News & Events

Northeast Region Presidents Message

Hello to the entire Northeast Region!

I just wanted to say hi as we continue into the Spring Semester.  We here at Connecticut College have had the students return and they all eat as if they starved over break.  I think the freshman fifteen is catching to the upper classmen as well. 

There have been lots of things going on since my last letter.  Our new Executive Director Gretchen Couraud started her position November 1, 2012.  She brings a lot of positive energy to NACUFS and I’m very happy to have her be apart of our great association.  The region has hosted three sub-regionals since September of 2012.  We had the “Summer Business Forum” at Smith College, the “Sustainability in Collegiate Food Service” at Phillips Exeter Academy, and just presented “Veg Out” hosted by Cornell University.  All were incredibly successful and I want to thank everyone who made them happen.

The 2013 Regional Conference is open for registration.  This year it will be at SUNY Cortland and it will be a fantastic experience.  Between the speakers, interest sessions, culinary challenge,  showcase, and loads of networking opportunities the registration fee of $215 is a steal.  In addition, the region is offering a rebate of $700.00 for one person and $900.00 for two people from a school that has never attended or that has not attended a regional conference in the last three years.  This rebate will be given out on a first come first serve basis so apply soon using the financial assistance form.  As always, all schools are welcome to apply for financial assistance to any NACUFS event. 

The deadline to apply to the educational institutes is March 8, 2013.  While this may seem like a long ways off, it really isn’t.  The NACUFS educational institutes are an invaluable resource and helps shape future leaders of NACUFS  and the industry.  Institutes aren’t a guarantee to attend as you have to apply and be chosen but you can’t get picked if you don’t apply. 

As some of you may know Gina Guiducci of Brown University is stepping down as the regional nutrition committee chair person as she is now on the national nutrition committee.  Michele Wilbur of Cornell University will be taking her place after the regional conference.  Michele brings a wealth of knowledge with her and great enthusiasm.  The council is looking forward to her joining us.

Lastly, I want to implore you to use your membership.  Bear with me while I share a story.  When you see geese flying along in "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. The formation of the "V" might be an interesting sight to see, but the impressive birds bring a great sense of unity and teamwork to their flight that many schools can benefit from learning.  As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.  If  we have as much sense as a goose, we will align with those people who are headed the same way we are. We must be willing to allow others to help lift us up, all the while helping those who may  fall out of formation. We need to make sure our methods are positive and productive in order to encourage our teammates to perform. A team with encouragement, production and successes is greater than those with without!  We must stand strong with  the members  of our group  through  difficult  times.  Becoming unified as whole and standing by each other’s side will help pick us up and succeed together.  NACUFS does all of this for you and more.  Your membership dollars pay for a wide variety of services that connect you to an extensive network of schools and individuals.  All you have to do is reach out and grab them.  I encourage you to do so and I’m one of many who will personally help any school or person who wants one on one help in using their membership.  All you have to do is ask.

Sincerely,
Michael Kmec
Northeast Region President

Northeast Sub-Regional Conference Jan. 18

Join us for a Northeast Region Sub-Regional Conference! You won’t want to miss this Pacific Foods sponsored event on Friday, January 18th from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Relax and learn how to transform your existing popular recipes into favorite vegan and vegetarian dishes for all to enjoy. Culinary Sales Support, Inc. (CSSI) will uncover the mystery behind converting traditional recipes into flavorful, delicious and nutritious vegetarian and vegan foods. Be there to watch the transformation, enjoy the smells and tastes, and learn with your colleagues the ease of keeping your recipes up-to date with the trends.

Cornell will share their success story of becoming the Runner Up for the "2012 Most Vegan Friendly College and University" contest.  Enjoy a tour and lunch in Keeton House Dining; a Cornell Dining location that specializes in “eating well” foods.

Bring back to your team:

• Information about vegetarian and vegan preferences and trends.
• Ideas on How to change your popular recipes into vegetarian and vegan recipes.
• Ways for everyone to enjoy meatless meals without missing the meat.
• Easy healthier preparation methods.

Location: Cornell University 
Rose House Dining Room 
Gothics Way (off of Stewart Ave and University Ave) 
Ithaca, NY
Map

Agenda:
9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.      Light continental breakfast
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.         Introduction and overview of a vegan and vegetarian diet.
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.   Keeton House eating well dining hall tour, lunch, and Cornell success stories.
12:30 p.m. – 2p.m.      CSSI cooking demonstration: Avocado Banana Hemp-Frappe, Tortilla Soup, Meat(less) Loaf, Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and Onion Gravy, Cheesy Rosemary Potato and Cauliflower Gratin, and Steel-Cut Oat Brulée with Seasonal Fruit.
2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.         Reception and send off

All members are welcome. Please email Michael Kmec to reserve your spot.  Attendance is first come, first serve.

My Experience in the 2012 Marketing Institute

My recent participation in the NACUFS Marketing Institute has provided me with valuable information to take back to my university and hopefully help implement into our marketing strategies.  To me, the most interesting parts of the institute were the conversations the group had about what marketing efforts worked, what did not, and what trends we might see in the future.  Listening to how other universities use different strategies, based on their type of school, was very interesting to hear. I was surprised to learn how different the marketing department at Harvard was to a place like the University of Kansas. As a part of these comparison conversations, I found the exchange of ideas one of the most helpful parts of this institute. 

Another interesting part of the institute was our discussion on social media. Twitter is very popular on some college campuses, and Facebook seems to be on the way out.  Though a school still needs to have a Facebook presence, it seems other social media outlets are becoming more popular. We wondered what the next media trend might be.  By the end of the conference we were all following each other on Twitter, opening new accounts, or updating the ones that we had. Being able to network, meet and speak with representatives from schools across America and Mexico was an invaluable experience.

Traditional marketing materials, such as print media and advertisements, still has its place on college and university campuses, but a growing dependence on social media might replace these traditional methods in the future. Marketing efforts need to match the targeted audience, and in an age where students are connected to hash tags and QR codes, our use of technology, as campus marketers, will need to compete for the students attention. The NACUFS Marketing Institute creates a forum and place were this exchange of ideas and refocusing of marketing efforts can occur. This institute is a valuable resource and tool for college professionals.

Renee Soluk

Customer Service Manager                                                                                                                    Harvard University Dining Services

Kathy Kittridge Enjoys the Marketing Institute 2012

With the turn of the New Year I find myself reflecting on the events in my personal and professional life during 2012.  My department has been fortunate to have supportive leadership recognizing the importance of professional development.  One of the highlights of my professional development experiences in 2012 was the opportunity to attend the NACUFS Marketing Institute. 

This was my fourth institute and certainly lived up to the expectations including long days packed with pertinent information, new ideas, networking and of course new food experiences and fun.  At the University of Maine we have new leadership and a new campus marketing department with very specific goals and objectives which I feel will be an asset to our dining department.  I decided to apply for the marketing institute to learn more about developing a good marketing plan, explore what others in the industry are doing, bring back some new ideas  and of course to meet some great individuals in our industry.  I feel that our campus community doesn’t really know all the great things that we do in UMaine Dining and really want to make improvements in this area.

The Marketing Institute takes you through the basics of marketing ending with a group project to develop a marketing plan for a scenario.  I found this very helpful in achieving my goal of understanding the components and how to develop a plan for my department.  Throughout the sessions there were opportunities for each of us to share some of successful marketing ideas and to network making contacts of others for future idea sharing.  I am currently in the process of writing a plan to get through the Spring Semester and looking ahead to the future. 

I met a variety of professionals at the institute including those from operators to marketing experts.  The faculty included Crista Martin and Jennifer Gilmore who shared a wealth of information and expertise.  I am grateful to them for volunteering their time to prepare and participate in this institute they are really top notch!  Rachel Warner and Jennifer Trayan from NACUFS their expertise and insight into marketing in areas which included social media, branding and publicity which provided me with some ideas I will use as I move forward.    Our NACUFS organization is fortunate to have them on staff!  Nona Golledge also attended giving us insight as a director and reminding us of the importance of NACUFS resources.  I truly appreciate the Leaderships teams’ participation.

This institute wouldn’t happen without our sponsorship which was Coca-Cola and our host was Marvin Vines, the regional Marketing Asset Manager for the Southeast region.  He was a fabulous host providing us with insight into the success of Coca-Cola, a tour of the headquarters including the office with much memorabilia of the past leader Robert W. Woodruff who ran Coca-Cola for 60 years and of course there were unlimited coke products and delicious lunches in the corporate cafeteria.   Marvin gave me some great ideas to coordinate with our Coca-Cola representative. 

The Marketing Institute fulfilled my expectations and I would certainly recommend this institute to others at most any level in the campus dining organizations.  I am thankful to put this on the top of my professional development experiences of 2012.

Kathy Kittridge

Director of Dining Operations

University of Maine

2013 Northeast Region Conference March 13-16, 2013 | Cortland, New York

A Prism of Possibilities awaits us Northeast President Mike Kmec wishes everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Time Flies! Our 2013 NACUFS Northeast Region Conference will be here before you know it. We would like to provide you with an update; we already have 120 booths confirmed for the Industry Showcase on March 15, great educational opportunities from a nationally renown nutrition expert Dawn Jackson Blatner (The Flexitarian Diet) plus Corporate culture authority Larry Johnson and Jeff Tobe, author of "Coloring Outside the Lines: Business Thoughts on Creativity, Marketing and Sales". All sessions and activities will take place on Campus and we have a block of 300 rooms reserved for NACUFS at nearby local hotels. With the theme ‘Prism of Possibilities’ the conference will offer a spectrum of opportunities for education, networking and entertainment. In terms of weather, it will be sunny and mid 70’s, according to Bill McNamara, our Conference Chair (he might be referring to the warm dispositions of attendees). And if the forecast changes to rain, fitting for this year’s theme – we will all look for a rainbow or at least a silver lining to the clouds.

Come and join us! Register http://www.nacufs.org/documents/northeast/NortheastRegistration2013.pdf

Call for Programs: http://www.nacufs.org/regions-northeast/ne-regional-conference/call-for-programs1/

The deadline to submit is January 4, 2013.

For more information visit http://www.nacufs.org/regions-northeast/ne-regional-conference/

Cornell University partners with MSC

Becoming a Cornell student means adopting a way of life. Cornellians tend to take on 20 plus credits for a semester, adapting to sever weather conditions and becoming an environmental friendly citizen. When it comes to campus food, there is always a discussion involving at least one of Cornell’s many sustainable initiatives, such as sourcing local beef, producing its own dairy products and just recently, its new sustainable seafood program.

This summer, the university became the first Ivy League to serve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable seafood, the world’s leading certification and eco-label program for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. The new sustainable initiative will allow students to learn the importance of preserving the world’s fish stocks for the future, while becoming conscious consumers. Ms. Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director or the Americas of the Marine Stewardship Council says, “when students see the MSC logo, they will know that particular seafood product has been traced all the way back to that certified sustainable fishery of origin.”

To raise awareness and increases recognition of the MSC logo’s direct correlation to sustainable and traceable seafood products, the dining hall plans to include the MSC logo next to all menu items online to indicate the sustainable seafood options, along with banners on the MSC certification and mini educational sessions in the dining hall. In addition, new species of fish such as swai, branzino, haddock will be added to the menu. Eunjung (Jackie) Na, a Psychology major and a seafood enthusiast, shares how grateful she is for the seafood initiative, “it's hard to make a contribution as an individual, and usually we are too busy getting through the day. Cornell has made sure on the institutional level that our choices - no matter how small - support sustainability.” Ms. Coughlin agrees that “a student at Cornell has a lot that they’re focused on, if students can take a moment to recognize that their university has the MSC logo on their behalf, they can just relax and concentrate on what else they have to have do.” 

Ms. Coughlin also highlights that “universities are institutions of education; they’re educating people about the world and about issues in the world, so it almost seems like an obligation to educate the students about the importance of ensuring food security and for environmental reasons that we preserve the world’s fish stocks.” Often, students take for granted what programs their universities offer in hopes of teaching them. However, what they do not realize is that the exposure to the MSC logo and learning about sustainable seafood fortifies their lifestyle choices and values. Furthermore, we are the coveted 18-to-30 year old demographic, making the College spending market approximately $300 billion. Cornell’s partnership with MSC will ultimately increase the likelihood that students become lifelong consumers of sustainable seafood.

Now that’s some food for thought.

By: McKellen Rattery
Cornell University, Class of 2013

Bibimbap is hot at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Want to offer something new and exciting for your students? In case you never heard of Bibimbap, it’s a signature and popular Korean dish and arguably one of the most popular foods in the world. The dish is most often composed of a bowl of white rice, sautéed seasoned vegetables, eggs, and gochili pepper paste.

Tim McFate, the manager of Portfolio Cafe, has successfully implemented a bibimbap bar concept in his café. He describes it as a, “simple concept, self-served, with a wide appeal.” The appeal comes from being a healthy, easy-to-make dish that takes up only the space of a bowl. Bibimbap is a beloved comfort food in many parts of the work and with the appeal to grow as a campus food.

For more information contact Ginnie at vdunleav@risd.edu 401-427-6978 or Tim attmcfate@risd.edu 401-427-6917

Nominate someone for NACUFS Northeast Region next Treasurer and Secretary

We need your help!   Nominations are being accepted for the positions of NACUFS Northeast Region Treasurer and NACUFS Northeast Region Secretary.  I urge all members to carefully consider nominating persons who will be good leaders for our region.  Northeast Region elections will be held at the business meeting during the Regional Conference being held March 13 – 16, 2013 at SUNY - Cortland.

Please complete and return by January 18, 2013 to:  

Marty Dudek

Assistant Director of Dining

College of the Holy Cross

1 College St.

Worcester, MA 01610

Fax (508) 793-3636 e-mail – mdudek@holycross.edu

Cornell Dining Presents 7th Annual Fall Harvest Dinner

Award winning Cornell Dining will host the 7th Annual Fall Harvest Dinner on Thursday, September 20, 2012, at Robert Purcell Marketplace Eatery. The event will feature products from local, regional, and New York State farmers and merchants.Prior to the dinner, Cornell Dining will be conducting an information session featuring special guest speaker Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director for the Americas at the Marine Stewardship Council.

The dinner consists of seven food stations, including: Antipasto – Varieties of Smoked Meats and Cheeses Soups – Corn Chowder with Braised Fennel Pizza & Pasta Station – Lobster Pizza, Pulled Pork Pizza, *Hammy Mac and Cheese From the Grill – **Oyster Po’boy, Buttermilk Chicken Tenders Mongo Station – **Garlic Prawns, Pad Thai Style Soy Marinated Tofu Entrees – *Porchetta Pork Loin, Seared Coho Salmon Filet Desserts – Cornell Apple Bread Pudding, Sweet Honey Cake & Spiced Plums with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

This event is open to the public and NACUFS community. For more information, contact Phil Doane, Marketing Manager, Marketing and Communications 607 255-3875 pjd42@cornell.edu

Mark your calendar now!

Regional Conference will be held at SUNY Cortland with a theme  “Prism of Possibilities”

Event Dates are March 13 – 16, 2013

Don't miss out on this great educational conference.

Bill McNamara and his team are working hard to make this year's conference great.  More information to follow.