President's Message

Kia Ora,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving and if your schedule allowed, you managed to take some time off to spend with family and friends.  

This month marks the start of a new era for NACUFS as our association’s new Executive Director Gretchen Couraud assumes her role at the national office in Okemos, MI.  Gretchen is only the third executive director in the association’s 54-year history.  On behalf of the Continental Region I would like to welcome her to the association and wish her every success in her new position.  After having met her at this month’s board meeting, I know she is already busy learning the ins and outs of our NACUFS organization.  You will all have an opportunity to meet her at the upcoming regional conference in March.

Speaking of which, the 2013 Continental Regional Conference is being held in conjunction with the Pacific Region in Reno, Nevada from March 21 -24, 2013.  The theme of the conference is “Generations” and the conference committee has been busy putting together an exciting list of speakers, including;

• Chef Jeff Henderson – A tough South Central L.A. and San Diego street kid who ended up in prison at age 24.  While serving his sentence he discovered a passion for cooking and a drive to turn his life around.

• Meagan Johnson – A highly charged, participatory presenter who will outline the dominant generational forces in today’s workplace and how each generations’ “generational signposts” drive motivation, influence loyalty, and deliver high quality services.

The conference committee currently has a call for programs out, so if you have an idea or success you feel you would like to share with everyone, please submit the necessary forms by January 21, 2013.

One of my favorite parts of the NACUFS conferences is watching the culinary challenge.  This year’s competition is shaping up to be no different, with a high standard once again achieved around the mandatory ingredient of duck.  The rules for this competition can be found on the NACUFS website under the “Recognition” section.

Competitors will compete in Reno to decide who will have the honor of representing the region at the National Conference in July (along with regional bragging rights for a year!!!).  The winner’s institution will also be reimbursed up to $2000 towards travel expenses.  Believe me, competing in this competition challenges you as a culinarian. It also gives you exposure to new levels of talent, experience, and organization skills.  It’s a great opportunity to network with, learn from, and exchange ideas with fellow culinarians from the other universities and colleges.  Those wishing to enter this competition will need to have their completed entry form submitted to Vaughan Vargus, Executive Chef, University of California – San Diego, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by January 7, 2013. So pass this information onto your culinary staff and encourage them to participate.  

I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Reno.  Keep watching the region’s website for additional information on registration, conference speakers, and schedule details.

Another great opportunity for your establishment to participate in is the Foodservice Management Internships.  These are paid internships sponsored by NACUFS and offered in cooperation with the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I).  The program allows students to put all that classroom theory into practice by working in a real world work environment, providing invaluable on-the-job experience that they can use after graduating.

A number of universities within our region take advantage of this program every year and have rated the experience extremely beneficial for both the intern and the host institution.  Paul Mineau, Montana State University – Bozeman, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), is our committee chair overseeing the internship program for the region, so please contact Paul if you have any questions, or if your campus is interested in becoming a host school for the 2013 summer interns. Applications to be a host school close January 18, 2013.

Remember that the regional council continues to encourage our members to get off their own campus to visit other NACUFS Continental member campuses within a day’s drive with our “Go Local” program.  The region will reimburse your university or college for vehicle rental and mileage costs up to $300.  This is a great way to get a van load of your employees and go visit another dining operation and exchange ideas.

In closing I would like to wish everyone and their families a Happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year.  May all your holiday wishes, New Year resolutions, and goals come to fruition.

Hei konā mai (Goodbye for now),

Kerry Paterson CEC
President
NACUFS Continental Region