JWU Magazine Spring 2016 by Johnson & Wales University

JW PROFILES in SUCCESS Twelve JWU Graduates who are Redefining Achievement

Thomas Joseph â&#x20AC;&#x2122;06 B.S. Culinary Nutrition SPRING

2016

CONTENTS 10

Dan Zelikman â&#x20AC;&#x2122;06 B.S. Entrepreneurship, International Business

SPRING 2016 FEATURES

PROFILES IN SUCCESS

We profile 12 Johnson & Wales graduates from the four campuses who packed their degrees and settled around the world. From their roles with Martha Stewart Omnimedia to the Denver Broncos, our alumni have defined success on their own terms.

FROM PAPER TO PLATE For Will Brown â&#x20AC;&#x2122;17, the kitchen is his studio. Brown creates edible art and documents his ideas with sketches, paintings and concept drawings. His work is on exhibit at the JWU Providence Culinary Arts Museum through November.

Sequential Brands Group

DEPARTMENTS 02 04 08 26 28 32 39 40

From the Chancellor Campus News Athletics Resource Development Alumni News Class Notes Off the Shelf Career Update

www.jwu.edu

JWU

FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S DESK

Senior Vice President of Communications DOUG WHITING

Director of Design & Editorial Services BRIAN MURPHY

Editor

DENISE DOWLING

Designer

GAIL SOLOMON

Contributors ERICA BLOMGREN ’16 JENNIFER BROUILLARD MIKE COHEA GREGORY DISTEFANO PHILIP EIL JULIA S. EMLEN ANDREA FELDMAN JORDAN FICKESS VANESSA E. GARCIA

SHARU GOODWYN ROBYN HANKERSON MELINDA HILL HOLLI KEYSER RACHEL LACAILLE DONALD PAULHUS

S WE CELEBRATE the achievements of our alumni in this issue, I invite the university

community to revel in our collective success. Thanks in part to the recent launch of our brand advertising campaign, as well as changes in our admissions strategy, demand for a JWU education is on the rise. Our pioneering model of education has been emulated by other institutions, as countless students have “experienced their future now” at Johnson & Wales University. Our unique curriculum design allows incoming students to practice their desired careers from the start. Some find a perfect fit from the very beginning, while others discover new skills and talents and change direction. It took Robert Stiles ’80 less than two months in the culinary arts program to realize he didn’t want to commit to a chef’s late-night hours. He opted to harness a curiosity that had been piqued for other facets of the hospitality industry, such as hotel real estate and financing. He chose to augment culinary classes with business ones to boost his acceptance odds for further study at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Without his Johnson & Wales experience, Stiles believes he never would have been accepted to such a prestigious school. Megan Bradley ’07, senior program manger at Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, once dreamed of working at high-end restaurants and hosting a cooking show. But an internship at a free-care clinic for low-income families contributed to a change of heart. Today, she teaches children and their families about nutrition, plus how to shop and cook on a limited budget. A Johnson & Wales education offers students the opportunity to change their minds before the stakes are raised. Students realize their true passion in the real world — before investing countless classroom hours. And isn’t doing what you love the best definition of success? I invite you to continue the conversation. How was the university a beacon for your path? Tell the community about your progress as well: Visit campus; address a class; mentor students. Share your stories with us at jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77

Spring 2016

LISA PELOSI ED PEREIRA ELIZABETH SCANLON ’97 M.S. STEPHEN SMITH MARY SWARD DAMARIS R. TEIXEIRA LAUREN TKACS MIRIAM S. WEINSTEIN ’08 MBA MELINDA LAW WESTMORELAND

JWU Magazine is published four times a year including a special supplement for recent graduates. Photos (black and white or color prints), high-resolution digital images and news can be sent to JWU Magazine, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI, 02903 or emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu. Selection and publication of entries are at the editor’s discretion. JWU Magazine is produced by University Communications in cooperation with Resource Development and Alumni Relations. Chancellor JOHN J. BOWEN ’77

Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer MIM L. RUNEY, LP.D.

Regional Campus Presidents LARRY RICE, ED.D., ’90, NORTH MIAMI RICHARD WISCOTT, PH.D., DENVER ROBERT C. MOCK JR., ED.D., CHARLOTTE

The JWU Honorary Class of 2016 PROVIDENCE CAMPUS

PROVIDENCE CAMPUS

John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering & Design and School of Hospitality

College of Culinary Arts and School of Hospitality / Food Service Management

Recipient and Speaker

Recipient

Recipient and Speaker

Rajendra S. Sisodia, Ph.D.

William J. Murphy, J.D.

Champe Carter Speidel ’00

Co-founder, Co-chairman Conscious Capitalism Inc.

Partner Murphy & Fay LLP

F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business and Whole Foods Market Research Scholar in Conscious Capitalism Babson College

Member Johnson & Wales University Board of Trustees

Chef/Proprietor Persimmon and Persimmon Provisions Doctor of Culinary Arts

Doctor of Business Administration

PROVIDENCE CAMPUS

NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS

Graduate Studies, Doctoral Recipient and Speaker

Recipient

Recipient and Speaker

Terrie Fox Wetle, M.S., Ph.D.

Anthony Maione

Paul Damico ’86

Dean of the School of Public Health

President and CEO United Way of Rhode Island

Professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice Brown University

Doctor of Business Administration in Management

Doctor of Humane Letters

DENVER CAMPUS

President North America Focus Brands Inc. Doctor of Business Administration in Restaurant, Food & Beverage Management

CHARLOTTE CAMPUS

Recipient and Speaker

Recipient

Recipient and Speaker

Steven J. McCarthy

William Yosses

Joseph “Frank” Scibelli

Chairman and CEO Alem International Management Inc.

Founder Kitchen Garden Laboratory

Founder and CEO FS Food Group

Doctor of Business Administration in Sports/Entertainment/ Event Management

Doctor of Culinary Arts

Doctor of Business Administration in Food Service Entrepreneurship

AS JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES the graduation of its accomplished students during commencement, the university also inducts

an august group of leaders as honorary members of the Class of 2016. These accomplished men and women are recognized for their notable careers and their positive influence on their industries, organizations and communities. Each has demonstrated support of the JWU mission in his or her own unique way, and serves as a role model for our students and graduates.

www.jwu.edu

CAMPUS NEWS PROFESSOR CHILABATO NAMED TO NATIONAL BOARD

Sequential Brands Group

FOR HIS STANDING in the industry, Oscar

Left to right: Marissa Bunnewith ’15, ’17, Gabrielle Masullo ’16, Mary Grace McGuinn ’16, Martha Stewart, Alexandra Paradise ’16, Lacey Sherrer ’16, and Christina Egan ’16

JWU ON “MARTHA BAKES”

ix students from the International Baking & Pastry Institute (IBPI) were guests of Martha Stewart at her Bedford, New York, farm where they filmed two episodes for the sixth season of “Martha Bakes.” Donning the celebrity’s signature pastel colors were Alexandra Paradise ’16, Christina Egan ’16, Gabrielle Masullo ’16, Lacey Sherrer ’16, Marissa Bunnewith ’15, ’17, and Mary Grace McGuinn ’16. The women were among 39 culinary students (three per episode) invited from renowned culinary schools across the U.S. The Emmy®-nominated teaching show premiered its new season on PBS stations nationwide in April. JWU students can be seen in the One Bowl Desserts and Layered Yeast Dough segments (check pbs.org/food/features/martha-bakes-schedule for local air dates). “Martha Bakes” is the most visited show on PBS Food, PBS’s digital cooking portal, and the series has been viewed in 95 percent of U.S. television households, according to TRAC Media Services.

Spring 2016

~ Miriam Weinstein ’08 MBA

Chilabato, associate professor of advertising in the School of Business, is one of 22 new members named to the National Advertising Review Board (NARB). NARB is the advertising industry’s only peer-review process — a body that serves to assure that advertising claims are truthful and accurate. Professor Chilabato is also on the American Advertising Federation Board and co-adviser for the campus’ Ad Team, which won second place at the National Advertising Student Competition in 2015. ~ Lauren Tkacs

ED.D. PROGRAM REACHES MILESTONE THE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP doctoral

program reached a milestone in February as Agnes Pelopida, who immigrated to the United States from Poland at age 10, became the 300th student to successfully defend her dissertation. Pelopida, an English teacher at Narragansett High School in Rhode Island, pursued the Ed.D. with the goal of applying it to her practice. Her dissertation examined the relationship between self-efficacy and academic writing outcomes. ~ Ryan Crowley

MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM MAKES SCHOOL HISTORY ONE YEAR AGO, the men’s basketball team watched the Great

Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship slip away. Head Coach Jamie Benton and the team vowed that 2016 would be their year. The Wildcats fulfilled that promise as they defeated the Albertus Magnus College Falcons to win the GNAC title in February. It’s the first conference championship for JWU since winning the 2011 crown and the third overall. The 12th-ranked GNAC champions advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament — a first in the university’s history. “This was huge for not just the basketball program or the athletic department, but the entire university,” said Benton, who also earned 2016 GNAC Coach of the Year. The season came to a close after the Wildcats lost to Tufts University on March 11. “I’m proud of the way they played against Tufts and throughout the whole season,” said Coach Benton. “This team gave everything they had at each practice and game, and they set the bar for every JWU program moving forward.” ~ Lauren Tkacs

STUDENTS TAKE A STAND AGAINST DOMESTIC AND DATING VIOLENCE IN 1992, GLADYS RICART WAS MURDERED by a jealous

L-R: Thiago Rodrigues ’19, Melissa Jimenez and James Elias of the nonprofit crowdfunding platform Fundily, and Andy Farrington ’16

S.E.E. CONFERENCE CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

ports/Entertainment/Event management and business students (S.E.E.) were in for a treat when industry professionals descended upon campus to provide insight on the inner workings of the business. With panel discussions ranging from marketing to entrepreneurship, music and film festivals, international events and a Sharkfest business pitch competition, the S.E.E. Conference provided a snapshot of what to expect when entering the industry. “S.E.E. students account for a large part of our student body at the North Miami Campus, so we had a desire to develop something different to give them access to network with industry professionals,” said David Edwards, lead faculty for the S.E.E. program. “The event has evolved from being hosted by faculty to being hosted by the students, giving them hands-on experience in event planning and decision-making.” Presented by the S.E.E. Leadership Committee, students identified guest speakers who would showcase the industry from various perspectives. One of the featured sessions included Russell Faibisch, CEO and co-founder of ULTRA Music Festival, the world’s premier electronic festival that attracts more than 330,000 attendants. Other key speakers included Jose Resendez ’07, senior account executive at FleishmanHillard and AdWeek’s PRNewser 30 Under 30 and Michael Hurt, senior director of ballpark operations for the Miami Marlins. “It required a lot of strategy, coordination and intellectual thought to plan this conference,” said Avery Gillyard ’19, vice president of the S.E.E. Leadership Committee. “It was worth it to give students an experience they may not have had otherwise. The conference allowed them to network and gave an outlook on future jobs and opportunities.”

ex-boyfriend hours before her wedding. Ricart’s story resounded with a local student who wanted to commemorate her legacy and engage college students to discuss issues of domestic and dating violence. The result was The College Brides Walk. A collaboration among Miami’s higher education institutions, February’s fifth-annual walk inspired JWU students, faculty and staff to put on a wedding dress or all white and walk the city streets to highlight this issue. Campus President Larry Rice, Ed.D., ’90 delivered opening remarks, sharing the importance of JWU’s involvement with this initiative. Participants ended the walk at JWU with workshops about rape and sexual assault, as well as a display on arts, activism and advocacy. ~ Robyn Hankerson

MEN’S GOLF TEAM CROWNED SUN CONFERENCE CHAMPS THE MEN’S GOLF TEAM has been on a winning streak this

season, ultimately bringing home The Sun Conference Championship. On the road to victory, the team enjoyed back-to-back wins at the Titan Winter Invitational in Melbourne, Florida, and the Arizona Christian University Spring Invitational in Phoenix. Senior Peter French has been a standout on the golf course, winning two tournaments in his last three starts, setting the JWU golf scoring record and receiving recognition as The Sun Conference Player of the Year. AJ Broderick also gained the distinction as The Sun Conference Coach of the Year. ~ Robyn Hankerson

~ Robyn Hankerson

www.jwu.edu

CAMPUS NEWS RICHARD WISCOTT, PH.D., NAMED NEW CAMPUS PRESIDENT

DENVER CAMPUS PRESIDENT TRANSITIONS TO NEW ROLE CAMPUS PRESIDENT ROBIN KRAKOWSKY ’88, ’08 Ed.D., relished her time with students,

faculty and staff before stepping down after commencement in May. In December, Krakowsky announced that she would begin a new phase in her JWU career, accepting an opportunity to oversee new executive master’s programs for the university. She will remain at the Denver Campus. Krakowsky has been with the university for 35 years and has served as the Denver Campus president since 2011. She is known for her active participation in campus events. “President Krakowsky focused on creating positive relationships with students, which is evident by her support at sporting events and spirited involvement at events on campus such as Casino Night and Late Night Breakfast,” said Student Government Association President Lucas Prolow ’17. “President Krakowsky made it a priority to foster a strong sense of community both on and off campus.” During her tenure as president, Krakowsky oversaw the expansion of academic degree programs, including an MBA program, enhanced athletics and student opportunities, as well as the recent completion of $30 million in campus renovations. “Being part of the student experience first-hand in Denver has been the most special in my 35-year career at Johnson & Wales, and I sincerely thank each and every one of you,” said Krakowsky.

AFTER A NATIONAL SEARCH facilitated by

the university’s human resources department, Richard Wiscott, Ph.D., has been appointed as the next president of the Denver Campus. His presidency began June 1. Wiscott joined Johnson & Wales in 2008 as dean of academic affairs, and in 2010, he was promoted and assumed additional areas of responsibilities as vice president of the campus. “I am excited to further contribute to the mission of the university, especially during this exciting time where we are expanding our academic portfolio, deepening the JWU student experience through athletics and civic engagement, and strengthening connections with industry,” said Wiscott. “I also look forward to helping alumni reconnect with the campus to prepare the next generation of leaders.” Prior to joining JWU, Wiscott was the assistant dean at Kent State University’s East Liverpool Campus in Ohio. He received both his doctorate and master’s degrees in psychology from The University of Akron and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Youngstown State University in Ohio.

~ Holli Keyser

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER SHATTERS UNIVERSITY RECORD

WU Denver women’s basketball player Kristen Ward ’16 became the first Denver Wildcat in program history to eclipse 2,000 career points. In one of the last home games of the season, Ward earned the record with two free throws made with 43 seconds left in the game, to applause and thunderous cheers in the Wildcat Center. “We are all so proud of Kristen and how she has represented our women’s basketball team, our athletic department and our campus the past four years,” said Sandee Mott, director of athletics. “She has excelled both in the classroom and on the court, and truly embodies the characteristics of the Wildcat Way.” Ward became the Wildcats all-time leading scorer as a junior. She is also the women’s record-holder for the university system with a total of 2,172 career points. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also named the senior an All-American Honorable Mention. “I am very blessed to have had the teammates and coaches who helped me get to this point,” said Ward. Kristen Ward ’16

Spring 2016

~ Erica Blomgren

NEW GROWTH FOR THE TEACHING GARDEN TEACHING AND LEARNING has moved from the confines of the

Reginald DesRavines ’17 with CAS Director Susan Flaherty

FROM LIFE ON THE STREETS TO HONOR STUDENT

classroom into the real word. The COOP, an urban outdoor classroom and garden space, is getting a complete overhaul. Located on campus, it will house raised cedar beds with irrigation, electricity, fencing, new stairs, an arbor, new plants and possibly a pizza oven in the near future. Jerry Lanuzza, dean of culinary operations, says, “In addition to learning about gardening or the freshness of just-picked fruits and vegetables, students can also expect to learn about topics that include sustainability in an urban landscape, nutritional aspects of a more plant-centric diet, and environmental science and community relationships.” ~ Melinda Law Westmoreland

eginald ‌ DesRavines ’17 got a B last term and was “bummed about that.” The 33-yearold grew up in North Miami, Florida. His father was absent, he had a combative relationship with his mother and ended up on the streets, where he admits he bought and sold drugs, and even landed behind bars at one point. He sporadically attended school and played football. He was accepted into two colleges, but the coaches wanted to meet his parents. DesRavines never admitted he was homeless. The idea of college faded away, along with football. He knew he needed a better life. He met with an army recruiter and was based in North Carolina. In Iraq, DesRavines saw combat while transporting sundries and fuel at night. The young teen who was homeless in the sweltering humidity of the North Miami streets was gradually turning into a man in the brutally hot, dry climate of the Middle East. He returned to Florida with the one skill he was known for — cooking. His sister urged him to use his GI Bill and enroll at JWU. Today, DesRavines is a divorced father of two boys, ages seven and 10, and is determined to be an integral part of their lives. He works as a line cook and applies for scholarships because he transferred his Post GI Bill benefits to his sons: “I figure I’ll make my own fortune and make my way; I’ll be a success at this.” He’s well on his way, thanks to help from the Center for Academic Support (CAS). Director Susan Flaherty recalls how “a very frustrated man stood in CAS and loudly asked, ‘Where is a dyslexic supposed to get help?’ ” DesRavines credits Flaherty and her tenacity with getting him the necessary help, saying, “I aced my finals and finished my associate degree with honors!”

MINORITIES ABOUT BUSINESS (MAB), a JWU student organization, partnered with Queens University and Right Moves For Youth for an annual community outreach event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students played games with the residents at Supportive Housing Communities (pictured).

~ Melinda Law Westmoreland www.jwu.edu

ATHLETICS Field of Dreams 1

BY JOHN PARENTE

Since the addition of Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex and Coach Dave Kulik, the men’s soccer team has elevated their game to reign as Great Northeast Athletic Conference champions since 2013.

ITH THE START OF JOHNSON & WALES’

bid for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men’s soccer championship just a few months away, there’s a sense of invincibility following the Wildcats as they make their way to the field this fall. How important was the construction of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex to the success of Johnson & Wales’ NCAA teams? Surely, the facility, which will celebrate its fourth year in operation this fall, is a jewel — not only as a home site for many of the university’s teams, but as a recruiting tool. Ask Head Men’s Soccer Coach Dave Kulik, however, and the response is even more resounding. Kulik’s Wildcats have quickly become virtually invincible at home. Since the facility’s opening, Wildcat men’s soccer teams have outscored their opponents 90-19, and their GNAC opposition by a startling margin of 68-8. Equally astonishing, the ’Cats are 21-0-1 in GNAC play, which included 11 straight shutouts in one stretch. Last year alone, JWU outscored its conference opponents at home by an eye-popping 36-5, and were 8-0-0 in conference play at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex. Want more proof ? The Wildcats’ last GNAC home loss came on October 6, 2012, when JWU played its home games at Pierce Stadium in East Providence. The overall record at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex stands at 29-2-4. Kulik says the most impressive statistic may be the eight post-season wins amassed in their current string of three consecutive GNAC championships — and all eight have been shutouts.

Spring 2016

Kulik took over in spring 2012, after a ninth-place finish in the previous season, which left them out of the playoff picture. Since then, the Wildcats have copped the league’s last two regular-season titles, the last three GNAC playoff championships and the automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III national tournament that goes with it. While the Wildcats can boast one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, the 2015 team tied for 12th among 404 teams nationwide in total goals with 63 goals. For Kulik, the 2014 GNAC men’s soccer coach of the year, having a real home field has provided a physical and psychological advantage: “The facility is the centerpiece of it all. The fact that our record is so good at home can certainly become a psychological benefit before a match even starts. Teams know they will have to play their best match if they are going to have a chance to beat us on our home field.” After winning the 2013 GNAC title, the ’Cats’ euphoria resulted in a quick exit at the NCAA tournament with a first-round loss at Brandeis University. The Wildcats’ following two national tournament appearances, however, were epic: two narrow 1-0 losses, to national powers Franklin & Marshall College in 2014 and Lycoming College in 2015. A fluke goal prevented JWU from a major upset against Franklin & Marshall, but the Wildcats began to prove that they belong in the national conversation. Kulik’s coaching philosophy has been honed since his playing days when he was named All-American by three teams — Adidas, Parade magazine and the National Soccer Coach Association of America (NSCAA) — while at West Springfield (Massachusetts) High. After graduation, he was a

Stephen Spencer Photography

central midfielder and captain at Yale University, where he helped lead the Bulldogs to their first Ivy League title in 30 years in 1986. Yale conceded only five goals during that season, ranking the team seventh on the alltime Division I list for lowest seasonal goal-against average in NCAA history. He also played professionally in Boston and Miami, coached at Tufts University, Yale, Boston College and, immediately before JWU, Clark University. That expertise has influenced the JWU approach. “We emphasize defense and not conceding goals,” Kulik says. “A stifling defense allows maybe 10 shots per game, and that usually only happens on a good day. We averaged under eight throughout the entire 2014 season.” In his 24 years of collegiate coaching, Kulik says the statistic rivals his 2006 Clark team, ranked fifth in the nation after conceding only seven goals all year. Of course, talent helps. Ryan Dzierzawski ’15, a first-team all-conference performer, was ranked 13th nationally — in the top 3 percent of the more than 400 starting goalkeepers in NCAA Division III play in 2014. His microscopic .52 goals-against average was far and away tops in the GNAC. Prior to the Wildcats’ gut-wrenching 1-0 loss in the 2014 NCAA championship tournament at nationally-ranked Franklin & Marshall, Dzierzawski had not given up a goal in seven games. “Our back line’s ability to play cohesively did much to fortify the notion that it was very difficult to beat us, especially on our home turf,” says Kulik, “Having Ryan behind that group certainly gave everyone additional confidence.” And the ’Cats had their not-so-secret weapon: central midfielder extraordinaire Xavier Carty ’17. “He’s the glue,” says Kulik, “the guy who makes life easier for his teammates. When he gets the ball, he makes the right decision 99 percent of the time — with his passing, shooting, dribbling through defenders, whatever. He penetrates defenses, and his hard runs without the ball are better than anyone I have ever coached.” When center back Devin Walshe ’17, another first-team all-conference selection, was sidelined as the team headed into the GNAC playoffs, Carty moved to the center back role and was named the league tournament’s Most Valuable Player when the Wildcats posted three shutouts. In those three matches, Dzierzawski made a grand total of three saves. Carty’s encore was a strong performance in the 2015 post-season, where he won his second consecutive tournament MVP award, this time from his natural center midfield position. So, where does this leave the 2016 team? “We return enough quality to feel that we can remain competitive and compete for another championship this year,” says Kulik. “The excitement of hosting the first-ever JWU Soccer Cup in the first week of September will add flavor to our home schedule that JWU and the Providence community will come out to support. “There’s a difference between ‘being there’ and ‘belonging there,’ ” adds Kulik. “Statistically, especially at home, we show how good we can be. We have made a conscious effort to improve the quality of our non-conference schedule by adding the likes of the Coast Guard Academy, Springfield College and Roger Williams University, and we’ll look to play the best non-league schedule we can to prepare us for future post-season matches.” Kulik hopes the Wildcats will soon be able to host an NCAA tournament game on the field where they have seen so much success. There’s an unspoken air about the men’s soccer team at Johnson & Wales — a supreme confidence and a measure of pride that this ride won’t soon end.

4 [1] Teagan Drake ’19 after scoring the lone goal in the 2015 GNAC tournament final [2] Doug Kase ’16 fights his way into the box on a corner kick in the 2015 GNAC final. [3] Xavier Carty ’17 celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Coast Guard Academy in a 5-1 victory over the Cadets.

[4] D evin Walshe ’17 holds the GNAC championship trophy as the team celebrates its third consecutive championship in 2015.

www.jwu.edu

CHARLOTTE

PROFILES in SUCCESS

Contributers Denise Dowling Philip Eil Rachel Lacaille Mary Sward Photography Adi Adinayeve Mike Cohea Taylor Taz Johnson

Clark Barlowe ’09 Chef and Owner

DENVER Aniedra Nichols ’03 Chef and Partner Marisol Villagomez ’06 Sports Marketer

NEW YORK Leslie Ferrier ’90 Human Resources VP Thomas Joseph ’06 Food Developer Mark Ladner ’90 Executive Chef and Owner Carlos Moreno ’02 Educator

MIAMI Elyzabeth Estrada ’14 Emergency Manager Michele Olivier ’90, ’92 M.S. Hospitality VP Jose Resendez ’07 Account Executive

“OH,

THE PLACES YOU’LL GO ”

is one of those iconic graduation gifts. The whimsical yet sage advice in this Dr. Seuss classic has prodded countless young adults to mute the Greek Chorus as they face a horizon of possibility: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.”

SAN FRANCISCO

The Johnson & Wales University graduates you’ll read about on the following pages have charted their destinies. They sailed away from the safe harbor, chasing careers that have landed them around the country — or the other side of the world. When an idea ﬂatlined, they tacked port or starboard. Most importantly, they haven’t let success swell their heads or failure darken their hearts. As Seuss cautions, one can’t happen without the other:

Robert Stiles ’80 Hotel Capital Advisor

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)”

SAN DIEGO Dan Zelikman ’06 Filmmaker and Marketer

www.jwu.edu

MARISOL VILLAGOMEZ ’06

s a child, watching the Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos games together was a chance for Marisol Villagomez ’06 to bond with her father, who juggled multiple jobs to support his wife and their four daughters. Her job now, she says, is “to create positive memories for people.” She has her father to thank for her Johnson & Wales education. Villagomez initially planned to attend college out of state. The border crossing would prove that she could survive independent of their tightly woven traditional Mexican family. But her father disagreed: “A good Mexican girl does not leave the family until she’s married.” After a JWU campus visit, Villagomez had no doubts about attending. “When you have students from all parts of the world, there may be instances when others make you feel that you don’t fit in,” says Villagomez. “The staff supported me every step of the way. ‘Papa Heff’ (Marketing Associate Professor Kris Hefley) was like a dad to us all. “JWU’s emphasis on carrying yourself as a brand helped me analyze myself in a professional and personal level and aided my growth,” she adds. Within three months of her marketing and advertising agency internship, Villagomez was put in charge of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism account. Soon after graduation, she became the coordinator of multicultural marketing and advertising for the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Now manager of fan development for the Denver Broncos, one of Villagomez’s many programs is Crush, a fan club for women that hosts everything from fantasy football to a workout series focused on conditioning principles. And before Super Bowl 50, she helped give the Broncos a “home field advantage” by “turning San Francisco orange.” We all know how that mission ended — a definite success story.

Spring 2016

B.S. Marketing Manager of Fan Development, Denver Broncos Football Team Greater Denver Area, Colorado

DAN ZELIKMAN ’06

“M

B.S. Entrepreneurship, International Business Founder and Director, Moostache Films Greater San Diego Area

y belief is that people are kinda getting sick of being sold,” says Dan Zelikman ’06. “If people like what they hear, they’ll know what to do.” This would explain why, when Zelikman launched his own marketing company in 2014, the mission was simple: “Stop selling and tell your story.” And that’s just what he’s done, producing everything from Kickstarter films about handmade skateboards to a documentary on a technology-free summer camp in Pennsylvania. Zelikman’s love of moving images goes back to when he was a teenager who recorded movies onto VHS tapes so he could watch them over and over to figure out what made them work. You might see his current career as a combination of that passion and the experiences that followed. While studying abroad in Sweden and Australia during his time at JWU, he got hands-on marketing training with Volvo engineers and the team at [yellow tail] wines, respectively. After school, he jumped from a Wall Street media-planning gig, to a marketing job in Hawaii where he worked with megaclients like Sprint and Microsoft, to co-founding a San Diego-based firm called Mentalpez that earned him a spot on a 2012 Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for marketing and advertising. “If money was not something I had to worry about, I would produce feature narrative films and documentaries,” he says. “That’s where my heart is. I’m obsessed with storytelling; I’m always writing scripts.” But, right now, he seems pretty happy running his own company. Head to moostachefilms.com to see some of the mini-features he makes for fun, like “The Big Calzone” (about an out-of-shape dad who faces off against a seasoned mixed-martial-arts fighter) and “Side Swiped’’ (about a couple that tries their hand at modern dating apps).

www.jwu.edu

MARK LADNER ’90

t this point, Mark Ladner’s success isn’t really a matter of dispute. In 2010, a New York Times critic gave Del Posto a rare four-star review and described Ladner’s pastas as “insanely good.” That same year, Ladner ’90 co-wrote a cookbook with food-world megastar and Del Posto co-owner Mario Batali. A few years later, in 2015, the James Beard Foundation named Ladner the best chef in New York City. And, a few weeks later, at Johnson & Wales’ commencement in Providence, he was given an honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts degree. But this doesn’t mean the 46-year-old is resting on his achievements. In 2014, he hit the road with an ambitious mobile gluten-free pasta project called “Pasta Flyer,” which he launched with the help of a successful $85,000 Kickstarter campaign. (The truck was mobbed when it made a September 2014 stop at Johnson & Wales’ Providence Campus.) He’s scheduled to publish a second cookbook later in 2016. And, despite the constant pressure of being an acclaimed chef in one of the world’s culinary capitals, he remains intensely committed to “providing something that’s compelling to people. “I spend much of my time on trying to figure out how to stay relevant and creating an experience that people respond positively to.” He seems to be doing okay with the whole positiveresponse thing. During his tenure, Del Posto has received a Michelin star, a Grand Award from Wine Spectator and a Five Diamond Award from AAA.

Spring 2016

A.S. Culinary Arts Executive Chef, Del Posto; Founder, Pasta Flyer New York, New York

LESLIE FERRIER ’90

“E

B.S. Hospitality Management Vice President of Human Resources, Momofuku Greater New York City Area

arlier in my career, I jumped between two people fighting with knives in a kitchen. I’ve broken up drug deals in walk-ins. I was here for September 11th, evacuating a building when we didn’t know what was going on … I dealt with an anthrax issue. I’ve dealt with suicides.” This is Leslie Ferrier ’90 describing more than 20 years in human resources. Or, at least, the more exciting days. Most of the time, HR is simply about making a company run smoothly. And she’s adamant that it’s as important as any executive-level function. “Every single challenge in an organization is a human challenge,” she says. “So, the impact that I can make by dealing with the stickiest, most challenging issues is profound.” Ferrier knows what she’s talking about. Over the span of her career, she’s worked at hotels, a carpet and home-furnishing store, a women’s footwear company, a tech start-up, and a multi-billion dollar marketing firm. Nowadays, she works at one of the hottest food companies in the world, which, among other acclaimed projects, recently opened a wildly popular restaurant in Washington, D.C., that needed to hire 175 employees. Ferrier helped make it happen. (“It’s pretty crazy,” she says. “We are on a growth trajectory.”) In addition to her experiences in the HR trenches, it was a JWU education that “profoundly affected my ability to grow and to take on challenges,” she says. At JWU, “You’re not just sitting in a classroom. You’re working. You’re learning. You’re hands-on.” She mentions a conversation with her husband many years ago where he said, “I graduated from school and I have the degree, but I don’t have the experience. You actually know how to do something.” Yes, she does. And as for those wild stories? “At the end of all this, I’m going to write a book.”

www.jwu.edu

ROBERT STILES ’80

‌obert Stiles ’80 realized during his first 45 days at JWU that he didn’t want to be a chef. Like other starry-eyed freshmen, he wanted a relationship, but finishing work at 1 a.m. was more conducive to vampires. “Had I stumbled into some large liberal arts program, I’m not sure I would have focused on ‘What do I really want to do with my life?’ ” he says. “Other students motivated me because they were so careeroriented.” Although his high school GPA hovered slightly above the ocean floor, Stiles became on point. He graduated at the pinnacle of the program, then pursued his fascination with how hotels are built and capitalized by attending Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, finishing second in his class. Stiles then founded hotel and resort development and investment advisory platforms throughout Asia before returning to the States. In 2013, he and two partners founded RobertDouglas, which structures and arranges capital for investors as well as hotel or resort owners. Their Silicon-laced attitude was, ‘It’s better to have launched a startup and failed than never to have done one at all.’ “It’s a leap of faith for people to join a startup,” he says. “But employees are more invested financially and emotionally; they want to be part of the success story.” And they are: In three years, RobertDouglas has become a highly profitable, top-tier competitive option. “We look after our employees first, clients second and investors third. If you prioritize delivering profits to investors, you can alienate clients and employees who feel you don’t have their interests first.” Stiles, who might be finalizing a multimillion-dollar transaction with Chinese investors at midnight Pacific time, relishes his job: “You can be working on three to five divergent projects simultaneously in different parts of the world. It’s exhilarating!”

Spring 2016

A.S. Culinary Arts Managing Director & Principal, RobertDouglas Hotel Capital Advisors San Francisco Bay Area, California

ELYZABETH ESTRADA ’14

B.S. Criminal Justice Support Specialist, Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management Miami, Florida

urricanes. Mass-shootings. Disease outbreaks. Nuclear power disasters. It’s the job of the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to prepare for these scenarios. Which means it’s the job of people like Elyzabeth Estrada ’14. Specifically, Estrada works on a program called the Emergency Evacuation Assistance Program, which ensures that local residents who need storm-time assistance — whether they’re blind, or bed-bound, or they rely on dialysis machines — can get to a safe and secure place before a storm hits. Estrada helps educate citizens about the program and works with the transportation providers who make it happen. When she first started at Johnson & Wales, she was interested in a career as an FBI agent. But then, during a class on cyber security and terrorism in her junior year, she learned about emergency-response work. Her interest in the field turned into an internship with the Miami-Dade OEM, which turned into a postcollege job she “completely loves.” By now, she’s fluent in emergency-ese and quick to ring off facts like the dates of South Florida’s hurricane season (June 1 to November 30). Someday, she says she’d love to move to another major city to work on snowstorm or earthquake preparedness/response, and after that, perhaps work as director of security for a major university. But, for now, she says, “Every day I get excited to come to work. I’m learning something new.” Among the lessons she’s learned? While people often associate disaster-response with national offices like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in reality, she notes, “All emergencies happen on a local level first.”

www.jwu.edu

CARLOS MORENO ’02

“I

believe I am in the most ambitious innovation business of all,” Carlos Moreno ’02 told the crowd at Business Innovation Factory’s Collaborative Innovation Summit last year. “I, and my colleagues at Big Picture Learning, innovate human beings.” For the next 18 minutes (which are viewable on YouTube), Moreno commanded the stage, discussing his upbringing in the Bronx — how he could see Fordham University from his bedroom window, how he was violently mugged one day while walking to school — and how, today, he works to provide students with resources he wishes he had. At one point in the talk, he explained that the “secret sauce” of Big Picture Learning — which operates 65 elementary to high schools in the U.S., and others around the world — has four key ingredients. One: Pay attention to the whole student. Two: Start by working with a student’s strengths. Three: Provide a range of innovative assessment options. And, four: Allow students to learn via real-world experiences, like internships. According to Moreno, “Every student should have an opportunity to experience the world outside of his window.” For Moreno, Johnson & Wales was instrumental to his growth, from the camaraderie he enjoyed on one of the school’s first basketball teams, to the consensusbuilding skills he learned in the classroom. And he is quick to point out a link between his experiences and the ethos that drives him today. JWU was his first exposure to academic work he was passionate about and teachers who wholeheartedly supported him, he says. “So that kind of connection … that a lot of secondary school-level kids don’t have an opportunity for? I feel like I had that with my JWU corps of professors.”

Spring 2016

A.S. Business Administration, B.S. Marketing Executive Director, Big Picture Learning Greater New York City Area

CLARK BARLOWE ’09

B.S. Culinary Arts Executive Chef/Owner, Heirloom Restaurant Charlotte, North Carolina

fter his graduation, Clark Barlowe ’09 worked inside some of the world’s top restaurants, including Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry and the celebrated El Bulli in Barcelona. But when this seventh-generation North Carolinian decided to open his own restaurant, his roots pulled him home. At Barlowe’s farm-to-fork restaurant Heirloom in Charlotte, he sources all ingredients and products locally — even the liquor, wine, salt and the soap in the restroom. An experienced forager, he often uses wild ingredients in his menu: “It forces us to innovate because there’s really no research on it, and not a lot of recipes for foraged ingredients.” His menu is a far cry from the fried food or stews and braises that many associate with Southern food. “I describe the food as ‘locally sourced, globally inspired,’ ” he says. “We do very traditional Korean dishes, Middle Eastern dishes, African, German and South American dishes. The ingredients really dictate what we do. This was partly from my education at Johnson & Wales and partly from the experience I gained after graduation, when I traveled and worked at a lot of really great restaurants.” Since its opening, Heirloom has earned many regional and national accolades, appearing on several “best of” lists in Charlotte Magazine and in 2015, was named by OpenTable.com as one of the 100 Best Restaurants for Foodies in America. Given his strong community ties, it’s no surprise that Barlowe includes the people he works with in his definition of success: “If the restaurant is sustainable, provides a good quality of life for the employees and myself, and we’re able to support all these great partners that we work with, from the winemakers to brewers to farmers, that’s the most important thing for me.”

www.jwu.edu

MICHELE OLIVIER ’90

n theory, Michele Olivier’s job is simple. “I’m trying to make people happy,” she says. “I’m trying to give them a great vacation.” The reality, though, is a bit more complicated. From her home office in Miami, Olivier ’90, ’92 M.S. works with team members based in New York, Chicago, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. She frequently travels to meet vacation wholesalers or to drop in on the resorts themselves. And, all the while, she’s monitoring customer feedback on sites like TripAdvisor. These days, she’s building on more than a decade and a half of experience in the business, ranging from work as a tour guide in Aruba to a stint as a VP of sales, marketing and revenue at a Hilton-owned resort in the Dominican Republic. And if you trace that training back a little further, you land at Johnson & Wales. The school “gave me a great outline of the industry that served me very well when I started my career,” she says. “I was in a chef’s coat one day and a business suit the next.” Olivier says she’s a “culture traveler” who loves to absorb the history and flavor of places like the Czech Republic or Morocco. And, when you hear her describe it, this is the kind of experience she sells, too. Caribbean islands “have wonderful beaches, wonderful sun, wonderful sand and surf, and they have amazing cultures that they actually want to share,” she says. “That’s why a place like Jamaica is such a big resort destination: The people are very proud of their heritage, and they want to share it. They want to invite people to enjoy what they have.”

Spring 2016

B.S. Hospitality Management, M.S. Managerial Technology ’92 Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Aimbridge Hospitality (Resort Division) Miami, Florida

JOSE RESENDEZ ’07

A.S. Marketing Senior Account Executive and Publicist, FleishmanHillard Miami, Florida

ose Resendez’s LinkedIn page notes that he has “native or bilingual proficiency” in both Spanish and English. It also reports that Resendez ’07 has “full professional proficiency” in “#Hashtags.” It’s hard to find a better introduction for a guy who has more than 8,000 Instagram followers, a “Best Latino on Twitter” nod from Miami’s “Hispanicize 2015” convention, and a recent PR-industry “30 Under 30” spotlight from AdWeek, which noted his skills as a “Hispanic social media influencer.” Working for an international public relations and marketing firm sounds pretty exciting, and Resendez confirms: it is. Since joining FleishmanHillard, he has worked with globally recognized brands (CoverGirl, AT&T), collaborated with A-list celebrities and built a network of hundreds of bloggers. But he attributes one of his most important lessons to his time at Johnson & Wales. He was working on a case study that involved developing a marketing campaign for Toyota when he had a kind of “Aha!” moment. While listening to his group members’ various ideas, he realized not everyone sees a brand the same way you see it. To succeed in marketing, he realized, “You have to put yourself in other people’s shoes, to see different points of view and different angles.” The moment was emblematic of his overall Johnson & Wales experience. One of the things he loved about the school was that “the people sitting next to me were from Trinidad and Tobago, from the Virgin Islands, from South America, from Canada,” he says. “And so I was able to learn not only from the professors, but also my classmates.”

www.jwu.edu

THOMAS JOSEPH ’06

s there anything Thomas Joseph ’06 can’t cook? After watching a few of the “Kitchen Conundrums” videos he’s starred in, the answer appears to be “No.” There are more than 50 total on marthastewart.com, ranging from “Tips & Tricks for Meatball Perfection” to “The Trick to Baking Perfect Meringues” to “How to Steam and Eat an Artichoke.” What’s more impressive is that the show, “Kitchen Conundrums,” is only a fraction of what Joseph does. “Every day is very different,” he says. “I could be shooting a video one day. I could be working on developing a baking mix the next day. I could be contributing to our magazine the next day and then working on a television show with Martha.” Joseph says his culinary curiosity was sparked as a kid in the kitchen with his father, who owned a catering company outside of Buffalo, New York. Years later, he got his entrée to the TV-food business via a Johnson & Wales internship at the Boston-based, Emmy®nominated PBS show “Simply Ming,” starring the chef Ming Tsai. Fast forward a few more years and he was doling out Thanksgiving cooking tips on-air on Martha Stewart’s satellite radio channel and helping the lifestyle guru open her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, the Martha Stewart Cafe, in the lobby of her Manhattan headquarters. All of this isn’t to say that Joseph has mastered everything at the intersection of food and media. He says that food styling for photo shoots (another one of Joseph’s passions) presents its own perennial challenges: “It’s always a bit of a tricky thing to photograph a soufflé as it’s deflating.”

Spring 2016

B.S. Culinary Nutrition Director of Food Development, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia New York, New York

ANIEDRA NICHOLS ’03

A.S. Culinary Arts Chef/Partner, Fish N Beer Denver, Colorado

here are those of us who go our whole lives without realizing our passions. Aniedra Nichols ’03 is not one of those people. “I’ve always known I wanted to be a chef,” she says. Eschewing Saturday morning cartoons, Nichols favored cooking shows on PBS. But a cooking career seemed financially risky, and Nichols later found herself pursuing a physical therapy degree: “I really wasn’t into it, and I entered this sort of limbo.” Her mother was the deciding force. “She asked me, ‘If you could do anything, what would it be?’ And I immediately said, ‘Cook.’ ” And so it was decided. After graduating from JWU’s Denver Campus, Nichols cooked in various Denverarea eateries, eventually landing at Elway’s Cherry Creek. Over nine years, she worked her way up from line cook to executive chef. In 2015, her hard work was rewarded as her dish “Braised Beef Cheeks with Horseradish Gnocchi, Wilted Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Reduction” was chosen as one of the James Beard Editors’ Favorite Dishes. Nichols credits much of her success to her ability to learn from others — a skill she nurtured at JWU: “When newbies come into the kitchen, you need to sit back and learn from them instead of taking the reins immediately. They have as much to teach you as you have to teach them.” Her success continues as she is set to open a new venture as chef/partner: Fish N Beer, a value-driven concept in Denver’s trendy River North Art District (RiNo). “It’s a great opportunity,” she says. “I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me.”

www.jwu.edu

FROM PAPER TO PLATE ~ The Culinary Artistry of Will Brown ’17 ~

THE FIRST THING you see when you walk into “From Paper to Plate,” a current exhibit at JWU Providence’s Culinary Arts Museum, is a smiling pig wearing a jaunty chef’s hat. That pig is a mascot of sorts for artist — and JWU Providence culinary arts student — Will Brown ’17, who uses art to document, as well as inspire, new ideas. For Brown, who grew up in Dallas, Texas, art and food are inseparable. His mom is pastry chef Michele Brown ’87, his grandmother is a watercolorist and his aunt works in letterpress. The quietly intense Brown considers the kitchen to be his studio — both as a place for creating new dishes (edible art), and for documenting culinary creativity through sketches, paintings and detailed concept drawings. A true multitasker, Brown takes a notebook with him everywhere. “I may get inspired at lunch, or in class, or just sitting with a cup of coffee,” he explains. Each blank page is an opportunity to brainstorm a new dish, sketch an imaginary restaurant concept or detail out what he’s learning in the classroom. Although his notes are sometimes functional (how to break down a whole animal, for example), each page is his way of remembering and sparking new ideas. Inspiration can come from anywhere, says Brown: “I tweak and deconstruct dishes into components — anything can be turned into an idea or product. I may take some food — or part of an

advertisement — and re-envision it into a new dish. Whether or not the finished product works is not my goal. It is more to simply have an idea that can be refined through trial and error, and revised until perfect.” Brown and his brother Bennett ’14 grew up helping their mom in her pastry shop. Taking culinary classes was a given for the high school student, but he also gravitated toward art classes, sketching everywhere he could. In between volunteering for catering events in Dallas or assisting at World Master Chefs Society events, Brown sketched from his favorite “weird cartoons” (Ren & Stimpy; Dexter’s Laboratory), dreamed up tattoo ideas inspired by master rock poster artist Frank Kozik, and even painted a guitar for a local charity auction. Fast-forward to JWU, where drawing is clearly a pathway to unlocking — and refining — Brown’s best culinary ideas. It’s also his way of networking — like documenting a visit from the ChefSteps team when they were on campus to demonstrate modernist techniques. (These techniques feature heavily in many of Brown’s conceptual dishes, like a design for a “gâteau au printemps” centered around a blood-orange sponge cake with compressed watermelon, frozen pomegranate and goat milk, and a honeydew-and-cantaloupe melon tuile.) What’s next? Brown has added some intense jobs to his résumé, including an internship at the Park City Club in Dallas, and a summer spent at Jamestown, Rhode Island’s award-winning Fish, where he met and cooked for Jacques Pepin. He already has his sights set on his next internship — appropriately at the Museum of Modern Art’s restaurant, The Modern. ~ Andrea Feldman

FROM PAPER to PLATE is on view at the JWU Providence Culinary Arts Museum through November 28, 2016.

Spring 2016

www.jwu.edu

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR THE JWU FUND

he JWU Fund, which supports the highest priorities of the university, is headed for another year of increased giving from faculty and staff, alumni, friends of the university, students and families. Already the fund has reached out to more than 60,000 people through mail appeals, phonathons, Philanthropy Day, All-Class Reunion and personal solicitations. There is still time for you to be part of this important effort to support the university. In fact, if the mail doesn’t come through or the callers don’t connect with you, the university now has a new website where you can make your gift: giving.jwu.edu. A few other things are different as well. “Alumni have told us that they enjoy talking to phonathon students,” notes Ann-Marie Reddy, director of the annual fund. “This year, we increased the number of callers and calling hours. Students have broadened our outreach to alumni, updating their information, telling them about JWU today, encouraging them to connect with JWU in person or through the new alumni website at alumni.jwu.edu. Oh, yes, and asking them for a donation to the university.” Samantha Herard-Barrette, annual fund officer, notes that this year she has coordinated the efforts of 31 callers over 3,963 hours, who have spoken with 5,369 alumni so far. Student callers are enthusiastic about the opportunity to speak with alumni, and Herard-Barrette says that hearing from the students is the best way to understand the important connections being forged between alumni and students through the JWU Fund.

KIMBERLY VIAFARA ’17 Counseling Psychology Women’s basketball small forward “I heard about phonathon from a few players on the men’s basketball team who are callers. I sometimes help with Spanish-speaking alumni because I am fluent. My experience has helped me understand what it is like to be a graduate. I’m looking forward to continuing to be part of the JWU community even after I leave next year. Moving on doesn’t mean I’ll no longer be a Wildcat!” RIELLE GRIGGS ’19 Criminal Justice Member of Black Student Alliance and National Student Organizations “Phonathon is not just a job. It is resources, networking and advice from alumni who are already in the field I’m majoring in. I am one of the youngest callers and returning phonathon callers always offer me help and advice. You can count on your coworkers and we are always there for each other. When other callers are successful, I’m inspired to have better phone conversations.”

~ Ann-Marie Reddy

SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS OF AMERICA SUPPORTS JWU SCHOLARSHIPS JWU and SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS of AMERICA Inc.,

the nation’s leading wine and spirits distributor, announced a first-ever gift from Southern to support scholarships for beverage management students on the North Miami Campus. “Johnson & Wales University is committed to providing the highest quality education,” said Larry Rice, Ed.D., ’90, president of the North Miami Campus. “Affordability has become more difficult, particularly during the past several years. We are grateful to Southern Wine & Spirits for their support and commitment to developing our future leaders.” JWU and Southern have teamed up to enhance the experience of students planning to enter

Spring 2016

the beverage industry. Students from the North Miami Campus get hands-on experience as volunteers at the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival, hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida. President and CEO Wayne Chaplin and Lee Brian Schrager, vice president of corporate communications and national events, visited the North Miami Campus last fall to share real-world experiences with the campus community. Eric Hemer, senior vice president and director of wine education at Southern Wine & Spirits, was the Distinguished Visiting Sommelier at the Providence Campus in 2015. “Southern is honored to provide a scholarship for beverage management studies,” said Chaplin. “We’re committed to giving Miami students a

hands-on experience through the festival and to providing them with the tools and education to excel in our industry.” The JWU School of Hospitality’s beverage management program offers students access to world-renowned beverage instructors and a mixology lab. The North Miami Campus is home to the only French Wine Scholar certification course in South Florida and several Wine & Spirit Education Trust courses, as well as recreational wine classes open to the public.

~ Julia S. Emlen

William R. Tiefel ’98 Hon. Professors

A DOZEN YEARS WITH THE WILLIAM R. TIEFEL ’98 HON. PROFESSORIAL CHAIR PROGRAM THIS YEAR JWU STUDENTS once again had the opportunity to engage

with hospitality industry leaders thanks to the gift of William R. Tiefel ’98 Hon., a longtime executive at Marriott International and chairman emeritus of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Students on the North Miami and Charlotte campuses met with George J. Palladino, president of the Palladino Group, Palm Beach, Florida, and former global human resources officer for Marriott International. Students on the Denver and Providence campuses spent time with Daniel R. Flannery, senior vice president and managing director of EDITION Hotels. Their visits included classroom sessions and meetings, as well as presentations to the greater campus communities. In 2003, in keeping with his commitment to education, which he describes as “the foundation upon which the hospitality industry builds its future,” Tiefel established the William R. Tiefel Professorial Chair Program. The university’s first endowed chair brings senior hospitality executives to the campuses to interact with students on issues facing the hospitality industry. Paul McVety, dean of the JWU School of Hospitality, notes: “The Tiefel Professorial Chair Program shows how our experiential education model works to ensure that our students gain valuable knowledge in their pursuit of promising hospitality careers.” Tiefel underwrites the program annually and has made a planned gift to guarantee that it continues in the future. Since 2004, 14 executives from various sectors of the hospitality industry have served as Tiefel distinguished visiting professors. ~ Julia S. Emlen

2015 J. W. Marriott, Jr. ’95 Hon. Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International Inc. 2014 Robert J. “Bob” McCarthy Retired COO, Marriott International, Inc. Chairman, Hotel Development, Partners LLC Chairman, McCarthy Investments LLC 2014 Ezzat S. Coutry Retired Senior Vice President, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company 2013 Jean Cohen Former COO, Atlantis Bahamas/Kerzer International and Former Vice President and General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman 2013 Deborah Marriott Harrison Global Officer, Culture and Business Councils, Marriott International Inc.

2012 Robin Uler President, Fresh Take LLC 2010 DeNita L. Turner President and CEO, Image Builders Inc. 2009 Roger J. Dow ’09 Hon. President and CEO, U.S. Travel Association 2007 Niki Leondakis CEO, Commune Hotels and Resorts LLC 2006 Stephen P. Weisz ’01 Hon. President and CEO, Marriott Vacations Worldwide 2005 Don Landry Owner and President, Top Ten Hospitality Advisors 2004 Michael Leven ’00 Hon. Chairman and CEO, Georgia Aquarium Inc. Former COO, The Las Vegas Sands

CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF® BRAND ENDOWS SCHOLARSHIP CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF® BRAND (CAB), head-

quartered in Wooster, Ohio, has been a friend of Johnson & Wales University for a number of years. CAB was founded in the 1970s when a group of beef farmers decided they could collectively produce its Certified Angus Beef ® Brand. Introducing the brand to future chefs has informed the relationship with the university. Each year, CAB chefs participate in Purchasing, Product Identification & Protein Fabrication classes on the Providence Campus. CAB sponsors faculty tours to observe ranchers and processing methods that meet CAB’s standards. The university reached out to CAB to supply beef for a James Beard House dinner in Manhattan in 2014, and in 2015 CAB was a sponsor of the Centennial House dedication on the Denver Campus. Since 2012, CAB has supported culinary students on all campuses with the Certified Angus Beef ® Brand Annual Scholarship. In 2015, CAB pledged $50,000 to establish the Certified Angus Beef ® Brand Endowed Scholarship. Mary McMillen, director of consumer marketing, and Mark McCully, vice president of production, visited the Providence Campus this

MARK McCULLY CAB vice president of production and MARY McMILLEN, CAB’s director of consumer marketing, with students at the Providence Campus.

year to celebrate the new scholarship. “It’s a pleasure to work with JWU faculty and students,” says McMillen. “We want the brand to be the go-to resource for successive classes of chefs. We choose to educate rather than advocate for our brand.” ~ Randy Rosenthal

www.jwu.edu

ALUMNI NEWS

Spring 2016

CHARLESTON AND NORFOLK REUNIONS THIS PAST SPRING JWU Alumni Relations held two All-Class

Reunions — one in Charleston, South Carolina (opposite), and the other in Norfolk, Virginia (this page) — and a great time was had by all. Alumni began arriving on the Friday afternoons so the excitement built all weekend. More than 200 classmates from JWU’s former campuses and their guests enjoyed a weekend of connecting with friends and former classmates, as well as dancing and dining. Highlights of the weekend included visits back to the former JWU sites for group photos, visiting alumni-owned and operated restaurants, walking tours to see how the cities have changed, visiting with former faculty members and much more. The reunions were not about discussing accomplishments and achievements. Rather, they were about how the years together impacted everyone and how the university influenced people’s lives. The consensus was that it most definitely had — not just through the classes and what was learned but through the friendships that were made and kept. As everyone left, plans were being made to see each other again soon and, for sure, at the next reunion. For more photos visit alumni.jwu.edu.

ALUMNI TOAST FOND MEMORIES and reminisce with former classmates in Charleston, South Carolina (opposite page). In Norfolk, Virginia (this page), graduates reunite while the next generation is in tow.

www.jwu.edu

ALUMNI NEWS

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS Left to right, top row: Elyzabeth Estrada ’14, Staceyann Sinclair ’01, Whitney Kidd ’09, Giselle Pinto ’13, Bradley Kilgore ’06, Jacob Coldiron ’10, Dario Stephen ’09 Left to right, bottom row: Corey Patterson ’08, Alexie Creary ’07, Darryl “Chip” Wade ’83, ’06 Hon. Missing from photo: Brandon Campbell ’07 and Xavier Torres ’07

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS are presented to JWU alumni who have made

outstanding contributions to their professions and achieved a career of noteworthy accomplishment. Recipients are selected on the basis of excellence in their career achievements and contributions to the community. On March 14, the North Miami Campus awarded their 2016 honorees: Darryl “Chip” Wade ’83, ’06 Hon., received the Distinguished Alumni Award and Staceyann Sinclair ’01 received the Spirit Award. In addition to these awards, 10 alumni were honored in the “10 under 10” category of alumni who have graduated within the last decade. Darryl “Chip” Wade ’83, ’06 Hon., Staceyann Sinclair ’01

Spring 2016

MYTH #1

Friendships end after graduation.

Get connected now! Visit the all new

ALUMNI.JWU.EDU

CLASS NOTES 1976

1989

WALTER ZUROMSKI PVD

[3] TERRENCE WILLIAMS

LINCOLN, RHODE ISLAND

Walter, president and culinary director for Chef Services Group in Rhode Island, co-presented “Food as Medicine: Re-Tooling Your Menu and Your Heath’’ at this year’s Research Chefs Association Conference in Denver, Colorado. Fellow graduate Leah Sarris ’05 (PVD) was the co-presenter.

1987 [1, 2] BRYANT MCCOMBS

PVD

FOLSOM, PENNSYLVANIA

Bryant’s Kickin’ Chicken and Waffles recipe was recently unveiled at Talen Energy Stadium in the Authentic Philly concession stand for the Philadelphia Union’s season, which runs until October. KAREN MUSA PVD ALLEN, TEXAS

Karen is program chair of the Institute of Hospitality at Collin College in Frisco.

1988 DEAN MESSINA CHS DUNKIRK, NEW YORK

Dean was promoted to director of dining services for the Faculty Student Association at Fredonia State University of New York.

PVD

MONROE, NEW JERSEY

Terrence is human resources director at OTG Management in New York, New York.

1991 [4] GREG GRISANTI CHS BATAVIA, OHIO

Greg, director of research and development for Frisch’s Big Boy in Cincinnati, co-presented, “Trans Fats 101: The Government Rules” at this year’s Research Chefs Association Conference in Denver, Colorado.

NANCY HESLIN-JACOBSON

PVD

SWANSEA, MASSACHUSETTS

Nancy is a fifth-grade teacher at the Elizabeth S. Brown Elementary School in Swansea.

1992 JEFFREY GLEIM PVD CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Jeff is the owner of Scratch Kitchen in Charleston.

1993 CHARLES THAIN NOR VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

Charles is the executive chef and owner of Blue Seafood & Spirits. JOSHUA WEISSBARD PVD

L-R: Timothy Silva ’14 and Terrence Williams ’89

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK

Joshua is director of food and beverage operations at the newly renovated InterContinental Hotel Barclay New York.

PVD Providence NMI North Miami DEN Denver CLT Charlotte CHS Charleston NOR Norfolk VAIL Vail International ONL Online

Greg Grisanti ’91 at left

Spring 2016

1994

1995

1998

CARLOS CROVATO PVD

ADAM GEWANTER PVD

KELLI CULLEN PVD

LAURA BULLOCK PVD

HENDERSON, NEVADA

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

Adam is the director of operations at the Tao Group in Las Vegas.

Kelli is the chief operating officer of Clark County Credit Union.

[5] NICHOLAS MAKRIS ’98

DAVID MILLER PVD

Laura has been writing professionally for years. Her newest poetry and children’s books are available on Amazon.

BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND

David owns and operates Chef By Request Catering in the Chicago Market and is celebrating 20 years in business. This fall, he is opening a new wedding and events venue in downtown Naperville on the second floor of the new Hotel Indigo. Elements at Water Street will be a 10,000square-foot organic contemporary events venue.

Carlos founded PREMIER International Lodging Consulting, which provides tailored advisory services for hotel development and positioning in Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded with a long-term partnership philosophy, the company offers Market Intelligence and Strategic Growth Consulting studies, forecasting performance in emerging economies for all types of hotels from boutique to all-inclusive luxury resorts.

MBA PVD

Nicholas is the vice president of S.P.A. Co. Inc., which includes Andreas Restaurant in Providence. Nick is also an assistant professor at JWU’s School of Hospitality. He presented an educational session titled “Food That Drives Beverage Sales” at Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

AURORA, ILLINOIS

1996 JOSEPH DAMICO PVD FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS

BRENT A. MUCKRIDGE PVD PALMETTO BAY, FLORIDA

Brent is the executive in residence in Entrepreneurship for the School of Business at JWU’s North Miami Campus. ELIZABETH SARRO M.S.

PVD

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

Elizabeth is the president and administrator of Bethany Home; she oversees the 33-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation community. She is a licensed home administrator and a registered dietitian whose work was published in Health Care Facilities Quarterly Journal and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

NOR

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Jose is the executive sous chef for Norwegian Cruise Line, based in Miami, Florida.

1999 SHANNON RUTKOWSKI

PVD

LITTLE ELM, TEXAS

Shannon is the senior event manager at the Hilton Anatole Corporation in Dallas.

Joseph is the district manager for Aramark’s west region.

2000

JENNIFER GANLY PVD

SMYRNA, TENNESSEE

ADDISON, TEXAS

JOSE FIGUEROA-SEARY

Jennifer is the assistant director of revenue at Hilton Hotel Corporation. ANTHONY SIMS PVD DALLAS, TEXAS

Anthony is an insurance agent for Allstate.

1997 AMY DAMICO PVD FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS

Amy is the space revenue manager at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. MONTGOMERY STAGGS

NMI

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TEXAS

Monty is the president of Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE). SAMUEL STANOVICH PVD RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS

Samuel is a Firehouse Subs area representative in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. He is also the CEO/founder of Stanovich Hospitality Inc.

JACOB STRANG NMI Jake is the executive chef at the Cafe at 1808 Grille and the Hutton Hotel in Nashville.

2002 HALEY CHAPIN DEN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

Haley, executive director at Tri-Lakes Cares, was named one of the Rising Stars by the Colorado Springs Business Journal at their annual reception on March 10. She has also been nominated for a 2016 Athena Award, which honors an outstanding community and business leader who encourages women to achieve their full leadership potential.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

DAVID ELKMAN PVD SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS

David is the manager of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Chestnut Hill. JEFFREY HOSTENSKE CHS SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

Jeff is the chef and owner of TEN, an American bistro in Phoenix. WILLIAM HYATT NMI FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

William is portfolio marketing manager at Southern Wine & Spirits. He handles more than 20 suppliers for the company. SHANNEN TUNE NMI RICHMOND, TEXAS

Shannen appeared on Food Network’s “Chopped” on March 8. He is the chef owner of Craft Burger Food Truck in Houston.

2003 KATJE AFONSECA PVD NORTH PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Katje was promoted from director of development to executive director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State (BBBSOS). She is responsible for ensuring the mission, strategy and goals of the organization while leading its operational, programmatic, talent management and fund development activities.

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES 2003 LAWRENCE FILIPPELLI ED.D. PVD GREENVILLE, RHODE ISLAND

Lawrence was recently promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent for the Scituate School Department. MICHAEL LALIBERTE ED.D.

PVD

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Michael, vice president for student affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, will begin as the new president for the State University of New York (SUNY)–Delhi this July.

2004 CHRISTOPHER CARRINGTON

NOR

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

Christopher is the district manager for Lee Wesley at the Norfolk Naval Base. JOSEPH CLEMKO PVD DALLAS, TEXAS

Joseph is an associate attorney at Beckmen Law in Grapevine.

[6, 7 ] ADAM KOST PVD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Adam, Harrison Ginsberg ‘13 (PVD), Brooke Jamrozik ‘15 (PVD) and Jacob Schiffman ‘05 (PVD) participated in a panel discussion titled “The Future of Flavor Trends” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas. Brian Warrener, an associate professor in the JWU School of Hospitality (Providence Campus), moderated the discussion. Brian authored an article on the takeaways from this discussion for Nightclub & Bar’s Bar IQ newsletter March 22, 2016 issue. Johnson & Wales University represents at Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, March 7-9. Pictured right: Johnson & Wales Student Fellowship Award winners from all campuses; Johnson & Wales SEEM student volunteers from Denver; alumni educational session presenters; JWU staff and faculty from Providence, Denver and Charlotte campuses.

Spring 2016

6 L-R: Professor Warrener, Adam Kost ’04, Harrison Ginseberg ’03, Brooke Jamrozik ’15 and Jacob Schiffman ’05 at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show

2005

JACOB SCHIFFMAN PVD

Andrew is the executive chef at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen and was recently nominated as a finalist for the 2016 James Beard Awards.

LEITH ADIE-STAHL PVD

AMOS WATTS DEN

DENVER, COLORADO

Jacob is the purchasing and events manager at The Food Network. Along with other alumni, he participated in a panel discussion titled, “The Future of Flavor Trends” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

ANDREW TICER CHS MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

DENVER, COLORADO

Amos is the executive chef at Old Major. JESSICA WASSER PVD LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS

Jessica is the front desk supervisor at The Hilton Garden Inn in Deven.

MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND

Leith is the purchasing manager at Hotel Viking in Newport. JUSTIN CHENTNIK DEN Justin is the director of business development at Saso Pepper Co. ABIGAIL NAGORSKI NMI BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

Abigail is the community outreach and education director at Farmer’s Table restaurant.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

2006 BRITTANY CARLTON PVD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Brittany is a dealer at The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

2006

JILL LAZAR ’09 MBA PVD

EVAN MOORE DEN

CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA

FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS

VANDER CARTER NMI

Jill invented the SweatSTR, a trendy sweat-absorbent towel. The business was featured in a spring episode of Oxygen Network’s new show, “Quit Your Day Job.”

Evan is a food service director at Aramark in Carrollton.

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY

In 2015, Vander created JestGreen, a locally sourced chef-inspired Greenery and Juices company based in Brooklyn, New York. He also won the Brooklyn Public Library PowerUp! Business Plan competition in 2014. CHAELYNN PACHECO DEN AURORA, COLORADO

Chaelynn won the Go the EXTRA Mile Award in 2015 from Visit Denver for her partnership with the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce. She also won the PacRock Strong Award with Marriott for making the highest impact for the Denver region. MICHAEL RONE PVD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Michael is a sommelier at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. KEVIN KALKUT PVD NORFOLK, MASSACHUSETTS

Kevin is the director of operational excellence at Real Mex Restaurants.

2007 ANTHONY ALEXANDER

PVD

QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS

Anthony is the assistant vice president of investor services at Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston. RHADA BOUJLIL DEN MORRISON, COLORADO

Rhada is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Financial Economics at the University of New Orleans in Louisiana after a career as a finance and economics professor at Dar Aluloom University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ALLISON DEVARNNE PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Allison is the event manager at ATR Treehouse.

ALLISON MARCONI PVD NEWMARKET, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Allison recently purchased Forbes Marketing Group, a promotional product company in New Hampshire, after an administrative assistant career. She also coaches the Portsmouth Clippers’ freshman girls basketball team at her former high school in Portsmouth. DANIEL SCHWARTZ PVD SEEKONK, MASSACHUSETTS

Daniel is the general manager at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island. JARED SCHULEFAND PVD BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT

Jared is the owner/chef of Home restaurant in Branford. JESSICA VANN CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Jessica is the director of sales for the Wingate by Wyndham in Concord.

RENO PALOMBIT DEN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Reno is a family and consumer sciences education consultant at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. EMILIO RODRIGUEZ PVD WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

Emilio founded and developed the Angels of Hope Mental Health Center and sold it to a national company in 2014. He is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Suriel Cigars (in the Dominican Republic), which has recently begun shipping to U.S. retailers. JULIE SPILLER CLT NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Julie is the dining room manager of The Charleston Grill. BENJAMIN ZIROLLI PVD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Benjamin is the general manager at Tao Downtown Nightclub in Manhattan.

2009

2008

ELEANOR KAMKE ’15 MBA

SAMANTHA BIRK DEN

DENVER, COLORADO

IRVING, TEXAS

Samantha is a credit and collections administrator for Multiview Inc. ANASTAZIA CARTER NMI MIAMI, FLORIDA

Anastazia is a culinary arts and sanitation instructor at Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes. She previously worked as a pastry chef at the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach. MARGARET JONES DEN GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO

Maggie is the director of banquets at the Hyatt Regency AuroraDenver Conference Center.

PVD

Eleanor is the catering sales manager with Service Systems Associates at the Denver Zoo. EVAN LEMOINE ’10 MBA

PVD

AMANDA RANOCHAK PVD LEVITTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Amanda is a regular contributor to The Mighty, a website that showcases personal stories and articles featuring individuals overcoming adversity from disability and mental illness. She writes under the pen name Mandy Ree. She is also a vacation planner for Walt Disney World. RYAN SHEA PVD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Ryan is a senior publisher at Mediaplanet, CEO of Manhattan Digest and a freelance writer for US magazine.

2010 BRANDON BARNES CLT GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS

Brandon is part of the culinary support team at Sage Dining Services Inc. THACH TRAN DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Thach is the executive chef at Uncle Joe’s Hong Kong Bistro, a new casual-dining Asian noodle house in downtown Denver.

2011 MARK LANCE DEN AKRON, OHIO

Mark is a culinary technologist at The J.M. Smucker Co. He co-presented a workshop titled “The Art of the Food: Behind the Shots” at this year’s Research Chefs Association Conference in Denver, Colorado.

VERNON ROCKVILLE, CONNECTICUT

TIMOTHY PETTIT CLT

Evan is the supervisor of operational audit at Aix Group, a subsidiary of Hanover Insurance, in Windsor.

Tim is the sous chef at the Old Village Post House in Charleston.

JASON PINA ED.D. PVD NORTH PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

SUMMERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

STEVEN TISDALE CLT GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA

Steven is head chef at Chacon’s on Winyah Bay.

Jason will begin his position as vice president for student affairs at Ohio University on June 13.

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES 2011

STEPHEN MENYHART PVD

MICHAEL SOLLITTO ED.D.

Stephen is the food services district manager for the Boulder Valley School District. He also co-presented the program “Setting the Bar: A New Standard in School Meals” at the Research Chefs Association Annual Conference in Denver.

PVD

NORTH PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Michael has been named assistant superintendent of the Scituate School Department.

2012 BADR KARIM MBA PVD FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Badr is the regional director of operations at Avijets LLC. CATHERINE TANOUS PVD PORTLAND, MAINE

Catherine is the catering sales coordinator at The Brunswick Hotel and Tavern and co-founder of Make Music Portland. MICHAEL LEVINE PVD COMMACK, NEW YORK

Michael is a corporate chef at Global Food Solutions. ANDREA LOVE DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Andrea is the new assistant manager of operations at the Marriott City Center in downtown Denver.

2013 SEAN BUFALO PVD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Sean is the food service director for FLIK International at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston. HARRISON GINSBERG PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Along with fellow alumni, Harrison participated in a discussion titled “The Future of Flavor Trends” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas. PRITI KARA MBA PVD DALLAS, TEXAS

Priti is a Certified Public Accountant candidate and an employee of SG Inc.

BOULDER, COLORADO

MARIA MONTES OCHOA

PVD

DALLAS, TEXAS

Maria is a front desk agent at The Westin Galleria in Dallas. MICHAEL RYBCZYNSKI PVD HENDERSON, NEVADA

Michael is an assistant manager at Juliano Serrano Tapas in the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. ELANA FRAZIER PVD

8 L-R: Tom Seto ’14 and Greg Mayer ’15

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Elana is the owner, lead event designer and event producer at Simply Precise Events in Brooklyn.

2014 KYLE BRIGANDI PVD PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS

Kyle recently had a contract job with reVo MG working as the junior graphic designer. ASHLEY GARCEAU PVD

[9] TIMOTHY SILVA PVD

DOUGLAS DUCHARME ED.D. PVD

Timothy is a multi-unit manager for OTG Management at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. He recently represented OTG at the Providence Campus’ Spring Career Expo & Summer Job Fair. He also visited students in Chef Stansfield’s class to discuss his career progression and offer advice about the transition from classroom to career.

MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

PRINCETON, MASSACHUSETTS

Ashley is a conference coordinator at the Nightclub & Bar Media Group.

[8] TOM SETO PVD

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Tom is the manager of The Capital Grille in Chestnut Hill. He and Greg Mayer ’15 (PVD) presented a beverage demo titled “Don’t Compromise: How to Make Trendy and Marketable Drinks” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

9 36

Spring 2016

Douglas is the associate director for assessment and institutional research at the UMass Boston. GIANNI FITTS CLT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Gianni is the assistant event producer at Vizcaya Villa in Fayetteville.

2015

ROCHELLE JN.BAPTISTE

[10] BROOKE JAMROZIK

NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA

PVD

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Brooke is chef de partie at Chris Santos’ Beauty & Essex in New York City. Brooke presented a demo titled “Fried Green Tomatoes: More Memorable Than the Movie” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

NMI

Rochelle is the PBX operator at Hilton Miami Downtown. GREG MAYER PVD

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Greg is the principal bartender at The Dorrance in Providence. He recently won the regional Woodford Reserve Cocktail Competition and was awarded a trip to the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky for an educational experience. He and Tom Seto ’14 (PVD) presented a beverage demo titled “Don’t Compromise: How to Make Trendy and Marketable Drinks” at the Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas. EBRAHIM REHAMAN

DEN

AURORA, COLORADO

IN MEMORIAM

Ebrahim is the innovation manager at Food and Drink Resources in Centennial. CHARLES SMITH PVD LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS

Charles is the lead line cook for Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer.

ALUMNI OVERSEAS 2001 ANJALIKA GUPTA PVD DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Last year, Anjalika published her first children’s book, “Patch Goes to London” (patchthejackrussellterrier.com). It’s the tale of a cute and naughty Jack Russell Terrier’s adventure in London. The debut has received appreciation from the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. More recently, Anjalika followed up with “Patch Goes to Hong Kong.”

VINCENT A. CIANCI JR. ’76 HON. January 28, 2016 JACQUELINE A. JACKSON March 16, 2016

ALUMNI HELEN M. TAVERAS ’58

DOUGLAS F. EDMEADAS ’88

January 28, 2016

January 21, 2016

CAMILLE FERRARA ’68

JOHN T. WADE ’88

April 1, 2016

February 16, 2009

RONALD R. DINOCCO ’73

JAMES A. LeCLAIR ’89

March 4, 2016

March 21, 2015

RICHARD A. GUERIN ’73

WAVERLY N. OVERTON ’89

February 9, 2016

February 9, 2015

RONALD ALMEIDA ’76

SCOTT D. WARNER ’80

February 1, 2016

February 8, 2016

BARRY M. DuFAULT ’76

JOSEPH WADSWORTH ’92

January 25, 2016

February 24, 2016

RICHARD SISTO ’76

TRACY BROWN ’95

March 11, 2008

March 26, 2016

SUSAN M. ROMANO ’77

ELIAS P. LYNN ’96

February 13, 2016

March 9, 2016

BERTHA WHITNEY ’77

ROBERT HOLLAND ’00

March 2, 2016

March 6, 2016

BENNY A. BRION ’80

GEORGE LUKE ’02

February 14, 2016

March 8, 2016

JOHN R. TITUS ’80

JOHNATHON C. McCORMICK ’10

December 27, 2000

February 6, 2016

GEORGE J. DESCHENE ’82

AARON P. AYOTTE ’12

March 29, 2016

March 11, 2016

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES BIRTHS 2006 Stephen Spencer Photography

AMANDA HENNESSEE BADGETT CLT and Dex Blair

2010/11 NICOLE TISDALE CLT and STEVEN TISDALE ’11 CLT Savannah Mary

MARRIAGES

12 LEFT TO RIGHT: Deirdre Faherty ’05, Rebecca (Berta) Kreke ’07, Mallory (Clayton) Kelly ’07, Rich Cavanagh ’08, Sarah (Cresta) Cavanagh ’07, Lisa (Bock) Fann ’07, Sarah (Hoffman) Czepizak ’06, Kevin Fogarty ’07, Alex Hurley ’07, Greta Bodenstab, Michele (Pope) Kahn ’05, Doug Kelly ’08, Christine (Benigni) DeLuca ’07, Desiree Duym ’07, Peter DeLuca ’07, Lee Fann, MBA ’08, Kirsten Yeo ’07

1992 [11] MATTHEW SAMEL, PH.D. ’98 MBA PVD and Alison Ross December 5, 2015

2007/08 [12] SARAH CRESTA ’07 PVD

and RICH CAVANAGH ’08 PVD October 3, 2015

2008

[13] EMILIO RODRIGUEZ PVD and Jessica Pillars March 12, 2016

2009 [14] SAMUEL ROGERS DEN and Caitlin Quinn February 14, 2015

2011 KATELYN SPURR PVD and Tim Barnwell February 9, 2016

2011/13 [15] LAUREN SUTLEY ’11 PVD

and CHRISTOPHER SUTLEY ’13 PVD October 24, 2015

2014/15 [16] CAITLIN TAYLOR ’14 NMI and SIMON TAYLOR ’15 NMI November 8, 2015

Spring 2016

OFF THE SHELF Ink by University Authors WHAT THE WAVES KNOW (Harper Collins) It’s no secret that a writer’s work is strongly influenced by the world around them — people they meet, places they visit, stories they read. For JWU Providence Campus College of Arts & Sciences professor TAMARA VALENTINE, it was a combination of these elements that led her to write this debut novel. The protagonist is a young girl who loses both her father and her voice on her sixth birthday. After eight years of silence and psychiatrist visits, the girl’s mother decides it’s time to return to the tiny island community where her daughter’s life changed, in hopes that she might reclaim her voice. ~ Christina Casinelli

COOKING LIKE A MASTER CHEF: 100 Recipes to Make the Everyday Extraordinary (Atria Books) GRAHAM ELLIOT ’97 is not one for going by

the book. His first cookbook encourages home chefs to riff like a jazz musician (the chef once played in a band and is the culinary director for Chicago’s Lollapalooza). In this debut, he offers twists on traditional favorites, from “Lollapalooza Lobster Corn Dogs” to “Truffled Popcorn.” He wants readers to have fun in the kitchen and not worry about whether their methods are right or wrong. What else would we expect from the host of the Food Network show, “Craziest Restaurants in America?” ~ Denise Dowling

ONLINE > bit.ly/22tVY5B

NO! MR. BOSSY! (Rising Eagles) ALLEN PERRY ’04 takes on the timely topic

of bullying in his new book. Naiema is an elementary-school-age girl who loves going to school and learning new things. But that passion is interrupted when Hu’eu, the school bully, turns his attention to her. Naiema must find the courage to speak up for herself and, in doing so, empowers others to do the same for themselves. Perry coauthored this latest publication with his sister, Tania L. Brown; Leslie Pinto created the colorful illustrations. ~ Rachel Lacaille

ONLINE > amzn.to/1OZ7w5j

ONLINE > grahamelliot.com

www.jwu.edu

CAREER UPDATE “ There is no reason as culinary professionals we are not helping to share our skills,” says Bradley. She suggests the following organizations as resources to do so: cookingmatters.org, produceforpantries.com, ampleharvest.org, nokidhungry.org.

Share Your Strength

Megan Bradley ’07 Crusades to End Hunger HILE ATTENDING JOHNSON & WALES, I worked in fine dining where there was a marked contrast between the student lifestyle and that of our customers. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in culinary nutrition, I moved to the Hamptons in Long Island to assist a personal chef at a family estate. I pulled up to this mansion in a rusted ’96 Pontiac Sunfire. I didn’t know homes like that existed; I guess if I’d had cable television I would have known. We shopped at beautiful farm markets that sold produce in all different colors and heirloom varieties. I thought, ‘Why doesn’t everyone have access to this produce?’ I understand that high-end cheeses and wine have a price difference, but why do things grown in the earth? During my senior year, two transformative things happened. First, my mother passed away from heart disease that was preventable because it was nutrition-related. She died on Christmas Day, after I had prepared dinner for our family and she’d told me how proud she was to see how much I’d learned about food and cooking. Meanwhile,

Spring 2016

I was interning at a free care clinic that served a lot of drug addicts and low-income families. I wondered, ‘How do you talk about nutrition when their basic needs like housing are not being taken care of?’ Seeing the disparity between that level of poverty and the Hamptons degree of affluence within one year affected me. It’s not to say that restaurant work isn’t art. But as people who are passionate about food we cannot ignore there are people going hungry. Now I fight childhood hunger every day by teaching kids and their families how to shop and cook on a tight budget. During my first four years at Share our Strength, no one knew my background. Our family of seven grew up on a tight budget, which meant that sometimes food was limited. One day our class was being filmed and the interviewer asked why I do this work. I said, ‘‘That mother in class is my mother trying to do better for me.” Eventually I spoke about my past and this weight lifted; it was a secret I’d kept my entire life. My mother and father were great parents. They were college-educated and hardworking, but there were medical bills and a job loss. People talk about generational poverty and situational poverty: We were always teetering between poverty and middle class, and it’s easy for something to topple you into poverty when it’s situational. But if I’m ashamed of my past then I’m ashamed of our participants — and why should we allow ourselves to be stigmatized? Access to healthy food is a human right. We need to teach skills and change policy. We can’t just put out the fires; we have to wonder why the fires started in the first place. As a student, I had big dreams of working in fancy restaurants and having a cooking show. But not many people can go into the community and do what I do. In one class where we made whole grain English muffin pizza, this girl always cut hers in half to bring the other half home. When I asked her why, she said, ‘‘This is for my brother’s dinner.’’ The hunger that is happening is real — it’s hurting people and even I can forget it exists. By empowering families with the necessary skills to cook healthy on a budget, we are ensuring they don’t have to experience hunger like I did or millions of children do every day. If I can teach one family to do that then I have made a difference. ~ as told to Denise Dowling

Megan Bradley ’07 is a senior program manager at Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, based in Denver, Colorado.

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The Wildcat strikes a pose on the Denver Campus. ~ Photo by Mike Cohea