Chris Anderson, general manager, Oregon State University
Chris Anderson is a General Manager with University Housing & Dining Services at Oregon State University. He began his career with the institution as a student employee and has promoted into staff and management roles spanning Catering, Retail, and Dining Center environments. He has been the driving force behind a NACUFS award-winning reusable take-out container program, which he presented at the 2016 NACUFS National Conference. He has volunteered with NACUFS on the Learning Committee, as a Regional Ambassador, and Conference Planning Committees.
Robert Bickham, director of dining, University of Washington
Over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including higher education and contract food services, multi-unit food service, fine dining, catering, restaurant financial consultancy and food service marketing. Joined UW Dining in 2019. Prior to this role, spent the previous five years as a national brand manager developing, training, and implementing concepts and guest-experience programs. Currently focused on evolving and refining the UW Dining program to ensure students and the campus community have a positive experience enjoying great services and quality products.
Jon Biltucci, assistant director for Retail Dining, University of Washington
An industry professional with 18 years of professional experience working in higher education dining. Joined UW Dining in March 2022 with an eye for process improvement, financial analysis and concept design, Jon has spent the past two years working within the Retail Dining portfolio at the University of Washington to assess the financial and operational performance of the individual locations and lead organizational change to improve the stability of the program. Prior to coming to the University of Washington, Jon served in various roles for Dining at UC San Diego, including as a Senior Manager and Project Planning Analyst.
Jeremy Carver, principal, Ricca Design Studios
Jeremy Carver, Principal at Ricca Design Studios, has over 23 years of Foodservice Consulting experience. He has successfully completed over 200 projects within the K-12, Central Kitchen, Healthcare, Culinary Arts, and Business & Industry Markets. With expertise in design and project management in the foodservice industry, Jeremy is a specialist in preparing complex designs and documentation. His attention to detail and extensive experience working across various design platforms, specification writing, and budgeting, result in projects that exceed clients’ expectations by delivering exceptional cost and operational efficiencies. At Ricca, Jeremy leads with a proactive approach to working with the design team and stakeholders to achieve their objectives in order to ensure a productive project and a successful approval through regulatory may it be DSA, Local Health Department, CDPH, or HCAI.
Genevieve Conley, student sustainability coordinator, UW Tacoma
Genevieve is a professional staff member at UW Tacoma working as the Student Sustainability Coordinator. Since spring 2022, she has overseen the Husky Sustainability Fund (HSF) and student sustainability programming on campus. The HSF is a grant funding program that provides financial support for student-focused sustainability projects led by students, faculty, and staff on campus. Genevieve holds a BA in Spanish and a Bcmt3S in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Northern Arizona University and has a diverse background in sustainability and field-based ecology and wildfire. Gen enjoys working directly with students to expand the definition of sustainability and is passionate about exploring community-centered projects and solutions to create more resilient systems and communities.
Chef Jill Flores, executive chef for dining, commissary, and bakery operations, Montana State University
I have been in the food industry for 15 years, and I advocate for bringing local products to the MSU Campus, including purchasing Lamb and Beef from the MSU College of Agriculture and helping to develop a program that purchases livestock from 4-H programs across the state. Our team strives to provide a variety of cuisines for students at MSU that incorporate wild game, local foods, and other quality products. MSU Dining facilities serve around 10,000 meals daily and are open seven days a week, providing Breakfast through Late-Night Bites. We have a full-time staff of about 170 employees. Working in a university setting has given me the opportunity to learn cuisine from around the world, working alongside some very talented chefs. Along with my regular duties, I often do private catering events and teach classes to the community.
Jaime Herrera, executive chef, Oregon State University
Developing his love for cooking at his aunt’s restaurant in West Seattle while working the family business. He earned his culinary degree from South Seattle Community College. He spent 17 years in the Pacific Northwest focused on fine dining and global cuisine working in several small bistros, catering companies, and restaurants. Chef Jaime discovered his passion for catering through the constant change in menus, variety of food, and rigors of event planning. In his current position at OSU, Chef Jaime is working to support dining’s mission of becoming one of the top progressive dining programs, promoting nutrition, public health and sustainability and doing so while delivering an affordable and exceptional culinary experience for customers. Chef Jaime values the importance of a strong culinary culture to coach and challenge in a positive environment to achieve these goals.
Ryan Jongeward, cafe manager, University of Washington
Multi-Disciplinary Coffee Professional and Food Service Manager with over 13 years of experience in specialty coffee in addition to side jobs in numerous kitchens over the years. Ryan has spent the past two years working within the Markets and Specialty Cafes portfolio as Coffee Roaster and Educator for Husky Grind Coffee through Housing and Food Services at the University of Washington.
Deb Nelson, OZZI
Deb is passionate about changing the world from disposable to reusable one meal at a time. The OZZI Closed-Loop Technology Solution for Sustainable Dining has demonstrated proven cost savings and a positive impact on the environment by eliminating waste in landfills and oceans. With extensive marketing experience across multiple industries, she is known for bringing customized, cost-effective solutions to help clients achieve their goals. Deb’s results have been published nationally, she has spoken at many industry conferences and appeared on network television. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and her goldendoodle, Cody.
Aaron Shook, director of auxiliary & business services, University of Puget Sound
Aaron Shook is Director of Auxiliary and Business Service for the University of Puget Sound, where he oversees Dining and Event Services, as well as Retail and Mail Services. Aaron is also Co-Owner of Perfect Storm Moments a luxury wedding and event planning and design company in the Seattle area. In addition to his work with his various enterprises, Aaron is also a Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE), holds a certificate from the Events Industry Council (EIC) as a Sustainable Event Professional, is a past President of the Seattle Chapter, National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), and served as Vice Chair for the Washington Hospitality Association’s (WHA) MSC board for 3 years. He was recently nationally recognized for his leadership of creative program development, fundraising, and inspiring continuous innovation.
Samantha Spillman, director of coffee and cafe experience, Caffe Vita
Introducing Sam Spillman, the 2019 US Barista Champion and Director of Coffee for Caffe Vita. With 14 years of experience in the industry, Sam's journey began as a dedicated barista, honing her skills and passion for coffee. Progressing through the ranks, she became a trainer, and now the Director of Coffee for Caffe Vita. She believes that coffee serves as a powerful vehicle, bringing people together from all corners of the globe.
Jeremiah Trammell, assistant director: markets, coffee roaster, University of Washington
Jeremiah is the Assistant Director of Markets and Coffee Roasting and oversees the Coffee Education program for University of Washington Dining. He has worked in the coffee industry since 1995, holds Coffee Roasting and Barista certifications, and has been at the UW since 2001 managing cafés and retail markets on campus. He leads the Husky Grind Coffee and Education program, which includes managing a cupping lab, green buying, roasting, training, and café operations. With a focus on traceable micro-lot and smallholder cooperative coffee, the program emphasizes living learning experiences outside of the classroom for student residents.
Clare Tupper, giving garden coordinator, UW Tacoma
Clare is a professional staff member at UW Tacoma in the Center for Student Involvement. Her journey with the Giving Garden began during her time as an undergraduate student at UWT. She has worked at the garden on and off since 2019 and when it became time for the coordinator position to transition from a student role to a permanent staff position, she jumped at the opportunity to continue to grow the Giving Garden. Clare has enjoyed working directly with students to take food security justice into their own hands. She also enjoys working in a space and department that allows her and her students to be creative with the garden and their programming. Clare really feels the sky is the limit for what this little garden can become and looks forward to sharing it with her community.
Khalil Wells, senior associate director, Stanford University's Residential and Dining Enterprises
Since he was fifteen years old, Kahlil Wells has worked for Stanford University’s Residential and Dining Enterprises. He started working as a server in the Stanford Executive Program and continued there every summer through high school and college. After college, Kahlil returned to work for retail operations which later became Stanford Hospitality and Auxiliaries. He later moved to Residential Dining where he worked his way up from Hospitality Manager to General Manager and then to Assistant Director. Currently, Kahlil is the Associate Director of Co-ops Meal Plans and Special Projects, with direct oversight over all Stanford Dining capital project initiatives. Residential and Dining Enterprises celebrated Kahlil’s integral leadership role in 2013 by awarding him their highest staff recognition: the Keith L. Guy Award. In 2015, Stanford University followed suit, honoring Kahlil with the, the Amy J. Blue Award. In addition to his role as a committed servant leader, Kahlil cherishes his life as a loving husband and proud father of two.
Richard Young, director of outreach, Frontier Energy
Richard is the director of outreach at the Frontier Energy Food Service Technology Center (FSTC), an unbiased, commercial foodservice, research-and-training facility known to most industry insiders as “fishnick”. Trained as an electrical engineer, Richard started his career in alternative energy, changing from energy-generation to energy-efficiency when he joined the FSTC research team over thirty years ago. He is a contributor to the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and the EPA’s Energy Star program. Richard has lectured at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, taught a food service sustainability class at Diablo Valley College and is a member of the College’s Regional Culinary Arts Advisory Board. Richard is a former member of the National Restaurant Association's Conserve Advisory Council and is a past Fellow of the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability. Richard focuses most of his efforts on translating Frontier Energy’s 34 years of food service research into practical information. He has created and delivered over 1000 presentations and classes.
Angela Zurcher, food services manager, UW Tacoma
Angela Zurcher started her career at Pacific Lutheran University in 1982, where she served in various roles within the Business Office until 1989, including Cashier and Vault Teller. Transitioning to the PLU Bookstore, Angela excelled as the Manager from 1989 until 2007. In 2008, she embarked on a new chapter at the University of Washington-Tacoma, taking on the role of Manager at the West Coast Grocery Convenience Store, where she has been ever since. Angela Zurcher earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Pacific Lutheran University in 2003. Outside of her successful career, Angela is a proud mother of two children and enjoys the joys of four grandchildren. After years of dedication to her work, Angela is preparing to retire this year, capping off a remarkable journey in the field of university administration and management.