Spelman College alumni, Chick-fil-A franchisee honored for particularly high sales growth

Earlier this year, Spelman Alumni Ashley Lamothe Derby was awarded the Symbol of Success, an honor reserved for Chick-fil-A operators whose businesses experience particularly high sales growth.

Posted 4:33 p.m. Aug 14, 2017 — Updated 4:33 p.m. Aug 14, 2017

Iyani Hughes

ATLANTA, GA — Earlier this year, Spelman Alumni Ashley Lamothe Derby was awarded the Symbol of Success, an honor reserved for Chick-fil-A operators whose businesses experience particularly high sales growth.

Derby is the owner and operator of a Chick-fil-A near the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

She began her career with Chick-fil-A at age 15 working at a restaurant in her hometown of Marietta, GA. After working at a Chick-fil-A near campus, she was asked by her manager if she would consider a career in leadership with the company and then changed her major from theater to economics.

Following graduation form Spelman, she spent the next three years completing numerous Chick-fil-A management and development programs and in 2011, at age 26, she became the youngest African-American female franchise owner in the company's history.

She now encourages employees at her restaurant to never give up on their goals.

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