About me
Dr. Jai Girard serves as the Director of Education and Workforce Development at the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association (VRLTA) and as the State Coordinator for Virginia ProStart. In this role, she leads statewide culinary and management education initiatives, supports instructors across Virginia, oversees workforce certifications, and advances pipelines that connect high school programs to postsecondary training, apprenticeships, and industry employment.
With more than fifteen years of experience spanning hospitality operations, workforce development, and academia, Dr. Girard brings a strong combination of practical insight and scholarly rigor to her work. Her background includes service as a Visiting Lecturer at James Madison University, where she taught across the hospitality and tourism curriculum, advised the Club Managers Association of America student chapter, and was appointed an Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow with the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship.
Dr. Girard holds a PhD in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University, along with a Master of Science in Youth Development and a certificate in Community Development. Her research has explored food waste behaviors, social identity theory, empathy and mindfulness in consumer settings, and food-waste tolerance—work that has informed her broader commitment to sustainability and human-centered leadership in hospitality.
She is a Certified Hospitality Educator and the state coordinator for both ServSafe and ProStart, supporting hundreds of Virginia educators and thousands of students each year. She has presented nationally and internationally, including at the World Food Travel Association in London, and has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings throughout her career.
Beyond her professional roles, Dr. Girard remains deeply engaged in community service and nonprofit leadership. She co-founded a nationally recognized animal welfare organization, volunteers with adaptive recreation programs, and continues to mentor emerging professionals across hospitality, tourism, and youth development. A military brat raised primarily in Okinawa, Japan, she credits her global upbringing for her love of travel, culture, and cuisine. She and her wife now live in Virginia, where they continue a long tradition of fostering kittens, puppies, and, most recently, two-legged kiddos—because life should always stay interesting.
Her life mantra is simple and unwavering—“How can I help?”—a question that guides her approach to leadership, service, and the way she shows up for her community.
