National Conference Speakers

 

 

General and Super Session Speakers
 
 
William Anderson Headshot

 

William D. Anderson, senior vice president, noncommercial foodservice, publisher, FoodService Director, Winsight Media & Events
 

In addition to his media duties, Bill is conference director for the MenuDirections Conference at Winsight Media & Events. Prior to his foodservice media career, he worked in foodservice distribution and foodservice manufacturing. Bill is a member of AHF, ANFP, NACUFS, SHFM, and Trinity Health System’s Food & Nutrition Advisory Council. He has also been a member of AHF’s Industry Advisory Board. Bill is a graduate of Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

 
 
Julie Bannister Headshot

 

Julie Bannister, assistant vice chancellor for auxiliary services, University of Pittsburgh
 

As the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Services, Julie oversees and provides strategic guidance to the Housing Assignments and Leasing, Panther Central, and Dining Services units of Business, Hospitality and Auxiliary Services. She also supervises the support units of Marketing and Communications and Business Systems. Julie's duties include oversight of all on-campus housing assignments and University-owned off-campus leasing, the direction of Panther Central's 24-7 customer care center, management of over twenty on-campus dining locations, review of marketing materials, development, and implementation of departmental business systems, and supervision of staff.

 
 
Sam Biljan Headshot

 

Sam Biljan, senior research analyst, Datassential
 

Sam Biljan supports a wide range of clients, including foodservice operators and manufacturers. She is a member of the trend expert council that manages Menu Adoption Cycles, used by clients to ideate and innovate. Sam's passion for food is expansive, and finding the real socio-cultural story driving the data is one of her favorite ways to explore it with clients. The trends she is most excited by include: plant-based and sustainable sourcing practices, global cuisines, and regional American eats.

 
 
Jim Eickhoff Headshot

 

Jim Eickhoff, president and CEO, Creative Dining Services
 

Jim Eickoff, president and CEO of Creative Dining Services, focuses on ensuring the company continuously provides hospitality programs that are creative and flexible with a hands-on approach and programs that not only meet, but exceed, client expectations. Prior to joining Creative Dining Services, Jim led a national team that focused on partnering with businesses, school districts, and community colleges around corporate education and professional development at Apollo Education Group. His other leadership roles were with Sallie Mae, HOSTS Corporation, and ServiceMaster. Jim received his B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Hope College.

 
 
Joe Fischioni Headshot

 

Joe Fischioni, division president - Western United States, Chartwells Higher Education, Compass Group North America
 

Joe Fischioni is a division president with Chartwells Higher Education where he is responsible for the management, growth, and leadership of multiple higher education foodservice operations across the western United States. For eleven years and prior to Chartwells Higher Education, Joe worked for Aramark Corporation and led teams in varying roles throughout the transient hotel, private conference center, business & industry, and healthcare industries. He joined Compass Group as a regional director in March 2015 and was quickly promoted to regional vice president in May 2016. In June 2018, Joe advanced again through organizational restructuring and now leads as division president. Once chairman of the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council, Joe developed and led the inclusion strategy for two Compass Group organizations (Chartwells Higher Education and Chartwells K-12 Diversity), impacting over 45,000 associates representing more than 400 accounts nationwide.

 
 
Christie Fleming Headshot

 

Christie Fleming, president and COO, The ISH Food Company
 

Christie has over 25 years of experience in the consumer product goods, food service, and direct to consumer industry. Her industry experience includes companies such as Procter & Gamble, Del Monte Foods, and Chicken of the Sea where Christie held positions in marketing, sales, and general management. Christie has an MBA from the Eller College of Management from the University of Arizona.

 
 
Louie Gravance Headshot

 

Louie Gravance, owner, L Gravance Creative Concepts
 

Louie Gravance is often referred to as “the guy that can make the Disney service concepts work outside of Disney.” From 1987 to 2014, he enjoyed a distinguished career with Disney theme parks, designing everything from live-entertainment experiences to customer service training programs through the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida. Following Louie's hugely effective tenure in Orlando, he left Disney to pursue other opportunities and soon amassed even more success working as a consultant, customer service speaker, and corporate culture guru. Louie has designed multi-million-dollar service campaigns for companies such as ING Financial, Choice Hotels, Microbac Technologies, Nikon, and The American Council of Independent Laboratories. Gravance is the recipient of the Disney Partners in Excellence Award and the Spirit of Disney Award and has been recognized internationally as a Disney keynote speaker, having begun his professional speaking engagements on behalf of Disney in 1998.  Through his company Louie Gravance Creative Content, based in Orlando, Florida, Louie continues to offer clients unique training programs with incorporated themes such as “Great Service Serves the Server First!” and powerful initiatives including “Service is a Superpower!  In March 2020, his first book was published through Mascot books, SERVICE is a SUPERPOWER! (Lessons Learned in a Magic Kingdom).

 
 
Barry Greenberg Headshot

 

Barry Greenberg, C.E.C.
 

Barry Greenberg is the executive chef at the University of Iowa where his responsibilities include menu oversight and planning for student dining, catering operations, campus bakeries, retail dining, and the President’s Residence. Barry graduated with high honors from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, and received his Executive Chef’s Certification (CEC) in 2003 from the American Culinary Federation. Barry has won ACF Gold Medals at the Upper Midwest Restaurant Show and NACUFS Culinary Challenge. He has also won top honors at the Cattlemen’s ‘Best of the Barbecue’ competition, twice at the Iowa Pork Producer’s Taste of Elegance, The Avocados from Mexico recipe competition, the Gold Medal Flour Culinary Challenge, the Maple Leaf Farms Duck recipes contest, and Minor’s Flavor Expedition.

 
 
Ken Hughes Headshot

 

Ken Hughes, leading consumer, shopper behaviouralist cx strategist & keynote speaker
 

Ken Hughes is now acknowledged as being one of the world’s leading authorities on consumer and shopper behaviour, blending his understanding of consumer and cyber psychology, digital anthropology, behavioural economics, and retail futurology to explore the needs of the new consumer and predict the changes to come. Ken advises some of the biggest brands in the world on customer experience, omnichannel strategy, shopper marketing, retail trends, the millennial and Gen Z shopper, and the peer-to-peer economy. As an accomplished author, TED speaker, part-time university professor, and actor, his performances are not only insightful and thought-provoking, but are infamous for their sheer energy, entertainment and passion, not to mention his generous Irish wit. Every year, Ken shares his thought-disrupting insight with tens of thousands of delegates globally as one of the most popular keynote speakers booked on the international conference circuit relating to the future of consumerism.

 
 
Ginger Hultin Headshot

 

Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO, director of communications, Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
 

Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO, is a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist. She owns Seattle-based concierge nutrition practices, Champagne Nutrition® PLLC and Seattle Cancer Nutritionist where Ginger helps clients solve complex health mysteries with an integrative approach. She specializes in anti-inflammatory diets, integrative oncology nutrition, supplements, and nutrigenomics. Ginger serves as adjunct clinical faculty at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle. She is the director of communications at the Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a past Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Past-President of both the Greater Seattle Dietetic Association and the Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Ginger is an expert advisory board member for the non-profit Team Survivor Seattle and a nutrition expert advisor for the Arthritis Foundation. She was awarded Emerging Dietetic Leader in Washington (2020) and has authored two nutrition books – Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep and the How to Eat to Beat Disease Cookbook. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and Bastyr University.

 
 
Elaine Kleinschmidt Headshot

 

Elaine Kleinschmidt, senior vice president, corporate brand, marketing & cx innovation, Aramark
 

Elaine is a curious and results-driven creative executive with 25 years’ experience, both agency- and client-side, scaling powerful retail + CPG brands and their creative organizations to meet the ever-changing demands of multi-channel connectivity. Having strategized, implemented, and measured brand campaigns in virtually every marketing channel available, she has an innate ability to connect dots among them, crystalize a vision, mobilize partnerships, and get things done. Today, Elaine leads the corporate marketing function at Aramark. She collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams to co-create integrated CX strategies and creative solutions that deliver relevant and measurable brand experiences, resulting in sustained growth and profitability. Elaine is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a proud graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor of science in design, a degree rooted in the Bauhaus school of thought and approach to creating human-centered products, communications, and place-based environments and experiences.

 
 
TJ Logan Headshot

 

Dr. T.J. Logan, MBA, Ed.D, associate vice president, residential experience, The Ohio State University
 

Dr. T. J. Logan is the Associate Vice President for the Residential Experience at The Ohio State University. He oversees a portfolio that includes University Dining, University Housing and Residential Life, Off Campus and Commuter Student Engagement, Division-wide Facilities Operations, Planning & Design, and Risk & Emergency Management. Previously, T. J. served as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Temple University. He has also served as the Director of Housing Operations at the University of Florida. As a student affairs professional, T. J. has presented internationally on the topics of social media in higher education, innovation in student life operations, enrollment management trends, occupancy management, and business operations. He has keynoted the College and University Business Officers (CUBO) annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers (AACUHO) annual conference in Melbourne, Australia. T.J. has also served on the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) Executive Board, as a faculty member for the ACUHO-I Chief Housing Officer Institute and has been published in a variety of trade magazines, books, and journals. In addition to formal speaking engagements, T. J. has consulted with dozens of campuses across the country, helping them to identify and realize operational efficiencies and opportunities for meaningful organizational change.

 
 
Tracey MacRae Headshot

 

Tracey MacRae, assistant director of culinary and dining systems, campus executive chef, Housing & Food Services, University of Washington
 

Chef Tracey has been instrumental to the success of the University of Washington’s sustainable dining program, a benchmark for colleges and universities nationwide. She focuses on procurement practices that ensure the sustainable choice is the first choice, training for optimum utilization and waste reduction, and working with manufacturers, brokers, and vendors to bring new and better types of compostable packaging options. Tracey enjoys the wonder and fascination of the food journey, sharing new cultures, ethnic influences, and flavors to students, educators, and lifelong learners. Through thoughtful stewardship of resources, she leads the way in providing healthful, captivating, delicious, and socially conscientious food.

 
 
Mark McCrindle Headshot

 

Mark McCrindle, BSc (Psychology), MA, GAICD, principal, McCrindle Research
 

Mark McCrindle is an award-winning social researcher with an international following. He is recognised as a thought leader in tracking emerging issues and researching social trends. Having developed his reputation across two decades as an award-winning social researcher, best-selling author and social commentator, Mark has appeared across all major television networks, radio and print media, and TEDx speaker. Mark has presented thousands of keynotes and workshops in all major industries including finance, technology, health, mining, energy and education for top global brands and organisations. His advisory, communications and research company, McCrindle, count among its clients more than 100 of the largest companies and leading international brands.

 
 
Joe Pawlak Headshot

 

Joe Pawlak, managing principal, Technomic
 

Since joining the firm in 1991, Joe has conducted a wide variety of industry studies involving market planning, customer satisfaction benchmarking, brand equity investigation, new product development, food trends, opportunity analyses, merger and acquisition due diligence, concept testing, and distribution system evaluations. He has special expertise in the areas of industry market trend analysis, market metric and forecasting modeling, and implications development. Joe has 30 years of extensive food industry experience in both consulting and packaged goods manufacturing. Prior to joining Technomic, he held food technology management positions with the Campbell Soup Company. Joe earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Loyola University of Chicago.

 
 
Michael Ruhlman Speakers Landing Page

 

Michael Ruhlman, Author
 

When world-renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller, Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, Grant Achatz, and Michael Symon need an author to help translate their craft for every kitchen, they call Michael Ruhlman. He has collaborated on best-selling books such as The French Laundry Cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home, Live to Cook, Bouchon, and Alinea, and he has independently authored books such as The Soul of a Chef, The Elements of Cooking, Ratio, How to Roast, How to Braise, How to Sauté, the James Beard award-winning Ruhlman’s Twenty and the James Beard award-nominated egg. His latest book, Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, was released in May 2017.

Evolving from cookbooks and memoirs, Ruhlman continues to write about food and the work of the professional chef for The New York Times, Gourmet, Food Arts, and other publications. He also runs Ruhlman.com, where he blogs about food, cooking, recipes, and technique while encouraging people to cook for themselves.

He has served as a judge on food network’s Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, has been a guest alongside his friend Anthony Bourdain on travel channel’s No Reservations, and has appeared on PBS’s Cooking Under Fire.

Rulman currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.

 
 
Cam Schauf Headshot

 

Cam Schauf, director of campus dining services & auxiliary operations, University of Rochester
 

Cam Schauf is the Director of Campus Dining Services & Auxiliary Operations at the University of Rochester. His responsibilities include dining services, residential dining, retail, catering, convenience stores, bookstores, one card operations, vending, and laundry. Cam has worked as a director of a self-operated program, as the director of dining for a contract company, and is currently a contract administrator. After graduating with a BA from Duke University, he worked in their Dining Services department for nine years. Cam also worked at the University of Cincinnati, Clemson University, and Bryn Mawr College before coming to the University of Rochester. He has been involved in the National Association of College & University Food Services as national president, regional president, coach/mentor at several education institutes, and a variety of other positions. Cam has presented interest sessions at numerous regional and national conferences for NACUFS, NACAS, and ACUI.

 
 
Pamela Schreiber Headshot

 

Pamela J. Schreiber, Ed.D, assistant vice president, Division of Student Life, executive director, Housing & Food Services, University of Washington
 

Currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Executive Director of Housing & Food Services at the University of Washington, Pam oversees housing and residential life, residential and retail dining, conference services, catering services, and a campus debit-card program. The department also includes support functions for human resources, information technology, communications and marketing, financial services, and facilities services. In her 32-year career, she has participated in multiple housing capital projects, including the current expansion of housing and dining on the University of Washington campus. Pam holds a doctorate in education, specializing in adult education, from the University of Georgia. Her Master of Arts degree, in college student personnel, is from Bowling Green State University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in social welfare is from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She previously served on the NACUFS board as a guest trustee and currently serves as the President for the Association of College and University Housing Officers International.

 
 
 
Colin Woodall Headshot

 

Colin Woodall, chief executive officer, National Cattlemen's Beef Association
 

Colin Woodall is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and leads the country’s oldest and largest national trade association for cattle producers in being the trusted voice and definitive leader of the U.S. cattle and beef industry. Originally from Big Spring, Texas, Colin graduated from Texas A&M and then worked as a grain elevator manager and merchandiser for Cargill at several locations in western Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle. After venturing to Washington, Colin worked policy and state project issues for U.S. Senator John Cornyn from Texas. He has been with NCBA since 2004 and served as the association’s chief lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Colin serves on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee providing counsel to USDA and USTR. Colin is a founding member of the Government Relations Leadership Forum, a life member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, member of the Western Stock Show Association, member of the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association, an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Alabama CattleWomen’s Association, past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Agriculture Council of America, and has been a member of the Agribusiness Club of Washington, D.C., the Washington Agricultural Roundtable, and the Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group. He has also volunteered as a junior commercial steer show judge at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition.

 
 
 
Learning Session Speakers
 
 
Janet Adams Headshot

 

Janet Adams
 

Janet has over 27 years of leadership experience in the campus dining industry. Prior to her current position as sales team lead at Fair Market, Inc, Janet has been responsible for the vision, leadership, and planning of campus dining programs in the Big 10, SEC, and universities with contract management programs. She has held leadership positions at Pennsylvania State University, Vanderbilt University, Saint Peter’s University, and Central Missouri Dining.

 
 
Ben Anderson Headshot

 

Ben Anderson
 

Ben Anderson is the director of Grubhub Campus. He has spent the last decade helping operators understand and implement mobile technology into their dining environments. Working on the forefront of the industry at Tapingo, now Grubhub, Ben has partnered with many of the country’s top dining programs to help shape the modern area of retail service. An expert in both the technological and food services sides of the business, he is able to foresee and understand trends and how they will impact customers and the restaurants they love. When Ben is not in a committee meeting or attending a conference, he enjoys live music, basketball, and optimistically rooting for the Minnesota Vikings.

 
 
Kimberle Badinelli Headshot

 

Kimberle Badinelli
 

Kimberle Badinelli has 30 years of experience with the college and university foodservice segment and holds degrees in Hospitality & Tourism Management. She has been recognized as a leader in market research and strategic marketing and has, throughout her career, served NACUFS as a leader, presenter, and mentor to other member professionals. Kimberle owns Hospitality Systems, LLC, a communications and marketing firm specializing in building data-driven strategies that advance organizational effectiveness and create systems optimizing organizations’ strategy and communications decisions. Prior to her current role, she served in leadership roles at both Stanford University’s Residential and Dining Services and Virginia Tech Culinary Service, and the Office of Student Affairs.

 
 
Trail Bundy Headshot

 

Trail Bundy
 

Trail Bundy manages marketing and communications for University of Montana Campus Dining. Driven to enhance student experiences within higher education, Trail has served within student affairs in a variety of capacities at the University of Montana for over five years. In his current role, Trail develops, implements, and manages marketing and communication strategy for 19 individual operations and the department as a whole. Prior to his tenure with Campus Dining, Trail served as the assistant to the vice president for enrollment and student affairs and dean of students, where he managed the university’s student peer mentorship program and system-wide prevention education programs including alcohol education, financial education, and sexual assault prevention.

 
 
Dustin Cutler Headshot

 

Dustin Cutler
 

Dustin Cutler is the executive director of Cornell Dining, a self-operated program with over 35 distinct units, which is consistently rated in the Princeton Review’s Top 10 list for Best Campus Food. His experience in the foodservice management sector is extensive; he began his career with Aramark by managing operations for the Olympic Village in Athens in 2004 and built on that role as senior operations manager for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Dustin has managed various aspects of food and beverage operations at Major League Baseball's Turner Field, New Orleans Convention Center, Emerald Coast Convention Center, GlaxoSmithKline, and Palm Beach County Convention Center, and was Aramark's resident district manager for the University of Nevada- Las Vegas before returning to upstate New York to lead the team at Cornell. In his five years as executive director at Cornell Dining, Dustin has been laser-focused on the team’s culture and development, and is excited to see the continued growth under his leadership as the team completes its first semester operating a 58,518 square foot flagship residential dining hall that opened in January of 2022.

 
 
Chef John DaLoia Headshot

 

Chef John DeLoia
 

John is an innovation and food product development executive with success in global restaurant chains and large foodservice organizations. His diverse career includes culinary certification (Certified Executive Chef), food manufacturing, consumer insights, and contract foodservice. John currently leads product development as the corporate executive chef for global foodservice at Thai Union North America. He has held roles at companies including Aramark and McCain Foods and is a published cookbook author.

 
 
Nate Darder Headshot

 

 
Nate Darder  

 

Nate Darder is a food service operations veteran with tremendous experience managing people and programs at The Ohio State University (OSU). He is in charge of OSU's recent food service delivery robot program and leads broader technology implementation across the campus. 

 
 
Andrieu Doyle Headshot

 

Andrieu Doyle
 

Andrieu is the director of origin operations at Hubbard & Cravens. He is an avid coffee lover and coffee professional. Andrieu's background is in the sourcing/export/import of specialty green coffee, he is a licensed Q Grader or a “coffee sommelier” and works daily to connect coffee producers with coffee consumers.

 
 
 
Gina Forster Headshot

 

Gina Forster
 

Gina plays an integral role in supporting students with food allergies and unique dietary needs at The Ohio State University. As a team member, she plans and implements allergy training for staff, develops and executes interactive and meaningful wellness programming, and assists with menu diversity. Gina’s 15 years as a dietitian inform her passions for intuitive eating, body positivity, and an anti-diet approach to food and wellness. Gina believes a focus on choosing foods based on body signals and satisfaction will lead to more sustainable long-term results. When not working, Gina loves reading mysteries, bike riding, high-intensity interval training classes, and volunteering for Meals on Wheels with her family.

 
 
 
Patrick Genest Headshot

 

Patrick Genest
 

Patrick has over 35 years of experience in the Food and Beverage industry in both the private and public sectors. He has spent over ten years as director of client relations at the University of Ottawa, overseeing multiple sectors of activity, including foodservice (management of current contract, long term vision and planning, construction of new facilities, overall improvement of the student experience), uOttawa Card, and conferences and reservations.

 
 
 
Steve Giardini Headshot

 

Steve Giardini
 

Steve Giardini is the senior associate director of residential dining for the University of Michigan, Michigan Dining. He has a 20+ year career in foodservice, including private restaurants and hotels, and 15+ years in contract foodservice. In contract foodservice, Steve worked in corporate dining, higher education, leisure and headquarters-based roles leading and supporting field operations. In his current role with Michigan Dining, Steve and his team oversee a residential dining program consisting of nine dining halls and a handful of attached retail operations serving between 18,000-24,000 meals per day during full occupancy. He earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant management and a master of business administration from the University of Delaware.

 
 
 
Chef Zach Gochin Headshot

 

Chef Zach Gochin
 

Born and raised in Santa Monica, Zack always had a love for cooking and food. After high school, he followed that passion to Le Cordon Bleu to study culinary arts, finishing at the top of his class. He then set off to Europe to further his culinary education. Chef Zack Gochin began his professional culinary career in Europe, finding a home in the Netherlands where he worked with noted European chefs and developed an appreciation for, and knowledge of classic cooking techniques as well as the discipline and organization necessary to excel in the kitchen. Chef Zack joined the team at Upfield/Violife in 2019 as Culinary Director. In this role, Chef Gochin can apply the classic techniques he learned in Europe to unique, seasonal, and local fare – blending the old and new worlds. Chef Zack uses his knowledge and skill to develop recipes and design delicious dairy-free menus, all while traveling the country collaborating with chefs and restaurateurs showcasing Violife products.

 
 
 
Kathy Grant Headshot

 

Kathy Grant
 

Kathy has been the assistant director, dining, at The Ohio State University (OSU) since 2016. Prior to joining OSU, she worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. Kathy excels in promoting student engagement across campus and abroad. Throughout her tenure at OSU, Kathy has co-led multiple international trips with students to help them better understand the journey and processing of their food and beverages.

 
 
 
Phillip Harty Headshot

 

Phillip Harty, VP, business development, Sodexo
 

As the vice president of business development with Sodexo, Phil is responsible for leading the growth of Sodexo Campus food and facilities management in the western United States. His team is a catalyst in the campus lifestyle evolution and helps elevate the student experience by building community, culture, innovation, and engagement. He brings 30 years of hospitality experience to his role, including seven years as the senior vice president for campuses across the Northeast.

 
 
 
Chef Kathleen Hoffman Headshot

 

Chef Kathleen Hoffman
 

Chef Kathleen is the national sales senior culinary manager for US Foods Kitchens. She has been cooking for more than three decades, working in various facets of the industry. Following culinary school, at the Culinary Institute of America, Kathleen spent several years as a chef for prestigious hotels. She joined Brinker International as general manager, helping to launch eight Chili’s Restaurants in California. Kathleen served as the executive chef for Checkers Catering and Special Events in San Francisco for twelve years before joining US Foods as the Product Development Corporate Brands chef at the company’s headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois. Chef Kathleen is actively involved in increasing awareness of the importance of sustainability and green practices in the culinary world, Also, having taught a course on this topic for the International Caterers Association, she is becoming an active chef mentor in the national C-CAP program.

 
 
 
Patti Klos Headshot

 

Patti Klos
 

Patti has propelled the Tufts Dining program to national rankings by the Princeton Review, Daily Meal, and Fox News by providing a vision of high-quality food and exemplary service in a rich culture that recognizes and harnesses the talent and commitment of the entire workforce. By anticipating the needs and tastes of customers, and providing thoughtful responses to suggestions and requests, she has built a program that is highly regarded for quality, variety, and service. During her tenure at Tufts, she has renovated all the facilities and introduced numerous new programs ranging from marketplace dining to block-style meal plans. Patti enjoys sharing her experiences with the NACUFS membership through articles, presentations, and volunteering in a variety of capacities.

 
 
 
Raymond Kohl Headshot

 

Raymond Kohl
 

In his role within Campus Dining and Shops at the University at Buffalo for the past 13 years, Ray oversees all divisions' marketing, public relations, and communications functions. He has been recognized by NACUFS, being named the presenter for the Marketing Institute, the facilitator for the Conference Marketing Forum as well as the creator of several entries that have won national awards. He has served as the marketing chair for the SUNY Auxiliary Services Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from SUNY Fredonia and a NYS Secondary Education Teaching Certification from New York State. Ray is currently pursuing his MBA certificate at the University at Buffalo.

 
 
 
Mike Kosevich Headshot

 

Mike Kosevich
 

Mike started his foodservice career working as a student at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, then moved to Garmisch- Partenkirchen, Germany and worked for an organization called AFRC, Armed Forces Recreation Services, for four years. He was the ski lodge kitchen supervisor in the winter and the golf course in the summer. Mike moved to Montana and worked for Montana State University for more than 25 years, working his way up from an entry-level cook to the Director of Culinary Services.

 
 
 
Hannah Koski Headshot

 

Hannah Koski
 

Hannah Koski joined US Foods in September 2021 as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, where she manages the company’s corporate social responsibility program and works across the organization to evaluate and account for the environmental and social impacts of sourcing and business practices. Hannah has dedicated her ten-plus years in the food industry to developing corporate environmental and social impact strategy and sustainable supply chains. Prior to US Foods, Hannah was Head of Sustainability and Social Impact at Blue Apron, where she spearheaded local and sustainable product, regenerative agriculture, food waste, diversity and inclusion, and associate engagement programs. Hannah holds a master’s degree in horticulture from Cornell University with a focus in urban agriculture and extension. She serves as a member of ReFED’s Expert Network, advancing solutions to halve food waste in the U.S. by 2030.

 
 
 
Jesse Leal Headshot

 

Jesse Leal
 

Jesse began his career at Tufts Dining in January 2019 as unit manager of Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center and is committed to exceptional customer service and food service excellence through teamwork, high standards, and effective communication. He has passion for great food and enhancing the student experience has been his focus. Throughout the pandemic, Jesse was a valued collaborator on strategic solutions to the evolving needs of the university. Prior to Tufts, he was a district manager for Sage Corporation, overseeing multiple properties up and down the New England coast. He has experience in hotels and resorts that took him from the Midwest to the South, and then back to New England. Jessse has worked in contract dining at other universities, and even in correctional services. Throughout his career, Jesse has demonstrated the ability to hold others accountable by developing them and providing clear goals and feedback, with a commitment to growing sales and improving services. While not at Tufts, Jesse enjoys taking part in BBQ competitions and spending time with his son and family.

 
 
 
Alice Ma Headshot

 

Alice Ma
 

Alice has worked for Washington State University (WSU) Dining for six years as a dietitian, and coordinates WSU’s food recovery program and other initiatives related to sustainability. She grew up near Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated with her master’s degree from the University of Utah shortly before moving to Washington State. Alice enjoys helping students navigate their dietary restrictions on campus and making sure the dining facilities are inclusive and welcoming to all. At home, Alice loves being creative with food and the challenge of preparing vegan options for herself while maintaining a gluten-free kitchen for her husband with celiac. In her spare time, Alice serves on the board of her local food co-op and Backyard Harvest, a non-profit providing fresh produce to those in need. She also loves writing rhymes and has published a poetry book, A is for Avocados, as a fundraiser for Backyard Harvest.

 
 
 
Alejandra Marquez Headshot

 

Alejandra Marquez
 

Alejandra is the sustainability coordinator for University Housing and Dining at the University of Texas - Austin. Her background is in sustainable food systems, institutional food procurement, and data analysis. She holds a B.S. from UC Berkeley, where she worked as Food Literacy Coordinator, implementing carbon emission labels for the dining hall menus and advocating for healthier, more sustainable menu offerings. Alejandra has also worked at Food for Climate League and the Berkeley Food Institute.

 
 
 
Gina Mouch Headshot

 

Gina Mouch
 

Gina Mouch is the senior training specialist for MDining at the University of Michigan, overseeing training for all functional areas and staff from on-boarding to off-boarding. She earned her Masters of Education with a focus in Adult Education and Training and Development while teaching middle school science in hopes of furthering her career. She has worked in the field of education with both adults and adolescence for over ten years. Her work in education spans across two continents, two states, and three cities in Michigan. Each experience helped refine her approach in creating effective and creative learning programs.

 
 
 
Pasquale Napolitano Headshot

 

Pasquale Napolitano
 

Pasquale Napolitano joined Tufts Dining four years ago as a service manager for Residential Dining at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center and a short time later became unit manager at Carmichael. His background is in the contract dining world, having worked as a chef manager for Iron Mountain in Boston, and at MIT University in a variety of roles for Aramark. He grew up in the restaurant industry, and for a time he and his father owned a restaurant in Revere, Massachusetts, where he developed extensive knowledge of cooking Italian food, running a business, and how to make delicious food for a broad variety of people. His philosophy for making good food comes from his father, Nino, and is this “Use fresh ingredients, be organized, and last but most important, have fun!” Pasquale demonstrates a keen understanding of the importance of an excellent guest experience.

 
 
 
Chuck Nicosia Headshot

 

Chuck Nicosia
 

Chuck Nicosia is the general manager for the University at Buffalo’s One World Café. He has been in the food service industry for almost 30 years. He has successfully opened several new restaurants for a large franchise and worked in several independent concepts. Since coming to the University at Buffalo, his focus has been on developing managers and staff who communicate well, confirm knowledge, and provide clear, constructive feedback.

 
 
 
David Porter Headshot

 

David Porter
 

David has completed dining services master plans, meal plan studies, written and bid requests for proposals for foodservice operator selection, and has programmed and designed foodservice spaces throughout the United States and Canada. His professional experience includes more than 35 years of hands-on foodservice operations and consulting experience, with over 23 years of experience in independent foodservice consulting. David is a regular speaker at both regional and national NACUFS conferences as well as other industry meetings. He has also authored several articles for Food Management magazine.

 
 
 
Lance Reynolds Headshot

 

Lance Reynolds
 

Lance Reynolds is from Flagstaff, Arizona where he owned four restaurants, a catering company, and a commissary. After selling his restaurants, Lance founded a school for restaurant operators, called Food Biz Today, with seven schools in three states where he developed a strong professional alliance with US Foods. It was only a few months after selling his company in 2013 that Lance accepted a role with US Foods as one of the original Restaurant Operations Consultants, officially joining the US Foods family. He is currently the Director of ROC Strategy & Process.

 
 
 
Steve Shaheen Headshot

 

Steve Shaheen
 

Steve has worked in the mobile workstation and battery systems business since they became popular for use in healthcare and was a Value Added Reseller for over 30 years. He co-founded Definitive Technology Group to help companies in a wide range of industries solve workflow problems and decrease costs by leveraging the power of mobility.

 
 
 
Lauren Smith Headshot

 

Lauren Smith, M.Ed, RD, LDN
 

Lauren is the director of nutrition and wellness for NC State Dining. She is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition education. Prior to coming to NC State in 2020, Lauren was the manager of nutrition for dining at Westfield State University, where she was instrumental in the transition from a managed to a self-operated dining program. Lauren enjoys working in collegiate dining and connecting with guests on a personal level, whether it is helping them make new habits and lifestyle goals or ensuring they are able to navigate campus with allergies or dietary restrictions. Her interactions help better guide the culinary team to ensure there are not only many options available to meet the needs of all students on campus, but that their teams have a heightened sense of awareness of the needs of students with special dietary needs.  Lauren is passionate about collaboration and building strong relationships with campus partners and the student body. She is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor and an advocate for mental health awareness, encouraging self-care, compassion, and empathy in the workplace and throughout campus.

 
 
 
Keith Soster Headshot

 

Keith Soster
 

Keith is director of sustainability and student & community engagement for the University of Michigan, Michigan Dining, and has oversight of the campus food pantry. He is the lead for sustainability initiatives from classroom collaborations and sustainable student organizations and advises several student groups on campus. Keith has been a past sustainability speaker at National Association of College Unions International (ACUI) conferences, National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS), the Ann Arbor Local Food Summit, Environmental Protection Agency, and Michigan Farm to Institution Network. Keith has over 35 years in the hospitality industry and is a Bowling Green State University graduate.

 
 
 
Erin Sponaugle Headshot

 

Erin Sponaugle
 

Erin has over 20 years in the hospitality industry, the majority spent in hotels and resorts. She has worked as the director of food and beverage for several hotel brands including Destination Hotels and Hilton. Erin joined US Foods in 2018 as a restaurant operations consultant in the Seattle area. For the last 18 months Erin has been a field leader for the Restaurant Operations Consultants in the West Region, managing the team that helps food service operations make it.

 
 
 
Jessica Tones Headshot

 

Jessica Tones, RD, LDN
 

Jessica Tones, RD, LDN, is the program director of nutrition and marketing for Carnegie Mellon University Dining Services. Jessica develops food and nutrition education programs designed to elevate food literacy, improve health, and build confident cooking skills. She is passionate about making food and nutrition education more inclusive and accessible through on-and-off-campus partnerships. As a weight-inclusive, non-diet dietitian, Jessica is a proponent of a flexible approach to eating that honors hunger, health, and cultural food preferences. Jessica received her undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition from San Diego State University and completed the University of Pittsburgh Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital dietetic internship. In her professional career, she has worked as a retail grocery dietitian, an adjunct instructor, and in private practice settings.

 
 
 
Dawn Yeomans Headshot

 

Dawn Yeomans, Ph. D.
 

Dr. Dawn Yeomans joined GOJO Industries in 2020, having spent more than 15 years supporting product development and advancing science and technology at leading FMCG companies including Procter & Gamble and Unilever. In her role at GOJO, she conducts research and establishes influential partnerships in an effort to promote public health through the adoption of evidence-based best hygiene practices. Her primary area of focus for is the education sector (K-12 schools and higher education). She holds a BSc. degree in Biochemistry, MSc. degree in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Ph.D degree in Biomedical Sciences. Her areas of technical expertise are in skin health and hygiene science.