culinary Professional, having trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York.

Gary and his wife, Phyllis met at Stephen F. Austin State University. They have been married for 33 years and currently live in Talty, Texas.  They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Jamie Samford, Corporate Chef and Sales & Marketing Manager

With 20 years’ experience in the food and hospitality industries, Jamie Samford heads Winn Meat Company’s expanded outreach to the continually growing upscale restaurant, country club and hotel business in Texas and neighboring states.  Along with directing the company’s product development kitchen, Samford is responsible for Winn Meat Company’s new marketing initiatives.  His vast experience in the fine dining and retail markets in Texas allows many creative approaches to informing and educating current and new clients about the broad range of high-quality products and service solutions available at Winn Meat Company.  Chef Samford’s industry leadership and fine recipes are shared with the marketplace on his frequent appearances as celebrity chef at culinary events across the Southwest, as well as on television in major markets in Texas.

In 2000, Samford was given the opportunity to open Lola, The Restaurant, in Uptown Dallas, which served New American cuisine.  In the two years Samford was the Executive Chef, the establishment received rave reviews.  Lola was recognized as one of the “Top 10 New Restaurants” in Dallas, a four-star restaurant by The Dallas Morning News, Texas Monthly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Dallas Observer. His recipes have been published in Food & Wine, Southern Living, Dallas Morning News and Ft. Worth Star Telegram, among others.

Samford came to Winn Meat Company having opened the famous fresh-market concept Central Market’s Dallas location, as Executive Chef, where he led a 80-member culinary team in cooking restaurant-quality food in Café on the Run for the store’s enormous North Texas customer base.  He also helped develop recipes for Central Market and was an expert commentator for television and print news reports. 

Mr Samford’s free time is joyously spent with his beautiful wife Carol, and as father to his children Hannah and Price, as well as his bonus children Cassie and Beau.

Jody Eden, Distribution/Warehouse Manager

With an expanding territory that includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and, now, San Antonio, Winn Meat Company’s delivery system is led by Jody Eden.  Eden was appointed Vice President of Winn Meat Company’s Warehousing and Logistics in 2007. 

Jody directs and tracks timely delivery of product on Winn’s fleet of delivery vehicles throughout Texas to the multi-billion dollar restaurant and hospitality industry and works closely with common carriers and other distributors on out of state deliveries. Additionally, he manages the warehousing and receiving functions that are critical to insuring customers have the highest quality and most wholesome product available. Jody joined Winn Meat Company in 2003 as manager of warehousing and logistics.

Prior to joining Winn, Jody was with another food company where he managed warehousing in Dallas for three years. He was also in the production side of the meat business in Austin for 10 years, rising through the ranks to an appointment as production manager. A native of San Saba, Texas, Jody grew up working in the meat business at his uncle’s butcher shop.

Jody lives in Plano and enjoys fishing, hunting and shooting sporting clays in his spare time. 

Diana Flores, Food Safety Manager

Diana Flores manages the successful Quality Assurance program at Winn Meat Company that continues to earn high marks from government regulators and third-party auditors. A Quality Assurance effort with a deliberate purpose - to ensure that our customers get the peace of mind that the safety and quality of Winn Meat Company products are unmatched and impeccable. Along with a system of closely monitored and documented procedures, Diana draws upon technology to track the quality of Winn Meat products at the plant.  She utilizes a satellite-based tracking technology that allows her and her colleagues to track products’ safety from beginning to end.

Diana has over 14 years of experience in the food industry and has been with our team for four years.  She has worked for some food service giants such as Tyson.

Her love for food and the food business comes from her family and strong values that were shared in the family kitchen in her home in Mexico City.  Also inspired by her cousin’s leadership as a food engineer, Diana came to the United States to study food science and technology at Texas Tech University.

In her spare time, Diana enjoys spending time with her husband Carlos, their daughter Michelle (2) and their son Alex (17).  They enjoy going to arts events and museums, celebrating their heritage and family history, and traveling to Mexico City to visit family.

Walter Wilkerson, Co General Manager

Walter came to Winn Meat Company after a career in the banking industry, having served such leading brands as First USA and Republic Bank. In addition to managing the financial functions of Winn Meat Company, Walter leads the sales team in the development of customer relationships in all geographic markets.

He came into the meat business with an interest in serving the growing restaurant and hospitality business in Texas and the Southwest.  You might say that Walter also decided to “join the family business.”  His wife, Susan is Winn Meat Company founder Robert Winn’s daughter.  He and his brother-in-law Todd assumed leadership of Winn Meat Company when Mr. Winn retired.  

Walter grew up in Louisiana, a center of great food. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in finance, and from Louisiana State University with his M.B.A. He and his wife Susan and their daughter Caroline live in Dallas.  Their daughter Whitney is a student at SMU.

Charlie Estrada, District Sales Manager, Houston

A genuine understanding of chefs’ needs, a comitment to excellent service and to the highest quality products are what set Winn Meat Company apart from the competition. When it comes to listening to customers’ specific requests and getting things done fast and right, Winn Meat Company’s Charlie Estrada is an expert.

With over 16 years of industry experience, Charlie leads Winn Meat Company's Houston area operations with a great passion for listening to our customers and delivering great products and service. He is a high-energy, high-impact ambassador of the standard-setting quality and excellent service that is the essence of the Winn Meat Company brand. Charlie personifies Winn Meat Company’s commitment to building our company on a solid foundation of strong customer relationships.

Charlie brings leadership to Winn Meat Company having managed sales teams for such national brands as Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper. 
Charlie and his wife Norma have two children, Michaela and Dustin, and live in Pearland.  Charlie enjoys spending time with his wonderful family.

Deede Morris, Credit/AR/Payroll Manager

We are proud to have Deede on the WMC team as the head of our Accounts Receivable Department. Her dedication and leadership helps Winn Meat Company and our customers work together efficiently.

Deede has been with Winn Meat Company for 11½ years in charge of accounts receivable.  Prior to that, she headed accounts receivable for Atrium Door and Window for seven years.

Along with serving Winn Meat Company with her leadership, Deede is a dedicated community volunteer. She is co-chairing the American Cancer Society’s Relay Walk for 2008 for Ellis County, with a goal of raising $200,000. She has also raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research as a lead participant in the Komen 3-Day Walks each year in October.

Deede and her husband Kenny live in Red Oak. They have one son, Ryan.

Mark Tilley, Key Accounts Specialist

Knowledge of people is as important in the restaurant business as the knowledge of one’s products. At Winn Meat Company, we value relationships, and one of Winn Meat Company’s veteran voices in this endeavor is Mark Tilley. Mark joined the Winn Meat team in March of 2005, but has spent the last 16 years in and around the restaurant business, and has worked in every position in a restaurant from waiter/bartender to management. Mark brings to the table an in-depth knowledge of products and specific ways to utilize them that allow our customers to benefit. “This is not rocket science, follow the K.I.S.S. method and don’t try to force a square peg into a round hole”, Mark says. “Provide the customer with a quality product at a fair price, and they will be happy”.

Officially, Mark began his protein career in the meat market of the grocery store he worked in at 16 years old. Since then he has worked in many customer service oriented jobs in various selling positions. All of these culminate into a team member with a great talent for filling a need with a unique product or solving a problem.

Mark’s primary focus is to work with Ben E. Keith Foods sales teams to increase their customer’s knowledge of products and opportunities available at Winn Meat Company.

Mark works very closely with the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters of the Texas Chef’s Association and had the honor of being the Purveyor of the year for the Fort Worth chapter in 2007. He is also an advisory board member in the Culinary Arts schools at the Tarrant County College and at Aims Academy.

Mark graduated in 1989 from the University of Texas- Arlington with degree in Communications. He continues to live in Arlington with his wife of 17 years Patrice and their 2 four legged kids. In their spare time they enjoy traveling, theatre and listening to good blues.

By the way- K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Fran Gallagher, Strategic Communications and Marketing

Fran Gallagher has practiced public relations for 18-plus years, having developed and directed strategic communications programs for clients in many industries.  She leads Winn Meat Company’s strategic communications initiatives through her own company, Praestar Public Relations.  

Before beginning her own public relations practice in 2006, Fran was Executive Vice President and Director of Client Services for Levenson & Brinker Public Relations, having managed the public relations group during the merger of Brinker Communications with Levenson Public Relations, for whom she had worked for nearly nine years.  During the merger year of 2004, Levenson & Brinker Public Relations rose from 30th to 10th  among public relations firms in The Dallas Business Journal’s Annual Book of Lists.  Her work includes such clients as Central Market, Zale Corporation, Papa John’s Pizza, and other major national brands.

Since its launch in March 2006, Fran’s company Praestar Public Relations has added to its client roster, in addition to Winn Meat Company, Langford Property Company, developer of a $90-million retail destination in Collin County; The Grill on the Alley, a famous upscale restaurant that began in Beverly Hills and has just debuted its first Texas location at Galleria Dallas; Daily Grill, which opened new locations in Austin and Memphis in 2007; Winn Meat Company, a 100-plus-year-old purveyor of premium meat, poultry products for the Texas and Southwest fine restaurant, hotel and country club industries; Movie Tavern, the leading cinema-eatery concept in the United States; Savor Dallas 2008, an International Experience of Wine, Food, Spirits and the Arts; and the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of Turnaround Management Association, is the only international non-profit association dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management.  Praestar has also been engaged by Dallas Restaurant Group to lead public relations for its Go Fish, Fish Express and Dallas Fish Market brands.  Along with directing strategic communications for Bank of the Ozarks in North Texas, Fran has also recently been engaged by the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association as public relations counsel.

Fran’s interest in community relations is demonstrated by her involvement over the years with such organizations as Central Dallas Association (now DowntownDallas), The Visiting Nurse Association’s Meals on Wheels, The Junior League of Plano for which she served as public relations chair.  She has served as Vice Regent for the John Abston Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.  Interested in the United States’ early history, Fran is a shareholder in the Library Company of Philadelphia, the nation’s first lending library, and has volunteered with the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia.  She is a sixth generation Collin County resident, and currently serves on the board of directors for the North Texas History Center.

Fran graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, with Departmental Distinction with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Southern Methodist University.