Steven Chappell, 30

Managers are the heart of McDonald’s.

So every year, the fast-food giant fetes the top 1% of its store managers at a huge awards ceremony. Steven Chappell, the former general manager of the McDonald’s store on Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, flew to Chicago earlier this year to receive the award from McDonalds USA President Mike Andres.

It’s easy to understand why Chappell ranked the event as his “coolest business experience.”

Named after the company’s founder, the Ray Kroc Award is nearly as tough to claim as a Super Bowl ring. Managers are rated on numerous metrics, from employee turnover to sales performance and marketing plans.

When local newspapers in Fort Myers reported that Chappell won the award, readers flocked to the restaurant to shake his hand, he says. Restaurant regulars came in with clips of the news to share (Chappell recently left the company.)

Born in Kansas City, Chappell has only been on the Gulf Coast three years. He’s eager to travel to Africa and wants to learn Japanese. “I’m fascinated with Japanese culture and technology,” says the video-game aficionado. “I’d love to visit Japan and experience their culture firsthand.”

— Jean Gruss

Q&A

Name: Steven Chappell

Age: 30

City of residence: Lehigh Acres

Twitter handle: n/a

Employer: Gold M

Title: Former general manager, McDonald’s

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri

Years on the Gulf Coast: 3

Marital status/children: Engaged to Jacqueline. One daughter, Serena

Alma mater: Northwest Missouri State University

Best place to network: Social networks like Facebook and Twitter

Coolest business experience: Winning the Ray Kroc Award, an annual performance-based award that recognizes the top performing McDonald’s restaurant managers in the country. Only the top 1 percent of McDonald’s general managers nationwide receive this award annually and my experience was in Chicago, where I attended an awards gala for winners hosted by McDonald’s USA President Mike Andres.

The most important business lesson I’ve learned: Don’t cut corners. Have integrity.

One website that makes your job easier: n/a

One community group you’re most involved with: CareerSource

Favorite off-hours activity: Play video games

Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: My grandmother, who died in 1997. I often think about her and wonder how differ my life would be if she was still around. President Obama, because he is the first African-American president and he always stays poised despite criticism.

What you would be doing if you could pick another career: Computer programmer, software engineer

Most adventurous thing you’ve ever done: Nothing yet, but I’d like to go skydiving.

What’s at the top of your bucket list: Visit Africa.

What new skill would you like to learn: How to speak Japanese. I’m fascinated with Japanese culture and technology. I’d love to visit Japan and experience their culture firsthand. 

Who would play you in a movie about your life: Will Smith

If I had a magic wand I’d: End racism and all other forms of discrimination.