6 minute read
Giving in Action
by Katelyn Silva
Gordon R. Buchsbaum ’87 Invests in Quality Products, Including a JWU Education
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As AS A TEENAGER, Gordon R. Buchsbaum ’87 worked as a line cook in a neighborhood restaurant, gaining valuable experience in hopes of one day becoming a chef. As he worked with graduates from the top culinary arts schools, he noticed something special about the JWU alumni. “JWU graduates were humble and always willing to teach me, which says a lot about the university itself,” says Buchsbaum, president and CEO of Gordon’s Gourmet, which brings specialty foods to chefs around the world. Buchsbaum’s positive experience convinced him that JWU was the right place for him. He enrolled in the associate degree program in the College of Culinary Arts and soon found his place, bonding with his mentor Steven Shipley ’85, ’06 MAT, then a chef instructor, who later offered connections and help throughout Buchsbaum’s career. With his stellar JWU education and mentor support, Buchsbaum was employed as a chef for many years. However, most recently, his passion resides in bringing high-quality products to chefs’ kitchens — commercial and in the home. These products include organic balsamic vinegar straight from Modena and grade A, sushi-quality octopus from Spain and Portugal.
His newest venture is the energy-saving Helios LED Grow Bar System for the expanding cannabis and food technology industry. Buchsbaum is donating these cost-efficient, state-of-the-art horticultural lights for the JWU cannabis entrepreneurship program and the hydroponic vegetable garden.
Buchsbaum and his wife, Elisa, established a $50,000 family scholarship for culinary students. “Both our parents raised us to give as much as you possibly can,” says Buchsbaum. Elisa adds: “You can hear my husband’s passion for JWU every time he talks about it. I want to support what matters to him, but I’m also a Rhode Islander and an educator, so it’s a fit for me as well.”
The Caseys Found Love and a Lifelong Giving Priority at JWU
Paul Casey ’97 and Patricia (Tricia) Casey ’97 met before freshman year even began at a party on the East Side of Providence. Both agreed the provisions were terrible, but the company was undoubtedly not. They’ve been married for almost 21 years, have two teenaged children, and share a deep love for Johnson & Wales University, where Paul earned his B.S. in retail management and Tricia in sales and meeting management.
Today, the couple lives in Nashua, New Hampshire, where Tricia is assistant vice president of college advancement at New England College and Paul is a manager at Trader Joe’s. While both lead busy lives as professionals and parents, they’ve always found the time to give back. Tricia says, “In my family, we were raised to give our time and talent to make the world a better place.”
The Caseys made JWU a giving priority at a young age because of their deep appreciation for the experience, including the opportunity to study abroad, join a sorority, and learn from professors who are leaders in their fields. The couple, who are in their 40s, are annual donors.
“You have skin in the game when you volunteer and give,” says Tricia, who was a tutor at JWU’s Learning Center. “You’re more committed to something succeeding when you do that. We want JWU to keep going strong. We have skin in the game!”
“We both received scholarships and appreciate that, so we want to help students and families because someone else did that for us,” adds Paul. “JWU is also where we met and started our lives together so that’s special!”
“We know how important it is to have the opportunity to pursue higher education in a field that you are passionate about,” says Tricia. “JWU alumni make their mark in the world. I encourage others to give so future students can do the same.”
Gary Crompton ’87 Keeps Everything in its Place
Gary Crompton ’87 began JWU as a two-year culinary student and immediately responded to the program’s philosophy of mise-en-place (translated as “everything in its place,” a chef term for meticulous preparation). Always being prepared has become a theme in his career as president and CEO of business dining for Aramark, a leading American food service, facilities and uniform services provider. That commitment to preparation was partially seeded at JWU and by a special faculty member and alumnus, the late William (Bill) J. Day, Ph.D., ’91 M.S.
“Bill Day was my instructor on my first day, in my first class,” says Crompton. He helped persuade Crompton to join the four-year program, a decision that led to “tremendous maturation” and built a lifelong work ethic and discipline that has proven pivotal to his career success.
At the encouragement of Day, Crompton returned to JWU over the years to address two-year culinary students who were debating whether to continue their studies. Crompton encouraged them to do so, noting “multiple times when [he] saw individuals get left behind or miss out on opportunities for advancement because they were lacking that four-year degree.”
Crompton and his wife, Larissa, wanted to do even more for culinary students. In 2021, they established the Crompton Family Scholarship, a $25,000 scholarship that is matched by Aramark.
“We felt it was important to help put others in a position to continue their education and better their careers and lives,” Crompton explains.
Aramark matched the gift for a scholarship total of $50,000 because of its commitment to being “a trusted hospitality partner” with a “direct connection to JWU’s hospitality training and graduating talent,” says Crompton.
Partnering with Rational’s Daniel Lessem ’96
When Daniel Lessem ’96 taught in the hospitality department at JWU’s North Miami Campus, a colleague asked a question that would inspire his future career with Rational, a global market and technology leader that makes products for industrial kitchens. The co-worker wondered, “How would you cook this same dish, but with a Rational combi-steamer?”
Years later, when Rational asked Lessem to join their corporate chef’s division, he recalled that question. He was excited to join the team, but also wanted to create a program for educational partnerships. “When you bring a new product to market that’s on the on the cutting edge you have to educate the market on how they’re going to benefit by using it,” says Lessem, now a Rational corporate chef and the director of educational partnerships. Rational has sponsored the Rational Guest Lecturer Program featuring leading food experts and provided funding to support the CFIT Curriculum Development meeting. It also co-created a learning module focused on Rational Network Cooking Systems and donated equipment.
Its Student Innovation Challenge asks students to solve a cooking challenge using Rational products; for example, how do you create a deconstructed chicken and waffles without a deep fryer? The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Chicago to join a Rational chef at the National Restaurant Association Show. “Rational is a big believer in experiential education,” says Lessem. “It’s wonderful that JWU sees the value in partnering with industry.”
Barry Callebaut Chocolate Sweetens JWU
Barry Callebaut Chocolate is a treasured friend of JWU, providing support for almost two decades, including educational trainings to enhance the skills of faculty and thousands of pounds of in-kind chocolate products to help students, faculty members and staff make magic in campus kitchens.
Lauren Haas ’14, the Gourmet North America Lead Chef, oversees the Chocolate Academy™ Training Centers in North America. Prior to this role, she was a department chair and interim director for JWU’s International Baking & Pastry Institute. The Academy delivers demonstrations and courses ranging from foundations of pastry, ice cream and confectionery, to advanced techniques and on-trend pastries. The team also provides virtual training and supports. It has flown JWU pastry chef faculty members to its training centers and provided on-campus training and courses, including a demonstration for faculty and students in Charlotte and Providence this past spring.
