Jeffrey Williford, MA – Disney Institute
Business Programs Facilitator
Jeffrey Williford’s Disney career began far away from any of the Disney resorts or theme parks, as an opening team member of DisneyQuest® (a free-standing family entertainment center) in Chicago. Since that time, he has served the Disney organization in a number of leadership roles in the Human Resources and Guest Services areas of operations ranging from family entertainment, resort/hotel, retail merchandise, food and beverage operations and more.
In his first Disney leadership role, Jeff’s focus was on first creating and then continuously improving the Guest experience at DisneyQuest® Chicago. A good example of his early work is the outsourcing of advanced ticket sales for the center. By transitioning these sales to a third-party vendor there was an immediate improvement in customer satisfaction along with an accompanying increase in ticket revenue. It wasn’t long before Jeff’s contributions earned him the opportunity to apply his skills and talents to the support of the DisneyQuest® Cast Members. As a member of the Human Resources leadership team, Jeff provided for all aspects of the human resource responsibility for over 250 employees including recruiting, hiring, discipline, and training. His efforts were rewarded with a marked increase in employee retention, achieved through improvements in recruiting methods, increasing the diversity of the team and the implementation of fair and consistent discipline procedures. This experience prepared Jeff well for the next chapter in his Disney adventure.
When Jeff finally arrived at the Walt Disney World® Resort, it was to take on the role of Admissions and Guest Relations Manager for Downtown Disney®, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park, and Cirque du Soleil®. He was soon promoted to Project and Event Manager for Disney’s College, International and CareerStart Housing Operations, where all his skills and expertise were put to very good use and over time greatly expanded upon. All of which has produced a Disney Institute Facilitator with extraordinary insights into the care and support of customers and employees.
Jeff holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science from the International Academy of Merchandising and Design, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from DePaul University and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Webster University. Jeff has been a Disney Cast Member for 9 years.
Disney Institute is devoted to inspiring individuals and organizations to strive for excellence. The Disney Institute curriculum was built upon the principles which made Walt Disney and the company that bears his name world famous: Leadership, People Management, Customer Service, Brand Loyalty, and Creativity.
