People
Some of the most innovative and out-of-the-box thinkers in the noncommercial foodservice industry.
People
Ken Toong: Full-Flavored Program
Ever since Ken Toong came to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1998, he has been a busy man. As executive director of UMass Dining he has turned the program into one of the largest revenue-producing campus dining operations in the country.
People
Sue Bettenhausen: Economically Innovative
Sue Bettenhausen, nutrition services director in the 27,000-student Scottsdale Unified School District, has a tough job. Scottsdale is an affluent Phoenix suburb; only 16% of students qualify for free or reduced meals. Enrollment is stagnant or, in some schools, declining as charter, private and parochial schools are attracting more students.
Ever since he was a child hanging around his grandmother’s kitchen, Chris Schmidt has immersed himself in the culture of food. From his ethnicity—Sicilian and Mexican—to his work experience—the U.S. Army, restaurants and country clubs and, now, a hospital—that diverse background has proved to be a tremendous asset, particularly in his current position as executive chef/foreman cook supervisor at Fort Bliss’s William Beaumont Army Medical Center in Texas.
Robert Darrah often uses sports analogies to describe the foodservice program at the Legacy Retirement Communities in Lincoln, Neb. “We’re going for the gold. We want the perfect 10,” Darrah says. That competitive quality has served Darrah well in his 10 years as foodservice director at the four facilities that make up the company. When he was hired, the department was struggling, but now, resident satisfaction is at 98% and Darrah managed to shave $120,000 off his operating costs, even with the current challenging economic climate.
Since jumping into foodservice right out of high school, Cavin Sullivan has cultivated his natural talent for making food beautiful into a position as general manager at The J.M. Smucker Company in Orrville, Ohio. At this Metz & Associates account, he uses this talent, along with his ability to lead a team, to serve the company’s 1,100 employees between 500 and 600 meals per day.
When Doug Davis began working in the hospitality industry, he learned that customer satisfaction is key to success. He has been putting that knowledge to work during his 11 years as director of foodservice at the 3,800-student Burlington (Vt.) School District. Davis listens to the students, parents and community to help drive his program. The result: increased participation and a nationally recognized farm-to-school program.
Tim Dietzler can see the future, or so his staff believes. As director of Dining Services for Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Dietzler’s willingness to embrace and implement trends, such as increased variety, healthy and culinary-based menu development and environmental initiatives, helps to satisfy the university’s 10,000 students.