Belinda Medellin knows ball! She currently works as a Restaurant Training Leader (RTL) at Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) but she’s been with the KFC brand since 1981. In fact, she was hired by her sister, the late Wallie Jaso, whose leadership is the stuff of legend around here.

“Wallie said, ‘Why don’t you just try it out?’ And ever since then, I’ve been around. Love it,” Belinda shares.

“KFC’s been my life. No other job. One and only!”

– Belinda Medellin, KFC Restaurant Training Leader

Early Days with KFC

Sisters Belinda and Wallie once worked together at the oldest KFC in San Antonio, TX, which has since closed. She reflects on how different the job used to be before modern-day automations eased daily operations. 

“It was really, really crazy, but fun,” she says.

She started as a team member at 18 years old, and was quickly promoted to Restaurant General Manager (RGM). “There [were] a lot of good opportunities,” Belinda says.

Belinda says the team members and guests are what make the job fun. “You get to know so many people – where they’re from, their cultures, what they like to eat,” she shares.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you love what you do.”

– Belinda Medellin, KFC Restaurant Training Leader

Getting to Know DDO

During her time with the KFC brand, Belinda worked under several different operators before DDO acquired her location in 2015. At the time, she was working as a Market Training Manager (MTM).

Belinda acknowledges it’s always scary when change happens, but she had a good feeling about DDO. “I knew that they were gonna take care of us,” she says of her early days with DDO. “You could just sense it.”

Now that she has 10 years under her belt, Belinda can easily pinpoint the DDO difference. “They are good people,” she says. “They care about us … care about the team.”

Feeling Heard

One thing Belinda noticed right away was the way we pay attention to our teams. “They listen to what we think is gonna be helpful to our restaurants and that’s what they implement,” she says. “[DDO] didn’t change us, they just helped us to get better.”

One thing that did change for the better was the addition of a training department, which Belinda says has helped get the right people in the right roles, and led to more A+ restaurants (an achievement recognized annually at our Estrellas de Oro reward trip). Watching the people she trains become successful is one of the most rewarding parts of the job for Belinda.

Working the Wallie Way

A trip down memory lane wouldn’t be complete without taking a moment to reflect on the legacy Belinda’s sister Wallie left at DDO. “She was a great person,” Belinda shares. “People looked up to her.”

Wallie’s spirit lives on in the Wallie Jaso Award, given to recipients who represent strength of character, care for people and positivity in leadership. 

“She knew everything,” says Belinda. “Not even I can fill her shoes.”

Future Plans

Change is on the horizon, as Belinda shares her plans to pursue retirement next year. But fear not – she won’t be far away! She plans to scale back, but still work with us in some capacity, leaving more time to spend with her husband and daughter. It’s certainly time well-earned!