JWU

Profi les in SUCCESS

Thirteen JWU graduates who areredefi ning achievement

SPRING2015

Sarah Cirelli ’07 B.S. Marketing

Grif� ns and Wildcats Gather

in Providence

ALL-CLASS REUNION

10CONTENTS

1www.jwu.edu

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10PROFILES IN SUCCESSAccording to Winston S. Churchill, “Success is not fi nal, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” We profi le 13 alumni about lessons learned from risky business and how Johnson & Wales shaped their mission statements.

26ALL-CLASS REUNIONGri� ns and Wildcats gathered in Providence for the Second Annual All-Class Reunion. The weekend featured tours of the university’s newest additions and delicious creations from alumni chefs.

SPRING 2015

FEATURES

02 From the Chancellor04 Campus News08 Athletics24 Resource Development28 Alumni News30 Activities & Events32 Class Notes40 Career Update

DEPARTMENTS

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2 Spring 2015

FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S DESK

JWU

Vice President of CommunicationsDOUG WHITING

Director of Design & Editorial ServicesBRIAN MURPHY

EditorDENISE DOWLING

Art DirectorED PEREIRA

ContributorsJENNIFER BROUILLARDGREGORY DISTEFANORACHEL DONILONJULIA S. EMLENPHILIP EILANDREA FELDMANJORDAN FICKESSVANESSA E. GARCIASHARU GOODWYNMELINDA HILLKARA JOHNSTONHOLLI KEYSERELIZABETH MORETTIMADELINE PARMENTERDONALD PAULHUSLISA PELOSI ELIZABETH SCANLON ’97 M.S.STEPHEN SMITHMARY SWARDDAMARIS R. TEIXEIRALAUREN TKACSMIRIAM S. WEINSTEIN ’08 MBAMELINDA LAW WESTMORELANDTERRENCE WILLIAMS ’89

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.

ChancellorJOHN J. BOWEN ’77

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

Regional Campus PresidentsLARRY RICE, ED.D., ’90INTERIM NORTH MIAMIROBIN KRAKOWSKY ’88, ’08 ED.D., DENVERTARUN MALIK ’90, ’11 ED.D.INTERIM CHARLOTTE

T HIS WINTER MADE a distinct impression on many in our JWU community. Storms gave both Providence and Denver their snowiest February on record. Two inches of heavy slush blanketed Charlotte. Even North Miami wasn’t spared, as temperatures plunged one morning into the low 40s.

After such a standout winter, it seems appro-priate to highlight standout alumni in our an-nual alumni profile issue. This year we empha-size their entrepreneurial spirit to overcome adversity and create success.

When his son was diagnosed with diabetes, Angelo Pitassi ’03 MBA parlayed his jewelry design knowledge to create mobile solutions that work with Health Information Privacy (HIP) Medical ID Bands to communicate health information more effectively during a medical emergency. Nikki Klebieko ’92 planned on pursuing a career in fashion mer-chandising, but instead used her skills to grow her family’s multimillion dollar, national blast-ing business after a car accident left her father

paralyzed. When the 10-year-old brother of Paul Damico ’86 needed a liver transplant and his father’s employer provided the helicopter to transport him in time, Damico discovered the importance of employer stewardship, which today influences his philanthropic endeavors.

At some point we all endure tragedies that transform us into the people we are today, often in ways we don’t even realize at the time. How have you overcome adversity to create success? I invite you to continue the conversa-tion and share your success stories with us at jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

As JWU alumni, we are one strong and united family. The next time you face adversity, think of our alumni on these next few pages and of your own successes during difficult times — and remember that despite a deluge of winter storms, spring always comes.

Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77

www.jwu.edu

JWU’s Honorary Class of 2015

PROVIDENCE CAMPUS

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

College of Management (School of Business, School of Hospitality)

NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS

CHARLOTTE CAMPUS

DENVER CAMPUS

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 2015.

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 mission of JWU in his or her own unique way, and serves as a role model for our students and graduates.

MAUREEN MCKENNA GOLDBERGJustice Rhode Island Supreme CourtDoctor of Business Administration in Criminal Justice Management

MARK R. LADNER ’90Executive ChefDelPosto RestaurantDoctor of Culinary Arts

EDWARD OTIS HANDY IIIPresident and CEOThe Washington Trust CompanyDoctor of Business Administration in Finance

ANGELA LEIGH RAYNORProprietorBoarding House and The PearlDoctor of Business Administration in Food Service Entrepreneurship

JESSICA BERTHA HARRISProfessorQueens College/CUNYDoctor of Humane Letters

LAWRENCE R. DIPASQUALEChairman and CEOEpicurean GroupDoctor of Business Administration in Food Service Entrepreneurship

RON HINSONChairman, President and CEOS&D Coffee & TeaDoctor of Business Administration

CLAY ALAN SNYDER ’93 Senior Director Hilton Worldwide/Brand ManagementDoctor of Travel-Tourism & Hospitality Management

SETH CARTER RAYNORProprietor/Executive ChefBoarding House and The PearlDoctor of Culinary Arts

DAVID LAWRENCE JR.PresidentThe Early Childhood Initiative FoundationDoctor of Education in Educational Leadership

RICHARD MANUEL SANDOVALFounder, CEO and ChefRichard Sandoval RestaurantsDoctor of Culinary Arts in Food Service Entrepreneurship

VIRGINIA A.S. PHILIP ’89Wine Director and Master SommelierThe BreakersDoctor of Oenology

Graduate Studies

Spring 20154

GROUNDBREAKING JWU’S FUTURE

WHAT’S SCUP?

CAMPUS NEWS

PIPER KERMAN says she

wrote “Orange Is the New Black:

My Year in a Women’s Prison”

“to shift perspective — that pris-

oners are people, not numbers.”

Before a packed house in

Schneider Auditorium on Jan-

uary 13, Kerman gave the “Cliff

Notes of the Cliff Notes” of how she, a Smith alumna and good girl

(mostly), became Prisoner 11187-424, serving 15 months for trans-

porting drug money across international lines.

Her experiences in prison were life changing: “I was raised to think

about social justice, but there’s a big difference between thinking

about it and being plunked into a place where inequality is so

starkly on display.”

Kerman, a staunch advocate for prison reform, credits the

Netfl ix adaptation of her book, now in its third hit season, with

expanding the national conversation.

— Andrea Feldman and Lauren Tkacs

“ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” AUTHOR SHARES HER STORY

THANKS TO CHEF BILL IDELL, department chair and associate professor, College of Culinary Arts, scup, also known as “porgy,” got lots of love when it became the center of attention at the Rhode Island Seafood Challenge 2015. JWU teamed up with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) and Rhode Island Sea Grant for the event that was held at the Harborside Amphitheater on April 10. Three JWU student teams — the Club of Culinary Excellence, Cooking Asia, and the Nutrition Society — were tasked with creating recipes to raise awareness of this underutilized species. The audience voted for the winning dish, which was Cooking Asia’s “Porgy in a Pouch,” a delicate balance of scup with a Southeast Asian-in-spired bed of assorted aromatics, wrapped in parchment (en papillote).

— Miriam Weinstein ’08 MBA

about social justice, but there’s a big difference between thinking

about it and being plunked into a place where inequality is so

3-2-1 AND THEN THE FIRST SHOVELS of dirt were tossed, marking the offi cial start of construction on Johnson & Wales University’s new academic building. A beautiful spring morning on April 22 ensured that it was dirt — not mud— at center stage for the ceremony that was

attended by more than 70 invited guests, including Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza.

Before senior administrators donned their hard hats, the signifi cance of this construction project was made known.

“The building we are constructing represents the future,” said Marie Bernardo-Sousa, JWU senior vice president of administration, “the fu-ture of Johnson & Wales as we expand our science, technology and engi-neering programs; the future areas of the workforce where our graduates will begin and grow their careers; and the future of the state of Rhode Island as we begin development on the former I-195 land.”

The three-story building will have a graphic design studio and innova-tion, robotics and network simulation labs, as well as biology, anatomy, physics, physiology and chemistry labs. This building has been designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifi cation.

“The students who will be educated in this new academic building will be prepared for the jobs our governor and other state leaders are trying to attract to Rhode Island,” said JWU Providence Campus President and COO Mim Runey.

The new building, located at Friendship and Chestnut streets, is sched-uled for completion July 2016. — Lisa Pelosi

LEFT TO RIGHT: Angela Renaud, dean, John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences; Tom Dwyer, university provost; Mim L. Runey, Providence Campus president and COO; John J. Bowen ’77, chancellor; Marie Bernardo-Sousa, senior vice president of administration; and Frank Tweedy, dean, School of Engineering & Design

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WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS? VIP ACCESS TO THE GAMING AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

PROFESSOR SHERRY ANDRE’s annual trip to Las Vegas as part of her gaming industry course remains a favorite among sports/entertainment/event management and hospitality students.

“The Gaming Industry course is by far the best class I have taken during my four years at Johnson & Wales University,” says Horace Matthew ’15. “I learned the basics about gaming as a player and from a manager’s perspective. Now whenever I walk into a casino or an establishment that provides any sort of gaming, I automatically look for things we talked about in class or that I learned about during a trip. This class opened my eyes to a world that I didn’t really know existed with great career opportunities.”

During the four-night January excursion, students learn about trends, legal-ities and career options, as well as gain a better understanding of gaming fl oor layouts, popular marketing tactics and various games off ered. Students are also introduced to the management practices behind world-class resorts, the multimillion-dollar nightclub industry, various tourism initiatives, and hos-pitality VIP services.

“The trip introduces students to one of the top gaming destinations in the world, which is the primary focus of the course,” Andre says. “Beyond that, it off ers them an opportunity to hear from a variety of hospitality leaders and provides access to multiple facets of their industry.”

Highlights of this year’s visit included behind-the-scenes tours of industry leaders such as the Venetian, Wynn/Encore and MGM Hakkasan; a gaming lesson at Luxor; and a meeting with Robert Casillas, president and founder of Monsoon Group, a leading night-life group in the U.S. — Sharu Goodwyn

MEET AMERICA’S NEWEST ALMOST FAMOUS CHEF

DESTINY ANTOMMARCHI ’15 has won the title of 2015 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef — and a yearlong culinary apprenticeship. She was selected for the national competition after winning a regional one at the North Miami Campus in January.“This competition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am honored to have been chosen as this year’s winner,” says Antommarchi. “The lessons I’ve learned over the past three months will inspire and guide me as I focus on the next chapter of my career.”

THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE FIGHT TO SAVE A LIFE

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Professor David Edwards with students (L-R) Alexandra McDowell, Alexandra Paredes and Idabes Kirnon

After being diagnosed last year with nephritis, an acute kidney dis-

ease, 2001 graduate Nick Caponegro’s health quickly deteriorated.

When his college friend Gregory Vance ’01 found out that Caponegro

needed a kidney transplant, he volunteered to donate one of his and

ended up being a match. Another close friend, Darryl Howard ’01, has

established a GoFundMe account to help with Caponergo’s recovery.

“Nick, Greg and I met at the North Miami Campus in the fall of 1997,”

says Howard. “We became instant friends and formed a connection

nothing short of brotherhood.”

Caponegro and Vance had the surgery earlier this year; both are

recovering well. — Keva Muller

6 Spring 2015

CAMPUS NEWS

WORLD’S HEAVIEST VEGAN BANANA SPLIT

A fter the fi nal toppings of cher-ries were placed on the whop-ping half-ton sundae, cheers erupted across the Denver Campus as JWU made history.

Chef Adam Sacks and seven culinary nutrition students created the world’s heaviest vegan ba-nana split, a record that was submitted to Guinness World Records. Built on top of a giant custom-created ice bowl, the 1,251-pound cre-ation was loaded with more than 700 pounds of vegan ice cream, 200 pounds of peeled bananas, and 300 pounds of vegan toppings including ber-ries, brownies, cookies, coconut and whipped cream.

“We wanted to show the world that we can take any menu item that is laden with animal-based saturated fats and cholesterol, like a beloved banana split, and change it up, making it heart-healthier and resulting in a fi nished product that is unbelievably tasty,” said Sacks.

For fi ve weeks before the big debut, students created diff erent varieties of vegan ice cream using a nutrient dense base of beans, grain and legume milks, and fresh fruit. Some of the ice cream

fl avor varieties included piña colada, chocolate mole, pump-kin cardamom, Turkish coff ee, blueberry balsamic and

mango ginger. — Holli Keyser

ABOVE: Class of ’16 students with their creation. L-R: Bentley Dowdell, Caitlin McKune, Morgan Stewart, Ellen Arguinchona, Karen Sisson and Adrianna Assenti

X-TREME EX ED AT ESPN’S X GAMES

Early mornings. Bitter cold. Silence. Chaos.

Eruptions of crowds. Celebrations. Exhilara-

tion. These words describe the experience

of Michael Weber ’15, who, along with nine

other JWU Denver students, was recruited to

work for ESPN’s X Games in Aspen, Colo.

This extreme global sports competition

brings together 200 of the world’s best ath-

letes and Olympians in skiing, snowboarding

and snowmobiling — and JWU Denver was

right in the thick of it.

“What I liked best about working the X

Games was being a part of something of

that magnitude — we served over 100,000

guests at this event over the week,” said

Weber. X Games also has a global reach and

is televised in more than 192 countries to

fans in 232 million homes.

The JWU team worked in guest services

including checking credentials, answering

questions, distributing information, assisting

with arrival/departure crowds and managing

concert crowds.

“I’m proud of their hard work and even

prouder that they are connecting the dots

between what they learn at JWU, what they

see [at the X Games], and what they would

do differently if they were in charge. In my

opinion, this is the purest form of experiential

education,” said SEE Associate Professor

Sean Daly.

This exceptional opportunity came after

Deane Swanson, senior director for the X

Games, visited the Denver Campus. From

1993–95, Swanson served as an assistant pro-

fessor at JWU’s Providence Campus. —H.K.

For fi ve weeks before the big debut, students created diff erent fl avor varieties included piña colada, chocolate mole, pump-kin cardamom, Turkish coff ee, blueberry balsamic and

X-TREME EX ED AT ESPN’S X GAMESALYSON FETHEROLF AND MACY PINKUSSOHN at JWU Denver’s fi rst graduate commencement exercises. Smiles, laughter and excitement fi lled the Gallery room at Denver’s Union Station as 17 graduate students were awarded their MBA degrees. The class represents JWU Denver’s fi rst Master of Business Administration degree program. Steve Janicek, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Denver, gave the commencement address.

SEE student Nicole Ligenfelder ’16 poses with Olympic freestyle skiing slope-style medalist Gus Kenworthy, following his run in the X Games ski pipe competition.

7www.jwu.edu

GOOD GENES THROUGH BETTER NUTRITION

SINCE ITS FOUNDING

in 1973 with an enroll-

ment of 141 students,

the College of Culinary

Arts has become a

worldwide leader in cu-

linary education. Ameri-

ca’s eating habits and the

food industry that drives

them have evolved ex-

ponentially. Consumers

have been blitzed by in-

formation on what’s good

and not good to eat —

with so much confl icting

news, it’s no wonder that

the public is confused.

To that end, “Johnson & Wales University is Changing the Way the World

Eats” is an initiative developed to establish JWU as America’s food authority.

JWU partnered with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Nutrition Re-

search Institute in February. World-renowned nutrition scientist Steven Zei-

sel, M.D., Ph.D., and UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) director, led a

discussion with the culinary faculty on The Emerging Science of Epigenetics

and Its Application to Nutrition. Epigenetics is the study of how our genes

can be affected by environmental factors that contribute to disease or health.

Diet, stress and toxins are all factors that regulate how our genes are expressed.

Zeisel’s talk helped Charlotte Campus faculty understand the concepts of epi-

genetics and explained how nutrition acts on our epigenome to switch genes

on and off to make us ill or well. The NRI’s partnership with JWU is a natural fi t,

emphasizing the importance of nutrition in the art of cooking.

“This partnership will highlight Johnson & Wales’ commitment to nutrition ed-

ucation and promoting a healthy lifestyle through food,” says Jennifer Gallagher,

associate professor and chair of the College of Culinary Arts. “Zeisel’s presen-

tation provided the faculty with current information regarding the link between

diet and health that they will be able to share with the next generation of chefs.”

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute is exploring personalized nutrition for

optimal health. NRI pioneering research is replacing the outdated one-size-fi ts-all

approach to nutrition by discovering why people metabolize food so differently

and require differing amounts of essential nutrients.

Dr. Zeisel said, “The NRI is pleased to be a partner with JWU to help dissem-

inate the outcomes of our nutrition research to those who will directly affect the

way people choose to eat.”

–– Melinda Law Westmoreland

HE IS SO IMPRESSED WITH JWU’S STUDENTS and business

programs, this “angel” is now helping teach our budding entrepre-

neurs. Daniel Friel, founder of Bank of America’s Strategic Alliances

and Investments group, was part of a panel of angel investors (affl u-

ent individuals who provide capital for a business startup) who

answered questions from two classes: Investments and Fi-

nancing the Entrepreneurial Venture. Several topics were ad-

dressed, including the angel investment activity in Charlotte.

The panel also discussed how to connect with angel inves-

tors, how they piggyback off each other’s work and how good

advice can be worth more than the funds being sought. Friel

said, “Every single student plans to start and run their own business.

I love that motivation for learning.” — Melinda Law Westmoreland

CHEF REINHART AWARDED

SHOW ME THE MONEY

To that end, “Johnson & Wales University is Changing the Way the World

can be affected by environmental factors that contribute to disease or health.

ent individuals who provide capital for a business startup) who

tors, how they piggyback off each other’s work and how good

advice can be worth more than the funds being sought. Friel

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Chef-on-Assignment Peter Reinhart has been named to Dessert Professional Magazine’s Hall of Fame. Peter is also assignments editor for the upcoming “Modernist Cuisine” book slated for publication this fall.

ABOVE: The Investments and Financing the Entrepreneurial Venture classes.

RIGHT, L-R: Daniel Gotte, director of Inception Micro Angel Fund (IMAF) Charlotte and Jay Bendis, president of Technology Transfer Consultants

8 Spring 2015

ATHLETICS

H E’S WITHIN A few steps from where his extraordinary work ethic and dedication once propelled him to the national collegiate basketball scoring champi-onship, where he became an All-American, and where he and his Johnson & Wales teammates became champions.

He has since taken his talents to Germany and Spain. In 2014, he led a German profes-sional basketball league in scoring, wowing crowds with the same slicing moves to the basket and deadeye precision from outside the arc as he did in Providence.

But over the past two summers, former Wildcat captain Lamonte Thomas ’13 is back home to refocus on his future and give back to the Providence community in which he grew up.

Though it’s expected he’ll be out again to play elsewhere, in Europe, the Mideast or Scandanavia, the man who led all of college basketball in scoring in 2011 and helped Johnson & Wales into the NCAA Division III basketball tournament wanted to first give back

A Local Hero

He sits within mere feet of the basketball court at JWU Providence’s Wildcat Center, where he performed the bulk of his extraordinary exploits.

BY JOHN PARENTE

to those who inspire him to still become the best he can be.

The 6’2” guard came to JWU after a rather unheralded high school career but flourished during a prolific tenure as a Wildcat. He credits his passion for the game and an unquenchable thirst for the top of his profession as the vehicles for his achievement.

He is sitting under a mammoth photo of himself that hangs in the rafters of the Wildcat Center foyer. In it, he is dribbling against Brown University in 2012, with eyes filled with focus and determination.

He fully appreciates the honor bestowed upon him. “When I was young, I came to watch the games,” says Thomas. “I was a kid from South Providence. I wanted to play college basketball, and when I got the chance at JWU, it was a big deal for me.”

It was also a big deal for Johnson & Wales’ basketball program. Thomas set JWU’s all-time scoring record with an astonishing 2,705 points. That figure is also the Great Northeast Athletic Conference’s all-time scoring mark. On

February 24, 2011, he wrote a page in Wildcat folklore by being responsible for 80 points in a single game, scoring 40 himself while dishing out 20 assists against another GNAC power-house at the time, Albertus Magnus College.

Two winters ago, Thomas played for MTV Herzoge Wolfenbuettel in the German Basketball Pro B League as a launching pad toward what he hopes will eventually become a spot in the National Basketball Association’s Developmental League. He was outstanding, leading the entire league in scoring with 25.3 points per game. Scoring more than 20 points in all but six of his team’s games, he poured in 54 one night, and had three games in which he scored more than 40 points. He also ranked ninth in assists.

Last December, Thomas moved on to play pro ball in Spain for Zumosol Alcorcon, a league team. Again, he flourished, averaging 24 points in the 18 games in which he played. The team’s starting point guard, he scored over 20 points in all but four games and tallied more than 30 points on four occasions.

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[1] Former NCAA Division III All-American Lamonte Thomas ’13 took his game from the Wildcat Center to a German professional basketball league in 2014.

[2] Thomas, who led all divisions of the NCAA in scoring in 2012 and 2013, drives to the hoop in an intra-city contest against Division I Brown University in 2012.

[3], [4], [5] Thomas holds both the Johnson & Wales and Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) scoring records with 2,705 points. His accute accuracy and myriad moves to the basket created headaches for Norwich and the rest of the GNAC. [6] Thomas enjoys a light moment at a 2013 Wildcat practice.

He realizes there’s a long and unknown road ahead that won’t come easy. Still, he knows his European experiences built a solid foundation, and he’s ready for what lies ahead. “Beating the language barrier was easier than I thought,” he says. “I was more and more comfortable as time went on. The crowds were great … a lot of young kids and grandparents” he recounted. “But I think they like their soccer more.”

For now, though, Thomas helps Providence youngsters achieve whatever dreams they have within their sights through the Lamonte Thomas Skills Academy, a rather demanding two-week basketball clinic for 12-to-18-year-olds in the capital city. “It’s designed to be much more intense than regular youth basketball clinics,” he says. “We’re finding new ways of teaching the game, and what it takes to be successful.

“Everything is structured, right down to the minute,” Thomas adds. “Fortunately, I have some contacts in college and professional basketball who come in to speak and instruct,

but this camp is much more physically and mentally intensive than the camps we ran in Germany. The goal is not to just give them a few pointers. It’s to give them as much as we can about the game, and the hard work it takes to have a successful career in and out of basketball. But we want them to leave us with a sense of accomplishment.”

Thomas spends whatever spare time he gets in the off-season working out with another aspiring NBA pro from Rhode Island, close friend Rick Ledo, who was signed by the San Antonio Spurs. “I push Ricky, he pushes me. We both realize that basketball is our full-time job now and neither of us wants to fail. Doubt is motivation, and hard work beats talent,” he says philosophically, glancing again at the banner in the foyer.

Then there’s the time management and the discipline to the vision, things Thomas says he learned and honed at JWU. “I had a great support system here,” he says. “When I got to Johnson & Wales, I was a punk. Coach [Jamie] Benton and Coach [Mike] Reed, my teammates,

the people in the department — everybody was positive, but they pushed me, motivated me … they made me work real hard, maybe even harder in class than on the court.”

That’s saying something. When Thomas played at JWU, he got to the gym on the Harborside Campus when it opened, worked out until his first class, squeezed in a few shots or played in a pickup game until his next class, and came back in time for practice: “That’s how I learned to manage my time.”

Sitting next to that Wildcat banner, Thomas, now 25, realizes that things in his life are happening quickly. “It’s my time,” he says, passionately wanting that second tryout with the NBA Developmental League. “Oh, that will happen.”

Next winter, he’ll be back in a foreign land, wowing crowds, scoring seemingly at will, learning another new culture, maybe another new language, and working tirelessly to bring his game to the next level.

For now, though, Lamonte Thomas is home, in Providence, back at JWU, gazing at the banner — and he’s happy.

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Profiles in

SuccessWinston S. Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” The 13 alumni profiled on the following pages have taken risks that ultimately led to their success. According to restaurant executive Paul Damico ’86, his employees are entrusted with the freedom to make mistakes because “the lessons learned make us a better company.” Whether they are rising stars or well-established in their respective careers, some have had to tack off-course when adversity struck. They chose to perceive those challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles, which may be the true secret of their incredible achievements.

Photographs by: Sean Gilligan, Betsy Hansen, Robert Rathe and Nat ReaContributors: Denise Dowling, Philip Eil, Melinda Hill, Mary Sward and Damaris R. Teixeira

10 Spring 2015

Nikki Klebieko ’92 A.S. Fashion MerchandisingOwner, PRK Drilling & Blasting Inc.Winchester, Va.

Today Nikki Klebieko runs a mul-timillion-dollar business — but two decades ago, she felt like “a complete loser.” After cutbacks equaled being let go from a retail merchandising po-sition, Klebieko’s father said she could work at his company, PRK Drilling & Blasting, which blasts rock for private and government projects including buildings, roads and utilities.

“I was 22, on track to my dream job as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s and suddenly I’m answering phones for my dad! But small businesses offer a world of opportunity; I embraced all of them, which is something that Johnson & Wales promotes.” She learned to define success and failure based on her own values. “If I make a million bucks but my life is broken, that’s not success. Within my circle of value are my company, my family and my philanthropy; my husband and I founded a philanthropic club. I consider myself a social entrepreneur; making a profit is not evil because a lot of good can come from it. You don’t have to choose between being Mother Teresa or Donald Trump.”

She credits JWU with teaching her to think “outside the textbook. My first classes were about designers and fab-rics. My friends were studying boring stuff like English and math while I was doing fashion merchandising at the university department store.”

The switch from high heels to hard hats made her invaluable when trage-dy struck. Klebieko was 27 when her father was paralyzed following a car accident. “The first thing my father said in the ICU was, ‘Nik, we still have a business to run.’ I was honored but the pressure was out of this world.” She and her husband submerged themselves in running the company – while becoming new parents. In 2004, she purchased the business from her father. “I can walk into a meeting with 100 men and know I might not be treated as an equal, but I never feel less than them. Being male gives them automatic credibility in this industry; I just have to be smarter.”

11www.jwu.edu

Joy Liu ’12 B.S. Advertising and Marketing CommunicationsAccount Executive, BBDONew York, N.Y.

There is a photo on Joy Liu’s LinkedIn® page showing six hu-manoid M&Ms — characters like “Blue” and “Ms. Brown,” whom you’ll recognize if you’ve flicked on a TV in the last 25 years — underneath the note, “I manage these guys.” As an ac-count executive at one of the world’s largest ad firms, Liu acts as a liaison between BBDO and its clients, which, in this case, involves being on a first-name basis with Mars Inc.’s bite-sized celebrities. “Red is the leader of the pack; he’s the cocky, confident one,” Liu explains. “Orange is your classic neurotic who is extra afraid of being eaten.”

This is life at Liu’s dream job, which she describes as “the intersection between pop culture and business.” And it’s hard to imagine a better training ground than the one Liu found at Johnson & Wales. While maintaining a 3.8 GPA in her degree classes, she completed internships at the local ad agency, Duffy & Shanley, and one of the city’s most promi-nent arts organizations, WaterFire Providence. She helped brands like JC Penny and Nissan hone their message to younger consumers as an ad team member.

These days, Liu isn’t just working on time-tested campaigns; she’s push-ing advertising into new territory. She was part of a team that produced an unconventional Valentine’s Day campaign for Dove Chocolate. The ads, which Liu describes as three-minute romantic comedies, ran on social media instead of a major TV network, and featured real people instead of actors. Together, the three videos have clocked over 1,000,000 combined views, between Facebook and YouTube.

Liu credits JWU with prepping her for advertising’s big leagues. In Providence, you can be a “big fish in a small pond,” she says, pointing to her interactions with the mayor and major corporate sponsors while in-terning at WaterFire. You don’t have to go reaching far for exciting and rewarding opportunities at JWU. “They’re sitting right next to you.”

Spring 201512

Brenda Dann-Messier ’00 Ed.D. Educational LeadershipEducation and Workforce Consultant; Adjunct Faculty, JWU East Greenwich, R.I.

When Brenda Dann-Messier went to Washington, D.C., she brought a binder full of letters from Rhode Island. The year was 2009 and she was shifting from a decade as president of Providence’s Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center to a White House-nominated, Senate-confirmed position as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), where she would manage 85 employees and a $1.7 billion budget.

The letters, addressed to President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Educa-tion Arne Duncan, came from former Dorcas Place students, who explained their reasons for pursuing adult education and described their future dreams. Dann-Messier kept them on her desk at the new job, and “when the bureaucracy got to be tough and in-flexible, I would remember that I was there really to support the students and to help them reach their goals.”

Her achievements in Washington are now a matter of public record. Dann-Messier’s name appears next to Duncan’s on landmark policy doc-uments like “Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education,” and “A Reentry Education Model: Supporting Education and Career Advancement for Low-Skill Individ-uals In Corrections.” She represented the United States at international conferences, while also making fre-quent domestic trips to, say, a prison in Maryland or a community college in El Paso.

Nowadays, Dann-Messier is back in Rhode Island, working as an inde-pendent consultant and co-teaching a class on community and family en-gagement at the same JWU program from which she graduated 15 years ago. Its experiential, cohort-based program is a model for “really prepar-ing leaders for real-life experience,” not simply dispensing lofty, abstract ideas.

That’s high praise from someone who has been around the world and back to discuss education policy.

13www.jwu.edu

Tom Conte ‘09 B.S. Web Management and Internet CommerceS.E.O. Specialist Time Inc.New York, N.Y.

Tom Conte’s professional life since graduating from Johnson & Wales can be summed up by three letters: S.E.O. “Search Engine Optimiza-tion,” for those who aren’t fluent in Internet-ese, is the pursuit of the top spot in web searches. It’s a field that has grown exponentially in recent years, and it’s Conte’s area of expertise, having honed his craft with the legal info and business solutions firm, LexisNexis; the New York City-based interactive marketing firm, Morpheus Media; and, most recently, the venerable print-media company, Time Inc.

The hundreds of factors that affect a website’s search results are constant-ly in flux, Conte explains. “Something that I recommended perhaps even a month ago could be obsolete. It’s like a big puzzle that needs to be solved, over and over and over again.” At Morpheus, this meant training writers at a Long Island newspaper to re-think headlines in order to attract more eyeballs to their articles. At Time Inc., it means re-designing Food & Wine’s website to make it more smartphone-friendly, which, in turn, makes it more Google-friendly. Conte, 28, says that all of this work rests on a foundation built at JWU, where he learned web development and design skills and worked with creative professors who “pushed me to think outside of the box.”

So, you’re surely wondering, what happens when you Google the name “Tom Conte”? The first six results are links to websites that relate to another tech-savvy — but consider-ably older — Tom Conte, a computer science professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. The younger Tom Conte’s website and Twitter account show up after that, near the bottom of the first page. (His Twitter bio reads, “Full time nerd.”)

But those search results, like so much in the digital world, are subject to change. “I don’t think I’m important enough to have a Wikipedia page,” Conte says, before adding, “Not yet.”

14 Spring 2015

Chris Santos ’93B.S. Food Service ManagementPartner and Chef The Stanton Social; Beauty & Essex New York, N.Y.

Everyone has to start somewhere, no matter how successful you may later become. That start for chef, restaurateur and television person-ality Chris Santos was at a restau-rant in his hometown of Bristol, R.I. “I was 14, on my first day as a dish-washer, and the head chef quit,” he says. “Walked out in the middle of service. So the owner had to cook and it was a mess.

“She sent me to the walk-in for the marinara sauce, and told me to put it in the microwave. I set it for five minutes, and went back to washing dishes,” he continues. “The owner yelled for me to bring the marinara, and when I grabbed it from the mi-crowave, it was like lava. So hot that I dropped it and it splattered all over and I burned myself badly. But I got a crazy rush from the whole thing and I came back.”

From that hot mess, Santos has gone on to build a blockbuster career that includes opening three restaurants in New York City, a regular judging gig on Food Network’s “Chopped” and many television appearances as a guest chef.

The 44-year-old opened his first restaurant, Wyanoka, when he was 29 years old. He was out of business by the time he was 30. “It got me my first great review in The New York Times,” Santos says. “But I wasn’t prepared for when 9/11 happened. There was no wiggle room.”

Described by The Times as having “an imagination and a talent that shines,” Santos learned from the ex-perience and opened two mega-suc-cessful restaurants on the Lower East Side: The Stanton Social and its newer sister restaurant, Beauty & Essex.

“We call Beauty & Essex the grown-up Stanton because the menu is a little more formal,” he says. “It takes street food, comfort food, even junk food, and makes them more sophis-ticated.”

15www.jwu.edu

Amy Sacco ’90 B.S. MarketingHospitality Entrepreneur New York, N.Y.

“Den mother to the jet set” Amy Sacco operates the kind of clubs where celebrities can party without crash-landing in the tabloids. “I have built a reputation for being fair, hon-est and protective of all my guests,” she says. Even New York City’s undercover cops couldn’t get inside to scope the shenanigans at her legendary Bungalow 8 in New York City, where a no-camera policy was sometimes physically enforced by Sacco herself. Currently the founder of No.8, another Chelsea estab-lishment, creative director of LDV Hospitality, the force behind the RecRoom in Vegas and Aspen, etc.., Sacco mourns the halcyon days be-fore Manhattan was scrubbed clean: “NYC used to stand for ‘Naughty’ and ‘Cool’. We have lost so much of our city that never sleeps culture.”

As the youngest of eight children, the 47-year-old Jersey girl learned to charm and “roll with the flow since you didn’t always get your way.” But she was never the runt of the litter: Standing 6’1”(without stilettos) makes her a formidable hostess. Supernova acquaintances offer their private jets and villas, but Sacco prudently maintains a professional distance “because then someone will ask for a favor 10 times bigger. I never forget that I am providing a service to my guests. Although I can put myself in their shoes and empa-thize, I am there to serve and protect, not to ‘be them.’ ”

Despite her clubs’ exclusivity — some are members only — Sacco claims she’s not elitist; her guests are cool people, but not because they’re famous. “I am just as thrilled to see my plumber since he is hilarious as I am to see a celebrity, and our long-term loyal following knows this and feels the same way.”

Sacco, who earned two associate degrees and a bachelor’s degree from JWU, credits her degrees for cultivating employers’ trust when she began in the hospitality industry. “They like to see that you have com-mitted yourself and are serious about your craft.”

16 Spring 2015

Andrea Scoli ’90 B.S. Retail Marketing & ManagementSenior Vice President of Sales, HalstonWestchester County, N.Y

When Andrea Scoli was a senior at Johnson & Wales, she bought a copy of Vogue, pulled out the ads for companies she liked and called their headquarters to ask for the personnel department or the CEO. She wound up with a handful of interviews, which yielded three internship offers, and the internship she accepted ultimately turned into her first job. She would become a VP of sales at another com-pany — the clothing line Laundry, by Shelli Segal — before age 30. These days, after holding high-level jobs at a number of companies — including a two-year stint as president of the musician and actress Jennifer Lopez’s clothing line, Sweetface — Scoli, 47, is an executive at the iconic brand Halston. The company’s name-sake, Iowa-born Roy Halston Frowick, was one of the iconic designers Scoli studied at Johnson & Wales. He was “the first American designer that the world considered the equivalent of Chanel and Gucci and those big Euro-pean brands,” she says.

Scoli’s definition of success has evolved over her career. In her twen-ties, it was tied to her title, rank and salary. In her thirties, she judged it by measuring her impact on the fashion world, in terms of how she could grow a company’s sales numbers. Those things are still important to her, but work-life balance is also important. When she returns home from Manhat-tan at 7:30 or 8 p.m. it’s time to start her second job — raising her kids.

Speaking of success, Scoli attributes hers to JWU. From learning about fashion history in the classroom, to training at the university-owned department store, Gladding’s, in Providence, the experience gave her a competitive advantage when she entered the professional world.

She even credits the cold-calls to executives that she made to her alma mater. “I was not playing around,” she says. “I went right to the top of organi-zations to try to get myself in the door. And I learned all that at Johnson & Wales.”

17www.jwu.edu

Lenny DeGeorge ’93 B.S. Food Service ManagementExecutive Chef, Concept Development Walt Disney Parks & Resorts U.S.Orlando, Fla.

Of the 160,000 people in 40 coun-tries who work for The Walt Disney Company, Lenny DeGeorge says he has the best job because his position allows him to indulge in his pas-sions: food, travel and culture. By the time DeGeorge and his team are brought in on a new concept, “there’s a whole storyline that’s already been developed.” From there it’s a two-to-three year process to complete each concept.

DeGeorge’s favorite part of the project is researching the food and culture at locations relevant to the restaurants’ theme. “The travel piece is just amazing,” he says. “Food and research are strong passions of mine. I watch all these shows — like An-thony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” — about people who travel the world and with my job I hope to experience some of these things.”

DeGeorge has opened concepts ranging from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, to an Afri-can- and Indian-inspired restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Florida. He’s also putting his thumbprint on kitchens in the works in Shanghai and Tokyo Disneyland.

When DeGeorge talks about his work, it’s obvious how magical he finds it: “Every project we work on is new; it’s the cart or kiosk for a busy area on up to a large restaurant. I love the ability to deliver an amazing experience. If it’s a sausage sandwich I want the bread to be warm and crispy and to be as good a food experience as they’ve ever had.”

DeGeorge began his Disney career shortly after graduation. He had already gained some experience at a Sheraton Hotel before enrolling at JWU, where he worked as both a teaching assistant and a fellow. “At the (former) Pine Street Coffee House and University Club we served over a thousand meals a day,” he recalls. “The experience I got running some of the student dining facilities was invaluable.”

18 Spring 2015

M. John Martin ’86 A.S. Culinary Arts; ’06 Hon.President of The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood Darden Restaurants Inc. Orlando, Fla.

As a restaurant executive, John Martin has hired hundreds of JWU students and alumni — including a former teacher. “Brian Foye was a teaching assistant who gave me a B as a final grade,” Martin recalls. “I told him I felt I deserved an A and he responded, ‘Mr. Martin, I didn’t give you that grade, you earned it.’ Several years later, Brian walked in for an interview with Capital Grille. When I realized who he was, I said, ‘I remem-ber you, you were that teacher who gave me a B!’ He said, ‘I didn’t give you a B, you earned that B.’ I ended up hiring him, if only to get my revenge.”

At 54, Martin’s management style has evolved to accommodate millenni-als and their motivations. “Instead of saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ you must explain why you’re doing it and discuss the big picture. I used to take it more personally when people would question me, but now I’ve learned to change my opinions.”

His company has also adapted to higher minimum wages, the Afford-able Care Act, and what he surmises could be the biggest issue: tips and tip credit. “I think the restaurant industry is going to look completely different in five to ten years, with more fast-casual restaurants. I think there will always be great restaurants where people want to sit down, but labor laws will heavily shape how the more day-to-day restaurants operate.

“What’s most rewarding is the employee impact we’ve had over 25 years. There are people who started as dishwashers and became exec-utive chefs, going from minimum wage to more than $100,000 a year. Those opportunities can change the trajectory of people’s lives — they can buy a house, move to a better school district, send their kids to college — it’s the American dream. The restaurant industry is one of the few businesses where you can still start at an entry-level position and literally work your way to the top.”

19www.jwu.edu

Sarah Cirelli ’07 B.S. Marketing Interactive Marketing Manager, WithumSmith+Brown (WS+B)Red Bank, N.J.

Soon after she was hired at the accounting firm WithumSmith +Brown, in 2007, Sarah Cirelli met with CEO Bill Hagaman. “I think it’s time we start introducing social media into our marketing strategy,” she told him. The firm had no social media accounts and computers were blocked from accessing YouTube. “And what he heard was me saying that I wanted 400 of his billable pro-fessionals to start playing online.”

Fast forward to today, when visitors to withum.com are greeted by links to the company’s six social media ac-counts — all launched and managed by the 29-year-old Cirelli. WS+B recently used Instagram to release 40 short videos to celebrate the firm’s 40th anniversary. Its annual YouTube “State of the Firm” videos have become legendary in the ac-counting world. In 2012, Cirelli pro-duced a seven-minute clip of WS+B staffers dancing and lip-synching to LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” in a New York City subway car, before forming a flash mob in front of a midtown skyscraper. The video has been viewed over 66,000 times, with one comment reading, “LOL now I want to be an accountant.”

As a marketing student at Johnson & Wales, “an accounting firm was probably the last place I thought I would end up.” But she’s learned that less obvious marketing fields can provide some of the most exciting opportunities. For the last two years, Accounting Today has placed Cirelli on its “Top 100 Most Influential People in the Accounting Industry,” praising how she pushes “WS+B to boldly go where no firms have gone before in social media.” In 2014, Cirelli was one of 1,000 guests chosen to attend Forbes’ inaugural “Under 30 Summit.”

As for the skeptical CEO? He’s the one in a suit and tie in the “Party Rock Anthem” video, waving his arms and jumping up and down, as astonished tourists snap photos.

According to Cirelli, “He’s starred in every one of our videos.”

20 Spring 2015

Paul Damico ’86 B.S. Hotel Restaurant Institutional Management Executive Vice President and Group President at FOCUS Brands Inc.Atlanta, Ga.

Paul Damico was inspired early on to be a steward for employees. When his younger brother, infected with hepatitis, needed a lifesaving liver transplant, his father’s boss offered a corporate jet to transfer the family to the hospital when a donor became available. “I give back with time and money whenever I can, which influ-ences others to do the same,” says the executive. “I want to be remembered as the person who provided opportu-nity and helped a lot of people reach their personal and professional goals.”

After the 50-year-old appeared on “Undercover Boss,” he gave $280,000 in corporate dollars to five employees of Moe’s Southwest Grill, where “Do the right thing” is a guiding principle. “We teach people they are empowered to take care of employees and custom-ers without going through red tape,” says Damico. “We encourage them not to be afraid of making mistakes.”

Damico studies millennials to become a better manager. Since many eschew the typical 9-5, he is flexible about scheduling provided the work gets done: “I have about a one percent turnover on the corporate level; it’s a win-win because it costs a lot to train someone new.”

When he joined Moe’s in 2008, fran-chising was stagnant: “I capitalized on the opportunity to rebuild and retool the brand. We established a food mission and built training and operations teams in preparation for growth. It took 18 months to get the comps positive.”

Success is measured against the prior year’s performance: “Are we growing the brand and selling more franchises?” His division has 1,300 locations, puts nearly two restaurants in the ground per week, and generates approximately $1.6 billion in annual revenue. When he’s not traveling, the marathoner is at his desk by 7 a.m. — a workhorse ethic he polished at JWU: “I experienced what it was going to be like on the outside during my time there. Other people say they’re going to school, but I called it working eight hours a day.”

21www.jwu.edu

Jill Guindon-Nasir ’97B.S. Hospitality Senior Corporate Director Global Learning Solutions and Organizational Development The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center Washington, D.C.

“A title has nothing to do with leadership,” says Jill Guindon-Nasir. “Just because you have authority doesn’t mean people believe in you.” People want a leader they can trust. Leadership is about taking risks, she adds: “You don’t win or lose, you either win or you learn.” Guindon-Nasir navigated that tightrope after researching the transference of service excellence best practices from the hospitality to the healthcare industry. She had to convince key stakeholders — some of whom felt The Ritz-Carlton should stick to hotels — that a hotel could im-pact hospitals. As she created its healthcare services advisory board, Guindon-Nasir was on the cusp of a the healthcare sector boom.

This pioneer creates job roles; she has never held a position that belonged to a predecessor. When she heard The Ritz-Carlton planned to build a hotel in Washington, D.C., where she lived, she put its headquarters on speed dial and was hired when the building was still a blueprint: “I wore a construction hat to work.”

What advice does Guindon-Nasir, who also has a doctorate in educa-tion, have for alumni wading into a competitive job market? “You gotta have grit and not wait around for someone to promote you; high per-formers create their own opportu-nities.” Guindon-Nasir says she can always spot a JWU graduate: “They aspire to be the general manager, but don’t believe they deserve it tomorrow. They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty because they worked during school.” As a student, Guindon-Nasir loved JWU’s fami-ly-feel: The accessible faculty truly wanted students to succeed. Plus, they combined academic expertise with industry experience. “Not ev-ery school has that,” says the woman with a run-on sentence of degrees. “Both need to coexist.”

Spring 201522

Angelo Pitassi Jr. ’03 MBA Financial Management CEO/Founder of HealthID Profile Inc.Cranston, R.I.

Innovative solutions to everyday problems are not easy to find. When they are discovered, it takes courage and vision to see them through. For Angelo Pitassi Jr., it began when his youngest son, then two-and-a-half, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. His son needed a medical ID brace-let to alert responders, teachers and other parents of his condition in case of emergency. Pitassi, unhappy with what he considered low quality bands and limited space for information, designed his own bracelet. His son has been wearing one ever since. He’s not alone; today HealthID has more than 1,500 customers.

After designing a medical ID with an interchangeable band, he realized that adding a technology component would expand its interactivity and usefulness.

Although Pitassi, 42, has a background in jewelry design and sales, creating a product focused on personal health management presented new challeng-es: “Because of the space limitation for information on other bands, we coupled it with a cloud-based storage solution. Now users can create an account online and input necessary medical information. We’ve also added a unique personal identifier so users and medical responders can immediately pull up the medical infor-mation with a SmartPhone.”

To protect his invention, Pitassi researched the patent process and hired an attorney who specializes in the medical and technology field: “Technology is never an easy thing to patent.” Today the product focuses on three key areas: medication compli-ance, chronic disease management and efficient communication of personal medical information in an emergency or a routine doctor visit.

“We want to put a different spin on the personal health management world and erase any stigma,” says Pitassi. “We want something that’s more trendy, socially acceptable and fashionable.” HealthID bands are get-ting noticed. Entrepreneur magazine recently featured the ID band and app as one of five smart products to watch.

23www.jwu.edu

24 Spring 2015

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

For more than two decades, JWU graduates have been finding their way to Wegmans. Their journey hasn’t necessarily landed them be-hind a shopping cart, but rather be-

hind the counters in positions ranging from chef de cuisine and sous chef to executive chef and gen-eral manager. The variety of positions at Wegmans reflects the fact that the company offers a unique store model, similar to a European open-air mar-ket, and includes restaurants and prepared food stalls.

In 2014, Fortune named Wegmans one of the top 100 best companies to work for. For JWU gradu-ates, this statement has been prophetic, with more than 90 of them employed by the company in 2014 alone. Nine JWU graduates were included in the managers-in-training program last year. This spring, Wegmans conducted interviews on the Providence Campus and the Virginia Wegmans supermarket held a recruiting session on the Charlotte Campus.

As a salute to the university from which many of its employees graduated, the company has estab-lished the Wegmans Scholarship with a gift of

$250,000. “Wegmans’ mission is to help our cus-tomers make great meals easy so they can live healthier, better lives,” said Jim Schaeffer, Wegmans’ vice president of culinary operations. “To deliver on that promise, we must attract and develop the best culinary talent. Our hope for this scholarship is that it encourages the pursuit of cu-linary education from a top-notch school.” As a result of the gift, $50,000 a year over the next five years will be awarded to students on the Providence Campus majoring in culinary arts.

Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is a family-owned U.S. regional supermarket chain headquartered near Rochester, N.Y., with more than 85 stores in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. It em-ploys more than 44,000 people and posted $7.4 billion in sales in 2014. Founded in 1916 by broth-ers John and Walter Wegman as the Rochester Vegetable and Fruit Company, the company is cur-rently managed by family members Danny Wegman as CEO and his daughter Colleen Wegman as president. The stores are noted for their excellent food at affordable prices and in-comparable customer service. — Julia S. Emlen

WEGMANS SCHOLARSHIP HONORS LONG HISTORY BETWEEN FOOD MARKET INDUSTRY LEADER AND JWU

During his days as dean of academic affairs, Larry Rice, Ed.D., ’90, interim president of the North Miami Campus, re-members Rudolph Poindexter ’02 as having a quick smile and an entrepreneurial spirit: “He was always friendly … and motivated.” Poindexter took advantage of every oppor-tunity, leveraged his involvement and saw the importance of joining campus clubs and organizations. It was basketball, however, that gave Poindexter his greatest thrill.

One and one equals two. In Poindexter’s case, this has meant combining his enthu-siasm for his alma mater with his passion for basketball. Poindexter has returned to campus to speak in a classroom, visit fac-ulty and attend the Athletics Reunion every January. He decided in December 2014 to extend his investment in the university by making a gift that combined scholarship support for a basketball player and funds for the team itself. Since his graduation he has remained close to Rice and his basket-ball coach, David Graham, both of whom helped him decide how to aid the university. As Poindexter noted, “I could not have imagined when I walked onto the North Miami Campus in September 1998 that just being there would have changed my life in so many ways. My professors, my coach, my teammates and Dr. Rice helped shape who I am as a business professional, a man and a father. I owe so much to JWU; it is only fitting that I give back a portion of the invaluable educational and life experiences that are part of being a member of the JWU

family.” — Julia S. Emlen

POINDEXTER GIFT SUPPORTS BASKETBALL PLAYERS AND THE GAME

Rudy Pointdexter ’02 with his wife Anetra.

L-R: Carl Curtiss ’85, Cherry Hill store manager; Aria Allen, Princeton employee; Chef Trent O’Drain, New Jersey division regional chef; Bill Congdon Jr., New England division manager; Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77; Chef Dan Tartaglia, New England division regional chef; Jeff Monahan, New England division staffing coordinator representative

25www.jwu.edu

LES CLEFS D’OR USA HONORS MARJORIE SILVERMAN AND SUPPORTS JWU STUDY ABROAD

Nathan Goff ’02 plus Les Clefs d’Or USA equals a $5,000 fund at JWU to support stu-dents who wish to

study abroad through university -approved hospitality programs. It all started in 2001 with a three-month in-ternship at a hotel in Greece that trans-formed Goff ’s vision of his career: “Working at a hotel in another country brought together all the lessons I had learned at JWU. Study abroad is an op-portunity that every student should have; it can make all the difference in the professionalism of a concierge.”

Goff is now chef concierge at the Boston Harbor Hotel, and when he became vice president and treasurer with Les Clefs

d’Or USA, he was determined to find a way for the organization to support JWU students who are seeking to follow in his steps with a hospitality internship in an-other country. Les Clef d’Or USA, which promotes the technical skills and profes-sionalism of hotel concierges, the hotel industry and tourism in general, was a perfect match to support his goal of pro-moting study abroad. The fund honors Marjorie Silverman, who was chef con-cierge at Hotel InterContinental in Chicago and the first woman and first American to serve as president of the Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hotels, the parent organization of Les Clef ’s d’Or.

Bon voyage.— Julia S. Emlen

On March 20, an in-timate group of hon-ored guests assem-bled in the Dick Saunders Dining

Room of the College of Culinary Arts on the Denver Campus to savor a dining experience that most had only dreamed of — an authentic recreation of the famed meal in the Oscar-winning film, “Babette’s Feast.”

The ambitious dinner was a labor of love for instructor Robert Corey ’15 MBA, C.E.C., and his team of chef as-sistants, teaching assistants and fel-lows. They spent several months planning, sourcing and pairing the distinct ingredients and courses, including the potage à la tortue, blini demidoff au caviar, and the famed caille en sarcophagi avec sauce perigourdine. The meal was topped off with a delicious babas au rhum avec les figues that was prepared tableside. It would be difficult to think of another meal that is more divine in its execution, more perfect in its symbolism or more award-worthy than Babette’s Feast.

The dinner was hosted by Denver Campus President Robin Krakowsky ’88, and guests included Linda Childears ’10 Hon., CEO of the Daniels Fund; Joe Blake ’05 Hon., former chancellor of Colorado State University; Pat “Gabby” Miller ’05 Hon., host of “The Gabby

Gourmet” radio show; Brad and Therese Zuercher, Denver parents and scholarship donors; retiring Chef-Instructor Peter Henkel, C.E.C., and daughter, Kristen; Matt Vawter, executive chef at Denver’s newest Union Station hotspot, Mercantile Dining & Provision; and Burton Hobson ’02 Hon., former national president of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Hobson noted, “It really was an outstanding accomplishment to have gotten all those courses — in-cluding the so important small details — just right. The Clos Vougeot wine was excellent and a rare treat.”

In the film, once the meal concludes the viewer understands that the food was not only prepared for the diners’ enjoyment, but for the chef ’s satisfaction as well. “It was not just for you,” Babette says to the hosts. She has sacrificed everything to make her guests happy and her fulfill-ment comes from their pleasure. Chef Corey said it this way: “The reason for preparing and serving this meal comes from the movie itself. To me, Babette’s Feast is about the transformative power of communal dining. The attendees at the table in the movie were moved — to laugh and cry, to forgive and forget, to love and live. Is this not what the bless-ings of dining bring to the table? We cook to make people happy.”

— Kara Johnston

AN AUTHENTIC RECREATION OF BABETTE’S FEAST IN DENVER

REMEMBERING CHEF SHANE H. PEARSON ’97

Past honorary degree recipients enjoy Babette’s Feast. From L-R: Pat “Gabby” Miller ’05 Hon., Burton Hobson ’02 Hon., Chef Robert Corey MBA ’15, President Robin Krakowsky ’88, Linda Childears ’10 Hon., and Joe Blake ’05 Hon.

“Dean, I am just trying to get these students into the kitchen; they will love cooking.” For Charlotte Campus Culinary Dean Jerry Lanuzza ’91, this quote epitomizes the approach that Chef Shane Pearson ’97 took to his cooking and his teaching. His passion and enthusiasm for his profession is remembered for much more that than that as well, as illustrated by the outpouring of gifts to the Chef Shane H. Pearson ’97 Memorial Scholarship, which was established in January to remember Pearson, who passed away on December 30, 2014. Mavis Pearson, Chef Pearson’s mother, noted that “Shane loved JWU and would spend hours talking to prospective students, their parents and anyone who would listen about the benefits of a JWU education. He’d be pleased to know that his memory will live on with the scholarship.”

Please call Darlena Goodwin, Charlotte Campus director of development and alumni relations, at 980-598-1007 for information on ways to make a gift in honor of Chef Shane Pearson.

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The Second Annual All–Class Reunion was held on the Providence Campus April 24–26. More than 400 guests were able to see and hear about the transformations on each of the campuses; tour the new exhibition at the Culinary Museum; sample off erings from local and national alumni chefs at Taste of JWU; enjoy the Big Party in the former dormitory Bell Hall turned Hotel Providence; and reminisce with former classmates and faculty.

Reunions and homecomings are a special celebration of our personal and professional relationships; we invite you to save the date for our upcoming events so you can share your memories.

ALL–CLASS REUNION

Spring 201526

HOMECOMINGOctober 16–18, 2015 Charlotte Campus

ATHLETIC HOMECOMING October 16–18, 2015 Denver Campus

ALUMNI HOMECOMING & ATHLETES REUNIONJanuary 29–31, 2016North Miami Campus

ATHLETES HOMECOMING October 16–18, 2015 Providence Campus

SAVE THE DATE

left to right, top to bottom: 1. Rogelio Yearwood ’73 and Michael Sirianni ’79 2. Anne Marie McCormack ’90 and Andrea Raymond ’94, ’08. 3. Christopher Alexis ’90 and Professor Donna Faria ’80, ’90 M.S. 4. Paul Damico ’86 5. Lisa Rolff ’84, Gwen Murphy ’84 and Heidi Lutz ’84 6. Students at Taste of JWU 7. A Rememberance 8. Professor Donna Faria ’80,’90 M.S. with former students 9. Pavan Nayini ’07 and Michelle Woodland ’07 10. Anne Lownes ’55 11. Treats from Bistro du Midi 12. Barbie Marshall ’04 and Kevin Spraga ’03 13. Mary Hall ’81 with her daughter and granddaughter 14. Steve Kovats and James Major ’90 15. Andy Husbands ’92 16. Michael Fanion ’13 and Sean Bufalo ’13.

27www.jwu.edu

left to right, top to bottom: 1. Offerings from Libations – Radisson Hotel 2. Julius Searight ’13 and Kevin Spraga ’03 3. Kristina Testa-Buzzee ’14 Ed.D, Jason Pina ’09 Ed.D., Cynthia Ward and Thomas DiPaola 4. Julius Searight ’13 with fellow food truckers 5. Karriem Kanston ’98, Deborah Pierce-Kanston ’98, Janet Ray ’01, ’05 MBA and Alyssa Frezza ’13 MBA 6. Champe Speidel ’01 and Robert Sisca ’03 7. Professor Peter Zacchilli and Clay Snyder ’93, ’15 Hon. 8. Alex Garcia, Michelle Meehan ’13, ’15 MBA, Lorise Lopez ’00 and Louis Lopez 9. Who’s behind those Foster Grants? 10. Laura Piantedosi ’83 and James Dougherty ’83. 11. Friends enjoying a laugh. 12. Heather Singleton ’93 and Sam Spadavecchia ’94.

28 Spring 2015

MORE ALL– CLASS REUNION

29www.jwu.edu

OFF THE SHELF

THE CONNECTICUT FARM TABLE COOKBOOK (The Countryman Press)

Food writer, stylist and recipe developer TRACEY MEDEIROS ’97, author of “The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook” and “Dishing Up Vermont” headed south to research her latest publication, “The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook.” The collection includes 150 recipes from Connecticut chefs along with their purveyors: farmers, fi shers, ranchers, foragers and cheesemakers. It showcases specialties these growers and chefs are creating using ingredients such as oysters, sunchokes, ramps, quail eggs and more. Besides stunning photography, it off ers intriguing profi les of food producers, chefs and restaurants ranging from seafood shacks to four-star farmhouse restaurants.

ONLINE > traceymedeiros.com

BUGGIN’: A BROTHER’S TALE(Amazon Authorhouse)

DON TAYLOR, an assistant professor of sociology at the Charlotte Campus, has authored a novel that off ers a uniquely male African-American perspective on marriage, divorce, family and recovery. The “steamy and suspenseful” read focuses on a college professor who fi nds himself enmeshed in a triangle of narcissism, obsession and passion following the dissolution of his marriage.

ONLINE > amazon.com/Buggin-Brothers-Tale-Don-Taylor/dp/149692732X MAXIMUM FLAVOR SOCIAL

(Maximum Flavor Inc.)

In ADRIANNE CALVO’S ’04 third cookbook, “Maximum Flavor Social,” food meets social media. Following the success of “Maximum Flavor” and “Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire,” the publication features Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram comments from her fans alongside “greatest hit” recipes from her restaurant, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard and Wine Bar, in Miami, Fla. The concept of Maximum Flavor is about maximixing fl avors by using the freshest ingredients and making it personal —whether that means catching the fi sh yourself or presenting the dish in a creative way.

ONLINE > adriannecalvo.com

Ink by University Authors

BUGGIN’: A BROTHER’S TALE

suspenseful” read focuses on a college professor who fi nds himself enmeshed in a triangle of narcissism, obsession and passion following the

amazon.com/Buggin-Brothers-Tale-Don-Taylor/dp/149692732X MAXIMUM FLAVOR SOCIAL

30 Spring 2015

left to right: Kenneth Luette ’91, Maira Morales ’01 and Steven Shipley ’85, ’06 M.A.T.

Behind the Scenes in OrlandoFellow alumni gathered for a unique event at the exclusive Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere, Fla. It featured a behind-the-scenes tour of the 89,000- square-foot clubhouse, including a new $2 million dining complex. The event was hosted by General Manager Ryan Spence ’02.

Connecticut ReunionAlumni met at The Capital Grille in Hartford, Conn., to reconnect and learn more about all of the exciting new programs at JWU.

ALUMNINEWS

left to right: Maria Cline ’94; Renee Williams ’12 and her daughter Christina Williams; Mechelle Tovar Olortegui ’98, ’01 MBA; Nichelle Appleby ’07 and Julian Murcia ’13

Atlanta CelebrationAlumni in Atlanta, Ga., gathered for their annual regional event, which was held at Le Fais do-do, a venue near downtown Atlanta.

left to right: Chris Plano ’93, Julie Bilodeau ’00, Glenn Wilga ’08, Seth Wyatt ’09, Kelsey Vogt ’13, Martin Lovelace ’07, Meghan Alford ’14, Keon Jackson ’12, James Grau ’13, Andrew Sasser ’14 and Sharon Clennon ’02

Charlotte Alumni at Career FairAlumni participated in the School of Business Internship & Career Fair at the JWU Charlotte Campus.

left to right: Oanh Vu ’06, Andrea Lister ’06, Greg Lister, Alfred Rojas ’06, and Ximena Baena

Denver PairingsDenver alumni enjoyed the creative talents of Chef  Johannes Busch during a seminar on creating perfect pairings with chocolate, sparkling wine and liqueurs.

31www.jwu.edu

Rumson, N.J., Alumni EventAlumni gathered at David Burke’s Fromagerie to make local connections and enjoy delicious tastings from the restaurant’s appetizer menu. Seasoned alumni profession-als offered recent grads career advice while others swapped stories about campus life.

Alumni and Student Networking The Charlotte alumni chapter hosted an evening at the 7th Street Public Market. JWU Chef Peter Reinhart put on a culinary demonstration while graduating seniors and local alumni networked.

left to right: Shadel Hamilton ’01, Horasetta Suber ’01, Jackie Daniel ’01, Bonita Ross ’01 , Staceyann Sinclair ’01, Darryl Howard ’01

North Miami HomecomingFormer athletes and classmates reunited at the 2015 Alumni Homecoming & Athletes Reunion Weekend on the North Miami Campus.

Alumni Leaders WeekEach year North Miami Alumni Relations, in collaboration with deans and faculty, invite alumni back to campus for Alumni Leaders Week. Graduates are asked back into the classroom to inspire students by sharing stories of their experiences and highlight-ing successes within their industries.

Charlotte Educational SessionCharlotte alumni continued their Professional Development Series with an educational session on “Proper Communication in the Workplace” featuring JWU Associate Professor Joan Geller.

32 Spring 2015

CLASSNOTES1977EDWARD GALGON PVDALLENTOWN, PA.

Edward is the chef and manager at Tower Court in Topton.

1979JOSEPH BOLTZER PVDBELVIDERE, N.J.

Joseph is a manufacturing sales representitive for LaPorte Associates LLC in Monroe Township.

1983JOHN O’NEIL PVDLINCOLN, R.I.

John is the quality enhancement director for Atria Retirement Canada covering 29 retirement communities from New Brunswick to British Columbia.

KAREN RENFROE PVDMACUNGIE, PA.

Karen is an office manager with Allentown Pediatric Dental in Allentown.

1984PAUL FITE PVDPERKASIE, PA.

Paul is a regional vice president with Sodexo Inc. and Affiliates in Allentown.

1986ROBERT LONGO PVDGREEN BROOK, N.J.

Robert is a sales trainer with Bob Longo Consulting.

[1] STEVE PHIPPS CHSSOUTHPORT, N.C.

Steve is the owner and executive chef of Mr. P’s Bistro.

1987ELIZABETH LONGO PVDGREEN BROOK, N.J.

Elizabeth is a general manager at Vista Travel in Colonia.

1988JAMES FAY PVDPAXTON, MASS.

Jim has left the food business and is now employed as a teacher and author. He has published eight books of poetry between 1993–2011 with another one tentantively slated to be published this summer. However, his primary focus is now on writing plays; he has written more than 30 and had two debut this spring. His plays have been performed at Wesleyan and Suffolk universities.

ALAN JACOBS PVDOCEAN, N.J.

Alan is the general manager of the City Club at River Ranch, Carriage House Hotel and RiverSpa in Lafayette, La. He also serves as president of the Pelican Chapter (Louisiana and Mississippi) for the Club Managers Association of

America and also serves on the Acadiana Chapter Board of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. The Carriage House Hotel is the only AAA Four Diamond Hotel in Acadiana.

1992ROBIN MCCANN PVDHAMPTON, N.H.

Robin is an associate at Panera Bread in Portsmouth.

1993VICTORIA KENYON PVDASHAWAY, R.I.

Victoria (Bertapelli) is currently the pastry sous chef and assistant banquet manager at Twin River Casino in Lincoln.

1994BRIAN MANSFIELD PVDWARWICK, R.I.

Brian is east central regional chef with Chartwells Educational Dining Services.

SHERRY NISEN PVDOXFORD, N.J.

Sherry is a regional director with Stream.

NITCHELL TAPALU PVDPROVIDENCE, R.I.

Nitchell is the owner of Cherish Event Solutions LLC in Cranston.

1995THOMAS DYRNESS PVDFORT MILL, S.C.

Thomas is the head chef at Mama Ricotta’s Restaurant in Charlotte.

JEFFREY GIRARD PVDWESTWOOD, MASS.

Jeffrey is the director of sales with Piper Products in Wausau, Wis.

MICHELLE LERARIO PVDRED BANK, N.J.

Michelle is the front office manager at Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch.

DAVID MCKLVEEN PVDWASHINGTON, D.C.

Dave is now director of people and culture at Cava Grill based in Washington.

GERARD SIMONETTI NMICHARLOTTE, N.C.

Gerard is the owner of Simonetti’s Pizzeria in Belmont.

1996WILLIAM BIGHAM CHSCHARLOTTE, N.C.

William is co-owner of The Improper Pig Restaurant.

1997JONATHAN FORTES PVDFORT MILL, S.C.

Jon and Amy Kumpf-Fortes are co-owners of The Flipside Café.

JAKE SMITH PVDYORK, MAINE

Jake is the executive chef at The Black Birch Restaurant in Kittery.

1

PVD ProvidenceNMI North MiamiDEN DenverCLT CharlotteCHS CharlestonNOR NorfolkVAIL Vail InternationalONL Online

33www.jwu.edu

1998DOMENICO LOMBARDO PVDBETHLEHEM, PA.

Domenico is the owner of The Mint Gastropub.

ANNETTE MILLER PVDPRESTO, PA.

Annette has accepted the position of senior sales manager at Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square.

MECHELLE TOVAR OLORTEGUI ’01 MBA PVDMANCHESTER, CONN.

Mechelle is the development officer at the University of Hartford.

1999JONATHAN ELIAS ’13 MBA PVDKANSAS CITY, MO.

Major Jonathan Elias graduated from the College of Culinary Arts and was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Providence College ROTC program as an aviation officer. He attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala., and is qualified in the AH-64A/D Apache and the C-12 King Air Fixed Wing aircraft. He has deployed to Panama, Iraq (three tours), Kosovo and Afghanistan. He is also a graduate of the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He is currently stationed at Fort Leavenworth with his wife Lindsay and daughter Emma and is the institutional training product manager for the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center in Fort Leavenworth.

ARETHA OLIVAREZ NORORLANDO, FLA.

Aretha spoke at the Bishop T.D. Jakes 2015 International Pastors and Leadership Conference in Orlando this April. Her topic was the importance of the 501c3 in getting grants, donations and sponsorships.

CHRISTOPHER HILL NORVIRGINIA BEACH, VA.

Christopher is the head chef at Faire Seafood & Spirits in Goldsboro, N.C.

ALLEN TACKETT PVDWASHINGTON, D.C.

Allen accepted a position as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State.

2000MAYANK MISRA MBA PVD DARIEN, CONN.

Mayank is director, North America Planning & Innovation, at Pfizer Oncology.

2002ELPINIKI BRATSIS PVDEAST WALPOLE, MASS.

Elpiniki is the owner of Elpiniki Gifts.

ARA KARAKASHIAN MBA PVDMIDDLETOWN, N.J.

Ara is an assistant professor and the coordinator of hospitality management and culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Jersey City.

JOSEPH KINDRED CHSDAVIDSON, N.C.

Joseph is the owner and head chef at Kindred.

KARI NAEGLER ’04 M.S. PVDDORCHESTER, MASS.

Kari is the executive chef at Wegmans in Newton.

DREAMING BIG ENOUGH

Tracy Keller ’91 is CEO of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, a northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia nonprofit dedicated to improving girls’ lives. And she found that it improved her own.

The Norfolk alumna received her associate degree in culi-nary arts and enjoyed working in the industry, a dream she held since she was 13. But six years into her career, she went through a divorce and changed her life’s direc-tion. She started per-forming data entry part time at the Girl Scouts office, and attended com-munity college classes during her lunch breaks as she planned her next move.

Her boss was im-pressed by her focus and began increasing her job responsibilities.

She grew so fond of writing databases that she decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in computer science. Over a seven-year period, the Girl Scouts promoted her five times, placing her in charge of departments such as finance and IT. After receiving her degree in 2004, she was tapped as interim CEO. Emboldened by the Girl Scouts’ belief in her abilities, she applied for and was granted the top spot.

Keller’s job involves communicating her organization’s mission and goals to the community, and encouraging them to share their expertise with girls — because there is more to the Girl Scouts than just cookie sales. Her efforts focus on pro-grams that educate girls about financial literacy and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields that most girls have never considered entering — even Keller herself at one time.

“I didn’t dream big enough,” Keller recalls. But she and her fellow Girl Scouts are now dreaming much bigger.

— Jennifer Brouillard

TRACY KELLER ’91

ONLINE >gsccc.org

CLASSNOTES

34 Spring 2015

AMY NOMEJKO PVDBELMONT, MASS.

Amy is co-owner of Sandrines Bistro, which serves contempo-rary and classic French cuisine in in Cambridge’s Harvard Square.

ANGELA THORNTON PVDGROTON, CONN.

Angela is the pastry chef and director at the Fusion Bakery and Patisserie in Middletown.

2004SUSAN BARRY MBA PVDPROVIDENCE, R.I.

Susan is an entrepreneur with ACN Inc.

SHEILA BORZOMATI NMIRIVERVIEW, FLA.

Sheila has earned a bachelor’s in legal studies and an MBA in internet marketing from Florida Institute of Technology. She is now studying for a Doctor of Business Administration. She is a marketing manager at Bisk Education in Tampa.

JOSHUA GORRA PVDPROVIDENCE, R.I.

Joshua is the managing sales director for Baystate Financial Services in East Providence.

AARON MESSINA PVDWEST WARWICK, R.I.

Aaron is now the vice president of sales and marketing for Russell Morin Catering and Events in Attleboro, Mass.

2005LAURA BECKMAN PVDVINEYARD HAVEN, MASS.

Laura is the executive pastry chef at The Black Dog Tavern Company Inc.

DANIEL WILGA ’08 MBA PVDNORTH DIGHTON, MASS.

Dan oversees e-communications for the Institutional Advancement division of the Development, Alumni, Events and Prospect research teams at Brandeis University in Waltham.

2006GREGORY BALCH CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Gregory is the chef de cuisine at Cantina 1511.

MATTHEW BREDES PVDEAST NORTHPORT, N.Y.

Matthew was promoted to assurance manager, not-for-profit and healthcare services, at BDO USA LLP.

ZACHARY DEAN PVDNEW LONDON, CONN.

Zach is a commercial and industrial business development manager for American Integrity Restoration, a disaster recovery company. Zach’s role is to grow their business in Western Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, and has been involved in the opening of their first office in Rhode Island.

LARKEN EGLESTON CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Larken works for the Republic National Distributing Company as the Western North Carolina on-premise specialist for their Alliance Division.

RYAN FORTE CLTMATTHEWS, N.C.

Ryan is the executive chef for the Southminster Retirement Community in Charlotte.

SARA STANGER PVDBRISTOL, R.I.

Sara is sponsorships and partnerships manager at Alex and Ani in Cranston.

2007TRISTEN EPPS CLTCHESAPEAKE, VA.

Tristen finished third on this past season of ABC’s “The Taste.” Tristen is currently working as a sous chef at Marcus Samuelson’s Red Rooster in Harlem, N.Y.

MELISSA GADOURY PVDSTERLING, CONN.

Melissa was promoted to office manager at Hall Communications/Cat Country 98.1 WCTK in Providence, R.I.

VICTORIA OROZCO CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Victoria is the beverage director of Amelie’s French Bakery & Café.

JEREMY SCHNEIDER DENDENVER, COLO.

Jeremy was recently promoted to manager of quality assurance at Chipotle Mexican Grill headquarters.

JOYCE SIMONDS CLTVALENCIA, CALIF.

Joyce has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as clubhouse chef. She previously worked for EXOS (formerly Athlete’s Performance) and ran the training table at Florida State University, where she oversaw all food production and front of house operations for athletic dining.

JESSICA VANN CLTVIRGINIA BEACH, VA.

Jessica accepted a job as sales coordinator with Coastal Hospitality Associates LLC. Her position covers two IHG Brand hotels at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

MARY JAYNE (BURRIS)WILSON CLTGOLD HILL, N.C.

Mary Jayne is the director of operations of Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe in Charlotte.

2008JACK BURTCH PVDWALTHAM, MASS.

Jack is an associate at Market Metrics in Boston.

NICHOLAS COLLINS PVDPLEASANT VALLEY, CONN.

Nicholas is the banquet captain at the Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury.

JACQUELINE DEROSA PVDBOSTON, MASS.

Jacqueline is an account representative, inside sales, at Medtronic (formerly Covidien).

ALYSON FETHEROLF ’15 MBA DENDENVER, COLO.

Alyson is now the sales manager for hotel services with PSAV Presentation Services, serving the Westin Denver Downtown.

MELISSA KOLBMANN PVDMANAHAWKIN, N.J.

Melissa is the senior contract center associate at AAA mid-Atlantic in Hamilton.

[2] KRISTIN PERAZZO CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Kristin is the catering manager for Chicken Salad Chick.

2

35www.jwu.edu

AMIT RANGI MBA PVD JERSEY CITY, N.J.

Amit is an assistant general manager at the World’s Tallest Holiday Inn Manhattan-Financial District, N.Y. Prior to this position he worked as a regional director of operations.

DAVID SOPER CLTDUNCAN, S.C.

David is the owner and master sommelier at The Wooden Vine Wine Bar & Bistro in Charlotte, N.C.

2009JASON ATKINS PVDJOHNSTON, R.I.

Jason is a business continuity analyst at Citizens Financial Group Inc. in Cranston.

KEVIN COUPER PVDCLARK, N.J.

Kevin is a financial planner at Sontag Advisory in New York.

VINCENT GIANCARLO CLTNEWPORT, N.C.

Vincent is the corporate executive chef for Cantina 1511 in Charlotte.

MICHAEL GIOIA PVDCHESTER, N.Y.

Michael is a business develop-ment executive at Peace Of Mind Technology.

EVAN LEMOINE ’10 MBA PVDVERNON ROCKVILLE, CONN.

Evan is the principal at Lemoine LLC in Vernon.

HAROLD LOGAN CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Harold is the owner of Carolina Chocolate Company.

LIANNE MARKERT PVDWORCESTER, MASS.

Lianne is a catering coordinator with Forrester Research in Cambridge.

THOMAS MARLOW CLTINDIAN LAND, S.C.

Thomas is the executive chef at Mimosa Grill, part of Harper’s Restaurant Group in Charlotte, N.C.

[3] NIKKI MOORE CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Nikki is the owner of Food Love, a personal chef service.

LAURA MYERS CLTFORT WAYNE, IND.

Laura is now the bakery manager at Earth Fare.

2009MARIA DANIELA HINDELANG DEN SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

Maria Daniela and her brother have opened a business called Tacos & Bowls in her native Costa Rica. They sell healthy gourmet tacos and bowls at affordable prices and are about to open a second location.

ALUMNI OVERSEAS

3

JEREMY BRINGARDNER ’01

COOKING FOR LYFE

Jeremy Bringardner ’01 is no stranger to hard work. But after spending three of the “hardest, most mentally grueling” years of his life cooking at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago post-graduation, he needed a change. “I was so burnt out; I needed a break,” the Providence Campus graduate says. “I couldn’t even imagine working in another restaurant.”

Shortly after he left Trotter’s, a regular customer from the restaurant approached him with a unique opportunity: be-come the private chef to a fifty-something woman with cancer whose doctor had prescribed a radically different, healthy diet as part of her treat-ment. With his culinary nutrition degree and passion for healthy food, the opportunity made sense and was a rewarding shift in gears that lead to a catering business, dabbling in food styling, a chance to compete (and win) on an episode of “Chopped” and, ulti-mately, his current ven-ture as executive chef at LYFE Kitchen.

LYFE (an acronym for “Love Your Food Everyday”) Kitchen creates fast, flavorful and healthy food, serving menu items that are 600 calories or less. What began as one restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2011 has blossomed into 16 restaurants around the country. Bring-ardner has been there from the beginning, spending the first year talking to customers, assessing the menu and figuring out what the restaurant could improve. “We learned a lot that first year about who we want to be, and what our next steps were.”

Next steps include expanding even further and hopefully going public within the next two years. Bringardner is looking forward to what’s yet to come: “Every day presents a new chal-lenge, but every new challenge presents an opportunity for us to be better.” — Rachel Donilon

ONLINE >lyfekitchen.com

CLASSNOTES

36 Spring 2015

DANYELLE VANEIKEN PVDBLAKELY, GA.

Danyelle is the owner of Kids Country Family Home Daycare.

2011ASHLEIGH EASTERLING CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Ashleigh is a personal chef and owner of Chef Ashley Easterling Cooks.

BENJAMIN FRYE CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Benjamin is the co-owner of Your Mom’s Donuts in Matthews.

NICOLE GERANCHER PVDCATASAUQUA, PA.

Nicole is the executive chef at Blue Monkey Sports Restaurant.

TYLER HUNT DENDENVER, COLO.

Tyler recently celebrated his four-year anniversary with both of his employers: the Colorado Convention Center, where he works full-time as an event manager, and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where he is a part-time field operative.

MICHAEL IAMELLO PVDOCEAN, N.J.

Michael is the guest service representative at Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch.

LUOXI LI MBA MBA PVD SMITHFIELD, R.I.

Luoxi is a staff accountant with Roger H. Crouteau CPA in Uxbridge, Mass.

KATELYN SPURR PVDBROOKLINE, MASS.

Katelyn was promoted from event coordinator to events associate at Forrester Research.

TODD LANDREE CLTWARREN, PA.

Todd was a contestant on this past season of “King of the Nerds 3” on TBS.

ASHLEY LUNDH MBA PVDCRANSTON, R.I.

Ashley is an events coordinator at Brown University in Providence.

MEAGAN O’FLAHERTY PVDFREEHOLD, N.J.

Meagan is the district fundraising event coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Maywood.

JOSHUA SEGUIN PVDNEW YORK, N.Y.

Joshua is general manager at the Mercer Kitchen.

CAITLIN SHEEHAN PVDBOSTON, MASS.Caitlin has graduated with her master’s in dietetics from Eastern Illinois University. She is now a registered dietitian and a certified nutrition education specialist.

PETER SPADARO PVDSTONY POINT, N.Y.

Peter is executive chef at Sage Dining Services Inc. in Hartsdale.

[5] JOSHUA TROVATO CLTLOS ANGELES, CALIF.

Josh was a contestant on Season 14 of “Hell’s Kitchen” with Chef Gordon Ramsay.

RYAN BURKART PVDCHELSEA, MASS.

Ryan, general manager of the Holiday Inn Boston-Bunker Hill, accepted the Stevan Porter Emerging Hospitality Leader of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Lodging Association in April.

BRUCE FLORIO CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Bruce is the executive chef at Draught.

ADAM FREISEM DENCENTENNIAL, COLO.

Adam is the chef de cuisine at Manna Restaurant and partici-pated in the design phase of the first hospital-based full-service restaurant in the country. Manna is located inside Castle Rock Adventist Hospital and features an open dining room, waitstaff, and a rotating seasonal menu that includes produce and herbs from its on-site half-acre garden. The team who brought Manna to Adventist was recognized by the Association for Healthcare Foodservice as the winner of its 2014 Spotlight Award.

[4] ERIN GASBARRO CLTSECANE, PA.

Erin has been promoted by the LPGA Tour as a tournament manager for the 2017 Solheim Cup (a competition between team USA and team Europe) in Des Moines, Iowa.

JOHN O’CONNELL ’12 MAT PVDCATASAUQUA, PA.

John is a culinary arts instructor at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute in Schnecksville.

EDWARD SCARPONE PVDWASHINGTON, D.C.

Ed is the executive sous chef at DBGB Kitchen and Bar in City Center.

ANNA STARK PVDMANCHESTER, CONN.

Anna is the food and beverage manager at the Sheraton Hotel in Windsor Locks.

CIDNEY WILCOX CLTLITHONIA, GA.

Cidney is the head chef at Vino Venue in Atlanta.

2010TAYLOR ANTHONY PVDAURORA, COLO.

Taylor is the new assistant show manager at the Colorado Garden Foundation.

SHERI BELLOWS PVDWARWICK, R.I.

Sheri is a customer experience specialist with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, in Providence.

TRAVIS BOSSHARDT CLTORLANDO, FLA.

Travis is working for Darden Restaurants as a manager at Bahama Breeze.

ELIZABETH BUZZERIO PVDNORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Elizabeth is a pastry chef at Modern Bakery in Boston, Mass.

5

4

37www.jwu.edu

JORDAN HITT DENLAS VEGAS, NEV.

Jordan is the new channel distribution specialist at MGM Resorts.

[6] CAROLYN MALONE CLTSMYRNA, GA.

Carolyn is a store manager for the Great Harvest Bread Company in Alpharetta.

ALEXANDRA MILLER PVDOCEANSIDE, N.Y.

Alexandra is the manager at Cafe Centro New York City.

DESIREE NAROG ONLBRISTOL, CONN.

Desiree is the brand ambassador at Onyx Moonshine in East Hartford.

LAUREN ORTIZ PVDCOPIAGUE, N.Y.

Lauren is manager at Patina Restaurant Group.

ZACHARY RANES PVDCHERRY HILL, N.J.

Zachary is an account manager for Media Place/In-Store Sports Network in Long Island City, N.Y.

CHRISTOPHER VIAUD PVDALLSTON, MASS.

Christopher recently became sous chef at the newly remodeled and transformed Papa Razzi Metro in Burlington. Chris worked for the

ALENA DIAZ CLTFORT MILL, S.C.

Alena is the general manager of Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe in Rock Hill.

TRAVIS GARRETT CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Travis is executive chef at The Mandrake Small Plates + Wine Bar.

2012JAMIE BLEA CLTMORRISTOWN, N.J.

Jamie is a human resources manager with the Wyndham Hotel Group in Parsippany.

company a few years back at The Boat House in Tiverton, R.I., as a line cook before heading to Boston, where he earned the title junior sous chef at Deuxave, ranked one of the top restaurants in the city.

TEESIA RENEE WILLIAMS PVDWINDSOR, CONN.

Renee hosts the television program “Simply Fresh Food with Chef Renee” in Windsor.

ROSA ZEFFERINO PVDCOLTS NECK, N.J.

Rosa is a real estate agent and property manager at Exit Realty East Coast in Holmdel.

2013EMILY CILIBERTO PVDMANCHESTER, CONN.

Emily is the community manager for Relay For Life in Rocky Hill.

MATTHEW DELGADO PVDASTORIA, N.Y.

Matthew is a bartender at State Bar & Grill New York City.

JONATHAN ERNST CLTFORT MILL, S.C.

Jon is head chef at Cafe Monte in Charlotte, N.C.

SHERWIN ZAIDMAN ’59Feb. 24, 2015

CHARLES N. WRIGHT ’68April 25, 2014

DAVID V. LAWRENCE ’74 Aug. 22, 2014

HUGH T. MULHOLLAND ’79Jan. 23, 2015

ANDREW T. KELLER ’82Feb. 5, 2015

RALPH WIELAND ’84March 23, 2015

JOSEPH A. RODRIGUES ’88March 14, 2015

ROBERT G. MAJOR ’91March 14, 2015

SCOTT PULVERMACHER ’92March 31, 2015

JAIME J. DUCLOS ’97Aug. 1, 2014

KEVIN C. CARPENTER ’99Jan. 29, 2015

JODY V. HARRISON ’99March 28, 2015

AMANDA HILLARY FOURNIER ’01March 30, 2015

ROBERT J. PETSCH ’03Jan. 29, 2015

MICHAEL P. GARBER ’10March 1, 2015

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

PETER KOCHFeb. 15, 2015

RICHARD J. CARBOTTIJan. 21, 2014

6

IN MEMORIAM

CLASSNOTES

38 Spring 2015

[7] CHELSI GALLAGHER CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Chelsi is a sales representative with Liberty Mutual Insurance in South Charlotte.

SHAELYN GERMAIN MBA PVDATTLEBORO, MASS.

Shaelyn is a programs director at Wimpy Kid, Inc./111 South Street, a multipurpose community building owned by author Jeff Kinney, in Plainville.

STACEY HAGYARD PVDCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Stacey is a sales and markerting manager with Libretto’s Pizzeria.

MICHELLE MEEHAN CLT MBA ’15 PVD WESTPORT, CT.

Michelle has been promoted to convention services manager at the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center in Stamford.

THOMAS POST PVDLAKE COMO, N.J.

Thomas is the lead sommelier at David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson.

OLIVIA ROMA PVDFOXBORO, MASS.

Olivia is meeting manager at PSMJ Resources Inc. in Newton, which provides management consulting services for the architecture, engineering and construction industries.

BRANDON STARK CLTCAROLINA BEACH, N.C.

Brandon is the executive chef at Michael’s Seafood Restaurant.

CHELSEA WEINBERG ’15 MBA DENGLADE PARK, COLO.

Chelsea is the assistant manager for room service operations at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

[8] ASHLEY WYRICK CLTCHARLOTTE, N.C.

Ashley is the owner of Owen’s Bagels & Deli.

2014JAIME CAFFIN PVDATTLEBORO, MASS.

Jaime is a staff accountant at Mullen Scorpio Cerilli in Providence, R.I.

ERIN CONLON PVDMANASQUAN, N.J.

Erin is a reservations agent at the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank.

KYLE DEVLIN PVDFARMINGDALE, N.J.

Kyle works for Range by Bryan Voltaggio in Washington, D.C.

ASHLEY GARCEAU PVDPRINCETON, MASS.

Ashley is the conference coordinator for Questex Media LLC, working in the nightclub and bar division.

ALAN GRANT CLTWAXHAW, N.C.

Alan is the guest relations manager at The Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte.

NATE KEENEY PVDNORTHAMPTON, PA.

Nate is the associate manager of special events and youth engagement for the American Diabetes Association. Nate manages online engagement and marketing as well as oversees initiatives directed at impacting children with diabetes, including the local diabetes camp.

[9] ANDREW LUNDQUIST CLTFORT WAYNE, IND.

Andrew is a sommelier at The Wooden Vine Wine Bar & Bistro in Charlotte, N.C.

MATTHEW ROSS PVDMARSHFIELD, MASS.

Matthew is a tax accountant at Grey, Grey & Grey LLP in Canton.

9

SUBMISSIONS

If there’s news in your life you’d like to share with fellow alumni, please send us photos and announcements about recent weddings, unions and additions to your family.

Images: To submit images from your event, please provide high resolution digital files ( jpeg format, 1 MB minimum) or actual photographs.

Entries may be emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu or to:JWU Magazine c/o Johnson & Wales University, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903.

8

7

39www.jwu.edu

MARRIAGE AND UNIONS

1993SUSAN CHIN-ARRENEGA ’99 MBA PVDand Luis ArrenegaNovember 9, 2013

1993SHANNON M. NYLANDER CHS and Melissa Boulineau April 24, 2015

1998[10] MATTHEW CATTANI PVD and Liliya Akhmatova December 28, 2014

BIRTH AND ADOPTIONS

1993[11] SHANNON M. NYLANDER CHS and Melissa Boulineau Peyton Riley

2007SEAN FLYNN PVDand Katie (Shoe) ’07Abigail, Brielle and Caroline

CHELSEY HELGELAND WALSH DENand Kemar Marley Rae Walsh

[12] MATTHEW HOCHERMAN NMI and Tova Jake Alexander and Abigail Maxine

2008KRISTA CLARK DENand Chris Alexis Lynn

2010PASCHA BELNAVIS CLTRaegan Skylar

12

10DANA (GOLDSTEIN) SHEFSKY ’96

THE INNOVATOR

Dana (Goldstein) Shefsky ’96 went from an internship cleaning hotel rooms to revolutionizing the hospitality indus-try by creating the first app that allows guests to choose their room from a map of the hotel, request upgrades, order ameni-ties and check in and out using their Smartphone.

As director of Digital Product Innovation at Hilton, Shefsky’s conception of a digital map illustrating each one of Hiltons 4,000 hotels was a game-changer. Just as passengers can choose airline seats from a seat-ing map, hotel guests could could now select a room closest to the pool or the elevator or one with a special view.

The tech innovation expands later this year, when an app will enable guests at four of the Hil-ton brands to use their Smartphone as their room key. With this ad-dition guests can man-age their whole stay ex-perience at their fingertips. They can pre-order a snack to be ready in their room and bypass the front desk upon arrival by using their Smartphone. “Everybody is looking to bring this technology to market,” says Shefsky. “We’re confident that our solution will exceed others and we will be the first to do it at scale.”

The hospitality management major first encountered the Internet as a freshman work-study student assigned to the dean of students’ office on the Providence Campus in 1992: “I remember calling my mom to say my job was very challenging and I didn’t think I could do it. But I spent the next four years working for all these deans and it was a great experience. That office was my first exposure to technology; if I had given up, my career would have progressed in a different way.”

— Denise Dowling

ONLINE > Hiltonworldwide.com

11

Spring 201540

“M

CAREER UPDATE

USIC HAS ALWAYS been a passion of mine,” says Three Three Five’s chef-owner Chris Mangless ’05, who opened his 12,000-square-foot “dining studio” in Green Bay, Wis., in 2011. So it made sense to bring food and music together once he custom-built the multipur-pose two-story space, which easily morphs from tasting room to salon, restaurant to concert hall — and back again.

Dinner-concerts at Three Three Five have become hot tickets, featuring acts diverse as Grammy® winner Norah Jones, the Lumineers’ Stelth Ulvang, Seattle folkies The Head & The Heart and alt-country songstress Brandi Carlile.

Concerts work like this: “We serve dinner at every show, and we always feed the band,” says Mangless. “Ticket sales go to the artist, and the money from dinner goes to us. At first it was a hard sell but now [bands] just trust in what we’re doing.”

The first concert was an acoustic set by Nashville singer-songwriter Cory Chisel. “We totally packed the place. It was one of the favorite shows he’d ever played.” Since then, finding bands to play has been “100 percent word-of-mouth — it’s crazy how small the music world is, just like the chef world!”

Opening a business in his hometown wasn’t part of Mangless’ original plan. After graduating from JWU’s Denver Campus, he figured he’d stay in Green Bay just long enough to save up some money. When his catering and event business, The Traveling Chef, started gaining momentum, Mangless began to think seriously about finding a working studio able to accommo-date private dinners and receptions.

After a year and a half of looking at duds — “there’s not a lot of original architecture left” — he stumbled across the 335 Broadway building in what real-estate developers colloquially call an “up-and-coming” neighborhood.

The price was right, and the frugal Mangless remodeled the century-old building himself, with help from friends and family. “The first floor had been a grocery store. The space had the original wood floors, the original tin ceiling, exposed brick — stuff you can’t easily replicate.”

Mangless installed an open kitchen to keep the space airy, but also to make the cooking, plating and serving part of the show. “When we’re open for a concert, the seat right by the kitchen is one of the most coveted,” he notes. “Of course a bad night in the kitchen is as much of a show as a good night!”

Although Mangless spends much of his time traveling to catering gigs, he tries to reserve Wednesday nights at Three Three Five for what he calls “Open Market Dinners,” which are open to the public and showcase farm-fresh produce, cheeses, fish and meats. (He estimates that roughly 80–90 percent of any given menu is local — often improvised from his daily visits with farmer-suppliers.)

As a chef, Mangless favors shareable small plates, thereby maximizing guests’ ability to “try lots of different flavors and textures.” Diners are seated family-style, to more easily share in the endless platters of oysters, cheese and charcuterie, as well as vegan/gluten-free options like car-rot-ginger soup with roasted coconut chips.

In addition to running Three Three Five and catering events as The Traveling Chef, Mangless makes and sells JacB, his own line of caramels. He also experiments with winemaking and collects wines for Three Three Five’s extensive cellar of more than 3,000 bottles.

What’s next? Widow Jones, a craft cocktail bar. “It’s a collaboration with artisanal bitters company Bittercube,” he says. “It will be ‘over the river’ in downtown Green Bay.” He hopes to open this fall.

— Andrea Feldman

The Supper Club

ONLINE >threethreefive.com

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