JWU Magazine Fall 2015

JW

THE WILDCATS OF WALL STREET JWU’s Finance and Investment Academy Trades Up MORE THAN A CULINARY SCHOOL JWU Unveils its Branding Campaign

THE INSTIGATOR FULBRIGHT SPECIALIST AND PROFESSOR MARI NARDOLILLO-DIAS SAVES THE WORLD, ONE STUDENT AT A TIME

FALL

2015

CONTENTS 14

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FALL 2015 FEATURES

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SHOW ME THE MONEY The student-run Finance and Investment Academy wants to turn play money into hard cash.

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JWU MEANS BUSINESS

22 04

The university launches its national branding campaign with a multimedia blitz tailored for each campus.

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THE INSTIGATOR A co-founder of the counseling psychology program, Professor Mari Nardolillo-Dias makes activists out of students.

10 DEPARTMENTS

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02 04 08 22 24 26 28 40

From the Chancellor Campus News Athletics Resource Development Alumni News Activities & Events Class Notes Career Update

www.jwu.edu

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JWU

FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S DESK

Vice President of Communications DOUG WHITING

Director of Design & Editorial Services BRIAN MURPHY

Editor

DENISE DOWLING

Art Director

R

EFLECTING BACK on our centennial anniversary last year, I am struck by how our achievements as a university and as a larger community could not have happened without the work of those who have come before us. The theme that we build upon the foundation set by others emerges as our students return and the freshman class arrives, eager to start the academic year.

As a result of the work of Devin Rainone ’15, Marquis Cooper ’14, Benjamin Kantor ’15 and Tiffany Aubee ’17 and their faculty mentors, our finance students will have the opportunity to learn investment strategies by building portfolios for hypothetical clients through our new Global Trading Center, a Web-based simulation platform. They’ll be investing real money thanks to a fund set up by the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Fulbright specialist and faculty member Mari Nardolillo-Dias, Ph.D., has played a pivotal role in creating integrative and cross-curricular learning opportunities. She was one of the faculty members tapped to create our counseling psychology program. More recently, she has contributed to our newly established College of Health and Wellness by sharing her experience counseling hospice patients with our students in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program. Dias’ drive to help others is her calling and exemplifies the passion that our faculty offers to students. You’ll read more about her commitment to the profession in this issue.

Every one of our faculty shares that tenacity for helping students succeed in their chosen

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BRIAN MURPHY

Contributors JENNIFER BROUILLARD GREGORY DISTEFANO PHILIP EIL JULIA S. EMLEN JORDAN FICKESS VANESSA E. GARCIA SHARU GOODWYN

field. It’s inspirational for all of us to witness the triumphs of our students and graduates. While most of us in the JWU community are aware of the exceptional programs we offer, some in the community are not. To ensure that the university is well positioned in an increasingly competitive higher education marketplace, we’ve embarked on a branding initiative. By now, you’ve probably seen billboards on many major roadways in the regions surrounding our campuses, and may have seen digital promotions on numerous online platforms. Over the next three years, the campaign will continue to support the university’s core mission, challenge long-held perceptions and excite prospective students to experience their futures — now — at Johnson & Wales University.

Finally, I want to highlight the obituary (see page 33) of Chef Robert Nograd ’99 Hon., a “founding father” of the College of Culinary Arts.

Chef Nograd rose from the dire hardships he experienced as a child to become a Certified Master Chef, an inductee in the prestigious American Academy of Chefs Society, a member of the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque and a leader in the culinary world. It was through his leadership and hard work that our College of Culinary Arts was built, setting the foundation for the future. For that, we will always be grateful.

MELINDA HILL AMANDA HOUPT KARA JOHNSTON HOLLI KEYSER RACHEL LACAILLE MADELINE PARMENTER DONALD PAULHUS LISA PELOSI ED PEREIRA ELIZABETH SCANLON ’97 M.S. STEPHEN SMITH MARY SWARD DAMARIS R. TEIXEIRA LAUREN TKACS MIRIAM S. WEINSTEIN ’08 MBA MELINDA LAW WESTMORELAND

JWU Magazine is published four times a year including a special supplement for recent graduates. Photos (black and white or color prints), high-resolution digital images and news can be sent to JWU Magazine, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI, 02903 or emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

Selection and publication of entries are at the editor’s discretion. JWU Magazine is produced

by University Communications in cooperation with Resource Development and Alumni Relations.

Chancellor JOHN J. BOWEN ’77

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

Regional Campus Presidents LARRY RICE, ED.D., ’90 NORTH MIAMI ROBIN KRAKOWSKY ’88, ’08 ED.D., DENVER ROBERT C. MOCK JR., ED.D., CHARLOTTE

Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77

Save The Dates NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS

Alumni Homecoming Weekend January 29–30, 2016

Charleston, S.C. Reunion February 19–21, 2016

Norfolk, Va. Reunion March 11–13, 2016 PROVIDENCE CAMPUS CHARLOTTE CAMPUS

All-Class Reunions April 29 –May 1, 2016 Visit alumni.jwu.edu to register for the weekends and for a complete list of alumni events.

CAMPUS NEWS M

UCH ABOUT THE WAY WE EAT has changed since Johnson & Wales University opened its College of Culinary Arts in 1973. We’ve gone from four food groups (milk, meat, vegetables and fruits, and bread/ cereal) to nutritional labeling and a multitude of diet recommendations and fads. Yet, at the end of the day, the most frequently asked question remains, “What’s for dinner?”

Jonathan Poyourow ’03

On this, and many more questions consumers have about what to eat, JWU has become the authority. As a recognized worldwide leader of culinary education, and with its College of Culinary Arts alumni penetrating the food industry as executive chefs, research chefs, nutritionists, dietitians, food service managers, entrepreneurs and business leaders, JWU is changing the way the world eats.

To emphasize the role that JWU’s College of Culinary Arts has on the world’s food decisions, industry choices, and overall health and well-being, a public awareness campaign has been launched to promote how Johnson & Wales University is changing the way the world eats.

Chef Jonathan Poyourow ’03, RD, LD, assistant professor in culinary nutrition, is leading the effort with new segments that appear bi-weekly as part of Cooking with Class on NBC 10, seen in southern New England.

Chefs and faculty at all campuses will join the effort to educate consumers about eating healthy through community outreach and media relations. A new website has launched (jwu.edu/eat-healthy) featuring blogs, tips and recipes from faculty experts, and a visual identity has been designed that captures the essence of the effort.

Since 1973, the world’s eating habits and global food industry have evolved exponentially. The World Health Organization reports that worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. Consumers have been blitzed by information on what’s good and not good to eat. The marketplace is confusing, and according to some authorities — dangerous. JWU’s experts plan to cut through the clutter of information and simplify it for many, thus turning the question at the end of the day to, “What’s good for me to eat for dinner?” — Miriam Weinstein ’08 MBA

3+3 PATH TO LAW SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS ASPIRING TO A LAW CAREER, Johnson & Wales University may be their school of choice. JWU students now have a pathway to complete undergraduate and law studies in six years. The “3+3” program is the first agreement of its kind between a university in Rhode Island and Roger Williams University (RWU) School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island.

During their third year of studies, JWU students enrolled in the Liberal Studies program who meet specific criteria may apply for admission to RWU Law. Those accepted will earn their JWU degree by successfully completing first-year classes at RWU Law. Plus, they save one year’s tuition by completing their studies in six, rather than seven, years.

STUDENTS CREATE MEMORIAL APP

“With an accelerated path toward this goal, it is in keeping with JWU’s spirit of combining robust academics with a pragmatic, professional approach to education,” said Angela Renaud, Ed.D., dean of JWU’s College of Arts & Sciences. — Lisa Pelosi

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A SUN-DAPPLED AUGUST AFTERNOON helped temper horrific memories when the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island cut the ribbon at their Holocaust Memorial in downtown Providence. Amid songs and prayers were thanks to those who helped, including students from the JWU School of Engineering & Design. As part of a classroom project with the Alliance, students built and programmed “beacons” using Bluetooth low-energy technology to transmit signals to an app installed on a visitor’s smartphone or tablet. — Madeline Parmenter

MEMORIAL PHOTO COURTESY OF JEWISH ALLIANCE OF GREATER RI (PHOTOGRAPHED BY STEVE IDE) POYOUROW PHOTO BY MIRIAM WEINSTEIN

JWU IS CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD EATS ™

STAR OF THE INDUSTRY

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & LODGING Educational Institute (AHLEI) presented School of Hospitality Professor Samer Hassan, Ph.D, CHA, CHE, with the 2015 Lamp of Knowledge Award for Outstanding U.S. Educator. He received the accolade during the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Stars of the Industry Awards in Washington, D.C. this spring. The Lamp of Knowledge is awarded to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to advancing the quality of professionalism and

BRINGING HOME THE SUN

education in the hospitality industry.

“I was truly humbled and honored to be chosen to receive such a distinguished award,” Hassan said. “I believe that teaching with

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NORTH MIAMI MEN’S GOLF TEAM on winning The Sun Conference (TSC) 2015 championship. Matt Morin ’16 was recognized as individual champion; Peter French ’16 was named TSC Player of the Year; and Coach AJ Broderick was honored as TSC Coach of the Year.

French and Morin were also named to the all-conference team along with Damon Salo ’15 and Lasse Gerhardsen ’15.

“I’m extremely proud of this team and their performance,” said Broderick.

“It was definitely one of our biggest goals of the year and to step up and get the job done after struggling at the end of the regular season shows a lot about the character and grit of these guys. This is a very difficult tournament to win and to do so in this fashion, with this group, was very special.” — Sharu Goodwyn above :

Damon Salo ’15, Matt Morin ’16, Jake Bauer ’17, Coach AJ Broderick, Peter French ’16, Lasse Gerhardsen ’17 and Assistant Coach Chris Hawley

WILDCAT SIGHTING

passion and purpose always leads to positive outcomes.”

Hassan has played an active role in educating future hospitality leaders at the North Miami Campus since 2000.

— Sharu Goodwyn above, l-r:

Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel & Lodging Association; Samer Hassan; Robert L. Steele III, president and chief operating officer of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute

HALL OF FAME HONORS KYM HOPE FEMALE WILDCATS BASKETBALL COACH KYM HOPE was inducted into the University of Miami’s (UM) Sports Hall of Fame in April. Hope’s induction class included NFL coaches and star players, and an Olympic medalist.

“It was truly an honor and a blessing to receive such a prestigious award,” said Hope. “The Hall of Fame ceremony was a tremendously humbling experience for me.”

One of the finest all-around players in UM history, Hope was a two-time First Team All-Big East selection (199-98, 199899). Hope was named the Big East Most Improved Player in 1997-98, when she led the conference in rebounding and helped lead the UM Hurricanes in post-season play during her junior and senior years.

As head coach of the women’s basketball team since 2009, the North Miami Campus is proud to have Hope as part of

THE NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS COMMUNITY celebrated the arrival of its Wildcat sculpture with a dedication ceremony in April. The statue stands proudly in front of the Wildcat Center, the heart of student life and activity on campus. The principles of the Wildcat Way — pride, character, courage and community — are engraved on the statue’s base and serve as a reminder of what it truly means to be a Wildcat. — Sharu Goodwyn

the Wildcat family. Under Hope’s leadership, the North Miami women’s basketball team won this year’s JWU Cup. — Sharu Goodwyn

www.jwu.edu

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CAMPUS NEWS

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2015

MAKING HISTORY AT CENTENNIAL HALL FTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS of being

shuttered and more than $17 million in renovations, Centennial Hall is the new heart and hub of the Denver Campus. It features classrooms, a café, faculty and administrative offices, student activity spaces, health & counseling services and a great hall for events. Originally named Treat Hall, the 129-year-old building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the original finishes, including the grand

in foreground left to right :

SGA President Lucas Prolow ’17, Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77 and Denver Campus President Robin Krakowsky ’88, ’08 Ed.D.

JWU PALOOZA BOUNCY OBSTACLE COURSES, street tacos, selfies with the Wildcat, JWU Wildcat foam paws, face painting and more. JWU Palooza, held September 9, kicked off the first Wildcat Wednesday of the academic year with a ribbon-cutting event celebrating the openings of Centennial Hall and Founders Hall, as well as dedicating the new Wildcat statue.

The historic occasion was highlighted by special remarks by Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77, Denver Campus President Robin Krakowsky ’88, ’08 Ed.D., and Student Government Association (SGA) President Lucas Prolow ’17. Chancellor Bowen encouraged students to “live by the Wildcat Way,” invoking the four tenets of courage, community, pride and character inscribed on the statue’s base.

“The additions and renovations that have been made to the campus have dramatically increased our sense of community, which is something that both the university and the Student Government Association work hard to promote and grow,” said Prolow. — Holli Keyser

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staircase and doors, have been preserved and/or repurposed.

Historic Denver also announced that Centennial Hall will receive a 2015 Community Preservation Award, recognizing the project’s high-quality restoration and the careful consideration of the city’s historic fabric.

Since its reopening, the building is consistently buzzing with activity and events, breathing new life from an “old main” into a “new main” student hub.

“The university doesn’t want Centennial Hall to just be a landmark; they want us to create our own traditions here,” said Kendra Gibbs ’18. — Holli Keyser

DENVER GRAD IS INDUSTRY STAR

“Being awarded National Student Member of the Year means so much; to be recognized by industry professionals who have a true

KATIE ZEZULA ’15 was honored

passion for hospitality,” said Zezula.

in Washington, D.C., as the 2015

“Knowing there are so many out-

American Hotel & Lodging Asso-

standing members in the collegiate

ciation’s Student of the Year at the

association, I am honored to be

Stars of the Industry Awards.

selected.”

The Stars of the Industry awards

Since her first year at JWU, Ze-

program was created more than 40

zula has been immersed in student

years ago to recognize outstanding

hospitality and organizational mem-

accomplishments in the lodging

bership leadership roles. She served

industry.

as the president of Johnson & Wales Hospitality Professionals and is president of the Student Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. She also maintains a leadership role within the Denver Student Chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events.

After earning her bachelor’s

left to right :

AH&LA President and CEO Katherine Lugar; Katie Zezula ’15; and AH&LA Chairman of the Board Jim Abrahamson.

degree this year, Zezula will return to the Denver Campus to pursue her MBA with a concentration in hospitality. — Holli Keyser

IMPACTU FOR UCHEF MARY GUIN ’15 says one of the hardest things about being an entrepreneur is not knowing what you don’t know. ImpactU, a Charlotte-based accelerator program, offers a 10-week summer residency for students with “killer” business ideas. Guin ate, slept and breathed ways to improve, package, pitch and market her venture, UChef. Each month, UChef members receive a lesson plan

LIQUID LAB IN A BRAND NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART LAB, students will use sensory analysis, a scientific discipline to study the use of human senses — sight,

DENVER GRAD PHOTO COURTESY OF AH&LA; 2015 CENTENNIAL HALL PHOTO BY PATRICK O’CONNER; CHARLOTTE PHOTOS BY MELINDA LAW WESTMORELAND

Mary Guin ’15 with anchor John Carter at WBTV for a live demo during the noon newscast.

and unique ingredients centered on the same principles taught in culinary schools; for example, making fresh pasta, soups and stocks, and artisan breads. “Although I’m passionate about food,” says Guin, “that only gets me so far when it comes to acquiring partners, talking to banks about loans, creating sales projections and so on.”

School of Business Chair Jeff Thomas encouraged Guin to apply after seeing her compete in SharkFest “because her venture has a unique potential to scale. It’s great to have a structured program where students can take a few months, possibly before committing to a more ‘normal’ job, to see how far they can take their ventures.”

Only seven of 30 ideas from across the country were chosen. “I like to say that ImpactU was an entrepreneurship bootcamp — minus the yelling of course,” says Guin.

— Melinda Law Westmoreland

smell, taste, touch and hearing — to evaluate consumer products. This fall, the School of Hospitality debuts its new Sensory Beverage Lab, designed to deliver hands-on lessons in industry-relevant coursework. The modern classroom includes tasting tables, a coffee/tea bar, refrigeration and wine storage. The new lab will provide students with a deeper understanding of the sensory and production processes involved in creating and serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

According to School of Hospitality Chair Pamela Allison, Ph.D., “It will allow us to tap into new technology in the beverage industry, and this space will become a university showpiece. Notable industry experts will be invited to share their knowledge with students and alumni.” The Cannon Foundation funded JWU’s $50,000 request to help cover the cost of this exciting project.

–– Melinda Law Westmoreland

PERFORMANCE EATING EXPERTS FROM TWO CAMPUSES joined forces this summer to provide a performance culinary and athlete nutrition workshop for Compass Group and Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools’ sports nutrition specialists.

Chef Todd Seyfarth, nutrition chair at the Providence Campus, led the twoday seminar with help from Charlotte student teaching assistants. Food ser-

LEGACY WIN

vice providers were taught nutrition concepts and meal preparation techniques for their various sports teams. After a demonstration of basic culinary nutrition techniques, the chefs teamed up with NCAA sports dietitians to develop meals

INSTRUCTOR KELLY PATKUS ’07, College of Culinary Arts, was one of six professional women chosen as this year’s Les Dames d’Escoffier (LDE) legacy award winners. Patkus won the farm-to-table award and flew to Hawaii’s Big Island to study sustainable agriculture methods with Wailea Agriculture Group.

around various case studies, such as a wrestler who needed to cut weight while losing as little lean body mass as possible.

Seyfarth, a dietitian and board certified specialist in sports dietetics, says the participants learned how to apply food science and culinary techniques that reduce unhealthy fats and sugars while also increasing fiber, appropriate carbohydrates, lean proteins, vegetable matter and healthy fats.

–– Melinda Law Westmoreland

–– Melinda Law Westmoreland www.jwu.edu

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ATHLETICS Water and Ice

BY JOHN PARENTE

When Johnson & Wales’ two first-year teams launch their inaugural varsity seasons, they will be thrust into conference play

C

O ACH MARIA LEWIS’ Wildcat women’s ice hockey team has been accepted as a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North Atlantic Hockey League, an NCAA Division III conference. The women’s rowing team, coached by Bill McLean, will participate in the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference, which currently includes both NCAA Division I and III institutions, and carries with it an automatic berth to the NCAA’s Division III national championships.

Women’s ice hockey moves into the newly-formed eight-team ECAC league, which includes three Massachusetts schools: Salem State University, Becker College and Endicott College; Stevenson University of Maryland; Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire; and two New York institutions, Morrisville State and SUNY-Canton. Soon they, too, will be challenging for an automatic qualifier into an NCAA national tournament.

Lewis, who came to JWU after a head coaching stint at the University of Maine, is, in a word, psyched: “It’s exciting being the underdog and having our sights set on something tangible.

I find it more rewarding when you achieve your goals from this position as opposed to having the target on your back. It is important for any program to be in a competitive league if it wants to see growth and success.”

Johnson & Wales, she adds, is a great place to

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be: “I am grateful to have been a part of this program from the very beginning and I am looking forward to us starting our own JWU hockey traditions. I can’t wait to see everything come together and make strides forward each year. It will be great in the future to look back and be proud of the accomplishments we made during these early years.”

The challenges, Lewis says, are many. “We will be facing teams that have a head start on us either having been at the varsity level for a few years already or had very strong club programs with which to make the transition to varsity. We will also have a very strong non-conference schedule against established programs that will be a big test for our young team. It will be good for our athletes to play in these games in order to understand the competitive level we need to reach.”

McLean and Associate Dean and Executive Director of Athletics Mel Graf attended the Mid-Athletic Rowing Conference (MARC) championship in April, after which the seven current members voted to accept JWU into the league. “Mel’s presentation to the body was over the top,” said McLean. “After she was done, the other members voted unanimously to accept us.”

McLean, whose résumé boasts stops at Division I Southern Methodist University, Murray State and Ohio State, calls the opportunity “awesome. It’s really fantastic. We get a chance to come out of the gate and compete for a chance for an automatic bid to the NCAAs.” The Wildcats begin racing in the fall of 2015 against Bryn Mawr College and Franklin &

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Marshall College from Pennsylvania, Rutgers University-Camden and Stockton University of New Jersey, Washington College of Maryland, Chicago’s North Park University, and Marietta College of Ohio.

Washington has won the MARC’s last three titles. “They’re tough,” McLean says of the Shorewomen, “and Marietta has a strong program as well, but we’ll get our shot starting with our first year, and hopefully sooner rather than later, we’ll be among the frontrunners, too.”

With the addition of Lewis and McLean, Johnson & Wales continues an uncanny ability to attract top-quality coaches with major college experience at all levels of NCAA competition. Graf says the selection process is “thorough, intentional and diligent. It starts with appointing the right search committee to screen and sometimes requires patience until you know you have the right match.

“I look for coaches who have played and/or coached in very successful programs, to include experience at the national level. Wildcat Athletics is on the cutting edge and has a lot to offer any exceptional coach and student-athlete.

We are very fortunate to have hired such quality coaches as Maria, Bill, (women’s volleyball coach) Nancy Somera and (new women’s soccer coach) Chris Flint. They come with a great deal of experience at the Division I level and, more importantly, are tenacious recruiters who come with a very high level of national success.”

Providence Campus Director of Athletics Jamie Marcoux welcomes the addition of her

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2 [1] On ice [2] Playing defense [3] Rowing practice [4] Women’s ice hockey coach Maria Lewis [5] Women’s rowing coach Bill McLean

department’s newest varsity teams. “We are committed to increased competitive opportunities, especially for our women. Johnson & Wales University is dedicated to the expansion of providing quality competitive experiences for our student-athletes.”

JWU Senior Vice President of Administration Marie Bernardo-Sousa, LP.D., says the additional programming couldn’t be more welcomed, or more exciting. “The popularity of women’s ice hockey continues to grow nationally and New England has some of the greatest high school programs,” she says.

“JWU is excited about providing this opportunity to young women who are interested in continuing a tradition of excellence. The university has banded with a group of likeminded institutions who see the value of these opportunities for young women.”

Bernardo-Sousa adds that the inclusion of women’s rowing is a natural fit: “JWU’s Harborside location allows us to leverage beautiful Narragansett Bay as we introduce women’s rowing. The team will be a member of a well-established conference that will allow our program to grow and expand, providing a unique opportunity for young women who have interest in sport and JWU’s academic offerings.”

Ice hockey coach Lewis voiced it succinctly: “I am really anxious to get things going.”

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NEW PROGRAMS, NEW FACES AT REGIONAL CAMPUSES AS THE PROVIDENCE CAMPUS launches

Byrd says, “We’ve had great crowds — we

its newest varsity programs, things are per-

had almost 600 at a recent women’s volleyball

colating on JWU’s regional campuses as well.

match — and we’re working to provide bet-

Men’s and women’s soccer teams began

ter access to our soccer teams’ fans as well.

varsity competition this fall in Charlotte, while

Interest and involvement is increasing with

women’s lacrosse will make its debut at the

every home game, though our fields are about

Denver Campus next spring. The North Miami

25 minutes away.”

Campus adds women’s volleyball as a varsity entity in 2016.

Denver

Campus

Director

of

Athletics

Sandee Mott says women’s lacrosse “is such

Charlotte’s men’s soccer team had an aus-

a great fit for our campus as the sport has

picious start to its first season, winning its first

exploded nationally and, more importantly,

seven games. Facing some solid opposition,

in the state of Colorado. The competiveness

the Wildcats placed as high as second in their

of the CHSAA teams is phenomenal and we

USCAA regional power rankings in the first

are happy to provide a place for these young

month of their entire existence.

women to compete on the college level.” The

Meanwhile, women’s volleyball in Charlotte

Denver ’Cats will play in the Kansas Collegiate

is more than alive and well. Callie Phillips’

Athletic Conference. Mott says that being

Wildcats put together a nine-match win skein

added to the league as an affiliate member

at the start of this year’s campaign, and con-

“enhances the experience we will provide our

tinues to move full steam ahead toward re-

student-athletes. The KCAC will allow us to

turning to the USCAA national tournament for

have a competitive schedule and our players

the third time in four years.

will be able to earn conference honors for their

Charlotte Campus Director of Athletics

performance on the field and in the classroom

Stephen Byrd is thrilled with the momentum

as well as the chance to compete for a confer-

that’s building on his campus. “Men’s basket-

ence championship.”

ball has put together a string of 18 straight

Mott says of her campus, “It’s an exciting

home wins, in part because our fans make the

time for Wildcat Athletics.” JWU’s three other

Wildcat Center a tough, tough place to play,”

campuses couldn’t agree more.

www.jwu.edu

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In April 2015, residents within 50 miles of Johnson & Wales’ four campuses started seeing new billboards.

One showed a photo of a JWU men’s lacrosse player fending off an opponent on the playing field, alongside a bold-type message, “EXPERIENCE MORE NOW. BE A LEADER TOMORROW. JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY.” Another showed students in a science lab, peering into microscopes and holding up glass beakers, next to the words, “WHY WAIT? EXPERIENCE YOUR FUTURE NOW. JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY.”

Around the same time the billboards went up, a series of Internet and radio ads also debuted in the Denver, Charlotte, North Miami and Providence markets. “At Johnson & Wales University, we help you experience more now so you can achieve more later,” said one 15-second radio spot. “From advertising to biology, from psychology to culinary arts, experience your future now at now.jwu.edu.” Other ads revolved around the same tagline: “Experience your future now.”

The multimedia ads — which will run in spring and fall cycles over the next three years, along with a TV campaign that launched in August — mark a big moment for the school. As Vice President of Communications Doug Whiting explains, “For the first time in years, Johnson & Wales has made a decision to do comprehensive strategic marketing.” In making that decision, JWU joins a growing list of schools that are advertising in ways that were once more closely associated with corporations. Rice University, in Texas, has claimed the tagline, “Unconventional Wisdom.” Rhode Island College has built a brand around the initials “R.I.C.: “Reach.

Inspire. Connect.” New Mexico State University tells the world it is, “All about discovery!” According to a 2010 Washington Post article, “Branding” has become a popular buzzword in higher education.

In JWU’s case, the marketing push springs out of the 2012 strategic plan, 2017: The Centennial Plan,

JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE BRANDING CAMPAIGN

By Philip Eil

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Fall 2015

above :

Stills from the new JWU TV spot

which calls for, among other things, to “Strengthen [the school’s] reputation through the creation and implementation of a comprehensive marketing communications strategy.” A rigorous, 18-month process followed. This included gathering data about how JWU is perceived outside the university as well as amplifying and expanding that data through conversations with students, faculty, administrators and alumni. The university hired one firm (the Winchester, Massachusetts-based FUSEIDEAS) to conduct research and help craft a tagline, and then procured a second firm (Forge Worldwide, in Boston) to turn that tagline into a multimedia campaign.

The goal of all this activity is three-fold, Whiting says: to raise general awareness of Johnson & Wales, enhance the school’s reputation, and change existing perceptions. If the university can move the needle in all of these categories, he says, an increase in number and quality of applications will naturally follow.

So, why “Experience your future now”?

On one level, the campaign is a way for the school to remind the world just how long JWU has offered experience-based learning opportunities.

“These days, as everyone emulates this model, it’s become clear that Johnson & Wales has been a pioneer,” says Executive Director of University Marketing Greg DiStefano. “We want to re-claim that.” The tagline’s emphasis on “now” also points to the fact that JWU students can begin internships, career counseling and classes in their field of study from the moment they step on campus.

Furthermore, JWU also wants to remind people that it isn’t just a world-renowned culinary arts school. One TV ad shows a student preparing an exquisite frozen dessert, but it also highlights a range of other campus activities and opportunities involving finance, fashion, athletics and more. “There are a lot of people, even in [Providence], who still say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s that cooking school,’ ” Whiting says. “I never want to hear it again.”

In a recent interview with a TV-news station in Providence, JWU Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77 said that the school is in a remarkable period of transformation. “We’re on the move,” he said. Harry Chapin, the CEO of Forge Worldwide, says it’s particularly exciting to work with a client like that. Johnson & Wales is “on the rise” he says, and “for us, those are the best clients.

“Because the reality is above where the perception is,” he adds, “and our job is just to bring them in line.”

above :

One of the regionalized online ads from the JWU campaign www.jwu.edu

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THE INSTIGATOR PROFESSOR MARI NARDOLILLO-DIAS MAKES ACTIVISTS OUT OF STUDENTS HE POET MARY OLIVER once wrote, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

This famous last line begs its reader to seize life by the fistful. After spending an afternoon on the Providence Campus with Mari Nardolillo-Dias ’03, Ed.D., a cofounder of Johnson & Wales’ counseling psychology program, it would appear she asks herself this question daily. For Dias has led a life full of personal transformation, embracing her life fully and encouraging her students to do the same.

A petite woman with blonde hair and a deep, theatrical voice, she carries a giant cup of iced coffee that appears to contain human jet fuel. She is a force of infectious energy and I can’t wait to observe her class, the XX Factor, which combines psychology, sociology and literature to explore different waves of feminism.

BY AMANDA HOUPT PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

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Observing the XX Factor is like watching a tennis match. The conversation flies from one topic to the next, always returning to the subject at hand.

She introduces the day’s reading, “The Vagina Monologues”, and then shows a photo slideshow of a performance she attended in New Orleans that was designed to re-create the Superdome for women who survived physical and sexual abuse during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As Dias clicks through the pictures, she describes how many of the women fell to their knees as they entered the theater, overcome with emotion. Between photos, she provides much needed moments of lightheartedness that make students comfortable enough to read their favorite monologues aloud.

The first reader selects a monologue from a younger woman’s perspective while the second selects one from an older woman’s perspective. Dr. D. (as her students affectionately call her) focuses on each reader, smiling, laughing and nodding to show that she relates to the pieces being read.

Afterwards, she is quick to highlight the dichotomy between the two monologues, connecting them to the different waves of feminism they have been exploring. The discussion then quickly evolves from sheepishness about the subject matter to reflections about how the medical system treats women, to existentialism, and this all within the first 30 minutes of class.

Following the monologues, she shows a YouTube video that explores discrimination by presenting an alternate reality. The film is meant to shock and the students are eager to debate the virtues and pitfalls of this approach as soon as the credits roll. They do so intensely, discussing their backgrounds, other films they have seen and the director’s artistic license.

At the end of the day, what almost any teacher wants from her students is for them to share their unique perspectives, engage in discussion and learn from each other. Both by

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creating a safe space and incorporating fresh material that is relevant and engaging to her students, Dias maintains a classroom that is intellectually liberating for everyone involved. Her success perfectly illustrates the beauty of JWU’s new integrative course format.

The course design is fitting for Dr. D., who is endlessly curious and sees the interconnectedness of things. She was thrilled to create a syllabus that integrated content from different disciplines. “It was like I died and went to heaven,” she said. “My heart was racing when I chose the readings!”

Reading has been one of Dias’ lifelong pastimes and she has long toyed with the idea of writing a humorous memoir.

She is a gifted storyteller who finds both the humor and the deeper meaning in life. She grew up the only girl in a Catholic family in which she jokes, “the boys are baptized in a fine Barolo wine and the girls are baptized in tap water.” Her father owned a funeral home in Cranston, Rhode Island, and she learned to read by sitting on his lap and sounding out words in the local obituaries.

As she grew up, she longed to join in the family business by becoming a mortician. Her father was resistant to this idea so she pleaded with him to give her a test to prove herself.

Thinking she would lose courage, he sent her to observe the embalming of an infamous mobster who had been executed “gangland style.” Dias was captivated and returned home with even more conviction. However, because she was female, her father would not let her join the business.

She was nevertheless determined to make her mark on the world and set about an extraordinary career throughout which she has championed disenfranchised populations.

She fell in love with the field of counseling by accident while studying English at Rhode Island College, after she accepted

PHOTOS COUTESY OF MARI DIAS

a part-time vocational counseling job. She was fascinated by her clients — they reminded the English major of literary characters — and skilled at providing an empathetic and nonjudgmental ear. As a result, she switched programs, ultimately completing a master’s degree in counseling.

Highlights of her career include helping women on welfare transition into the workforce, counseling survivors of dating violence, and facilitating a bibliotherapy program called Changing Lives through Literature with male maximum-security prisoners. After turning 40 and fulfilling a bucket-list dream of starring in a play, she started a youth theater program to increase the self-confidence and emotional intelligence of young people in her community.

She was so motivated by the success of this program that she decided to pursue a doctorate in higher education. She chose Johnson & Wales because the university allowed her to tailor her program of study to her interests. After graduating in 2003, she was hired as an adjunct and continued running the theater program before accepting a fulltime teaching position at JWU.

SILENT WITNESSES

As an educator, Dr. D. specializes in bringing real world experiences into the classroom. She once assigned a group of sociology students to make a documentary on violence and peace in partnership with the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence. Her students filmed interviews with judges, school principals and men in prison about what causes violence and how it can be solved. In reflecting on the collaboration, Executive Director of the Institute Teny Gross commends Dias’s approach: “Part of her great strength is that she combines knowledge with deep kinship. Her students feel their opinions really matter, which is why they are invested in learning.”

The documentary exposed Dias to Silent Witnesses, a national initiative that uses community-based exhibits to raise awareness about domestic violence. The exhibits consist of red wooden figures with shields on their chests that tell the stories of individuals who were killed as a result of violence.

Dias started a Silent Witness chapter at JWU the following term and assigned her next class of sociology students to interview victims’ families, build 16 figures and create shields for them.

Creating Silent Witnesses exposed her to the family of Lindsay Ann Burke, a young woman from Rhode Island who was brutally murdered by her boyfriend in 2005. Dias saw the footage her students captured of Lindsay’s mother and called her. That conversation evolved into Dias serving on

The 10th anniversary celebration of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, held at the Louisiana Superdome.

the board of directors of the Lindsay Ann Burke Foundation and helping to create educational materials and develop legislation to protect victims and survivors of dating violence.

By incorporating real-life scenarios and service learning into her classes, Dias encourages her students to get involved in their communities. She tells them, “You guys, this is your world. So for the next 10 weeks I am ripping off the blinders. It is my responsibility to show you the real world because this is your world. And if you want to put the

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Professor Dias at a tent church during her Fulbright in South Africa

blinders back on at the end of the class, that’s up to you. But I hope many of you will keep the blinders off and go out and be an impact on the world.”

She takes the responsibility to make an impact very seriously. In 2013, she traveled to the University of Zululand in South Africa as a Fulbright specialist.

There, she led a series of workshops on counseling techniques and supervision skills with social work students and practicum supervisors.

The kindness and humility of the people she encountered made a lasting impression on her and gave her yet “another experience to bring into the classroom, to make things more real, more alive.”

Because of her teaching excellence and rich experience in the field, JWU’s College of Arts & Sciences sought her out to help them start a counseling psychology major. She collaborated with three other faculty members to design the undergraduate and graduate programs, which started admitting students in 2011. Graduates of these programs gain supervised clinical experience, obtained through internships, which puts them on the fast track for finding work.

From day one, she tells incoming students, “Know that if you are sitting in this room, this is not a job, this is not a career,

this is not even a profession — this is a vocation. And if you don’t have it running through your blood, if you don’t know that everybody can change, don’t go into counseling.”

Her passion for helping others has gained widespread recognition. “Mari Nardolillo-Dias is one of the most dynamic, creative and committed professors I have had the pleasure of working with,” says David Newman, chair of the social sciences department at JWU. “She is a friend, a colleague and the best reminder for all of us of what a professor could and should do: Be engaged with students, with colleagues both within the university and at other universities and with the larger community surrounding us.” In 2013 she received several awards including the distinguished Jefferson Award from the United Way and NBC 10, which annually recognizes a volunteer who has made outstanding contributions to her community. That same year, she turned 61 and began thinking about the next chapter of her life.

She decided to volunteer for hospice and use her skills to help patients and their families cope with terminal diagnoses. “It is so empowering,” she says, “to be able to spend the last six months of someone’s life with them and to provide dignity, which so many of them don’t have, especially if they don’t have a family.” She describes how one patient wanted to leave a legacy behind by speaking to a group of students. Dias videotaped her story so it would “live forever at the counseling program at Johnson & Wales.” She uses this clip to illustrate people’s reflections on death and dying, and recently incorporated it into a very successful lesson on end–of–life care with a group of JWU physician assistant students.

In March of this year, her experiences with hospice led her to open a private practice called GracePointe Grief Center, which focuses on helping clients heal from grief and loss. Opening GracePointe represents a return to her past and a door into her family’s business. Her brothers display information about her practice at the funeral home and include it in every pre-arrangement packet their clients receive.

This new addition to her career also illustrates Dias’ commitment to reinvention and using her one wild and precious life to make an impact on the world. “If I see it, I will go after it,” she says. “I always tell my students … my gravestone is gonna say, ‘I’m not finished yet.’ Even if I am 110.”

IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SHOW YOU THE REAL WORLD ... IF YOU WANT TO PUT THE BLINDERS BACK ON AFTER CLASS, THAT’S UP TO YOU.

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Fall 2015

OFF THE SHELF Ink by University Authors SO FAR GONE

The Jaxon Grey Chronicles/Book One (Outskirts Press) Crime might not pay, but being a criminal justice major has paid off for JONATHON WRIGHT ’13. “So Far Gone” is his first book in a series titled “The Jaxon Grey Chronicles.” (It was edited by Kaleigh Hackett ’14.)Think sci-fi meets “The Odyssey” as Wright shows a deft understanding of the criminal mind. After protagonist Jaxon is imprisoned, he has to fend off beasts and forge alliances to return home to the woman he loves.

POSITIONING 4 RETIREMENT:

Taking Control and Planning Wisely for Your Future

ONLINE > thejaxongreychronicles.com

METHOD OF PROCEDURE:

The Guide and Techniques for Excellent Cuisine

(Book Publishers Network)

(Xlibris)

Two things are certain to instill fear: death and taxes. However, according to MARK CARDOZA ’80, people fear running out of money in retirement more than death. When he was enlisted to help a family member settle an estate, it was a crash course in insurance and its role in estate planning. Cardoza found a second calling: The former restaurateur then became licensed in life and health insurance. “Planning 4 Retirement: Taking Control and Planning Wisely for Your Future” (Book Publishers Network) offers that crash course to the rest of us. Cardoza distills complex topics for the layperson, from minimizing taxes to protecting your assets. He begins with an overview of options and their impacts in different situations and closes each chapter with a review for added comprehension. Online worksheets are also available to help readers with the planning process in a tangible way, so there’s no excuse for procrastination.

THOMAS GOSNEY ’89 must be doing something right to have spent 16 years as personal chef for NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.

After years of friends and family asking for his recipes and cooking tips, Gosney began to analyze what derailed when someone else prepared his dishes. “Method of Procedure” is the answer, for it details how a chef would approach preparing these dishes. From cashew ginger butternut squash soup to kale pesto chicken with zucchini pasta, recipes are broken down into simple steps for easy digestion.

ONLINE > thomasgosney.com

ONLINE > positioning4retirement.com

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RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL GIVING MATTERS

E

ACH YEAR, JOHNSON & WALES University reaches out to alumni, parents and friends to invite their philanthropic support for the highest priorities of the university. Current-use, unrestricted gifts made annually through the JWU Fund directly underwrite the university’s mission to provide an exceptional education that inspires professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth.

Exactly how do gifts to the JWU Fund promote the mission of the university?

First of all, gifts to the JWU Fund help provide a university education to experiential learners, first-generation college students, commuter students, rising entrepreneurs, aspiring athletes and international students — the kinds of students who are attracted to JWU. In this way, giving to the JWU Fund promotes access. Next, JWU Fund gifts sustain the diverse community of learners and teachers at JWU who are focused on its unique educational model that combines a rigorous academic foundation in arts and sciences with professional training tied to a field of study, community and leadership internships and study-abroad experiences. As a result, giving to the JWU Fund fosters the advantage of an experiential education. Finally, gifts to the JWU Fund are investments in our accredited programs in business, culinary arts, hospitality, technology, science and liberal studies, to name a few, which ensure graduates are primed for career progression in today’s global economy. Because of this, giving to the JWU Fund anticipates opportunities for well-prepared graduates.

Last year, gifts to the JWU Fund totaled close to $400,000 from approximately 2,000 donors.

These donations contributed to the university’s ambitious student-aid program that benefited more than 90 percent of undergraduates; fully funded emergency requests to the Chancellor’s Student Relief Fund; provided funding for internship stipends; and kept some of the lights burning, too. You can contribute to the mission of the university and the future of students through the JWU Fund: giving.jwu.edu/ jwufund. — Julia S. Emlen

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EMILY PAPA ’17 Advertising & Marketing Communications “As a recipient of scholarships, I appreciate alumni support.

Giving to the JWU Fund ensures that many more students have the opportunity to get the exceptional education that I am receiving here at JWU.”

SAMANTHA BORR ’15 Hotel & Lodging Management “Giving to the JWU Fund is a wonderful way to stay involved with the university that has given all of us so many memorable moments.”

DOING THEIR PART FIVE DAYS A WEEK, our cadre of 35 phonathon students reach out to JWU alumni to see how they are doing since their graduation. The student callers update alumni information, hear about what alumni are doing, chat with them about happenings at JWU now and learn about what the campuses were like in years gone by.

Conversations with young alumni tend to take longer since the callers and the alumni often share campus life stories that they may both have experienced. The student callers invite the alumni to give to the JWU Fund in order to help current students attain their dreams of a JWU education. Phonathon students also volunteer at many events at JWU, such as Student Philanthropy Day, Family Weekend and All-Class Reunion. We send a big thank you to the student callers for their spirit and energy in helping us all support JWU.

CONNER CLAPPROODFALLON ’16 Culinary Arts and Food Service Management “It’s important to give to the JWU Fund. It’s the way we can help the university accomplish its mission.”

LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD

EDSON DASCY ’18 Finance “It is important to give to Wildcat Athletics because it helps potential athletes achieve their goals.”

CAREN PIERRE ’18 Baking & Pastry Arts “I feel that even the smallest gestures can make a huge difference in a student’s life.

With the help of our alumni, I am able to attend JWU and I will give when I’m an alumna so that other students can have the same opportunities.”

KAITLYN WHELAN ’17 Fashion Merchandising & Retail Marketing “Giving to the JWU Fund is a way of expressing your appreciation for everything JWU does to help you reach your goals.”

ANTHONY COSTANZO ’16 Travel-Tourism & Hospitality Management “Giving back to the institution that provided lifelong friends, memories and, most important, an education, is crucial. I look forward to being able to give back to future students when I am an alumnus.”

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO to honor the memory of a father whose personal and professional legacy is closely intertwined with one’s own?

Professor Karen Silva, Ed.D., has chosen to establish a fund through her estate plan in honor of her father, Edward R. Silva, who was JWU’s first professor emeritus, co-founded the university’s graduate school and spent his entire life teaching.

“Like my father, I’ve spent my life in teaching and I believe that it is important to give back to the university so that future students can get an education, too,” says Karen. “I have wanted to remember my father’s career and influence on the university, my own commitment to education, and do something for students who might someday find the same satisfaction in the academic world as my father and me. A gift in my estate to the university that has done so much for my father and me represents the best possible way to remember my entire family at JWU.” Over the last 30 years, Karen, who chairs the Center for Sports, Entertainment and Event Management at the Providence Campus, has enjoyed a progressive career in educational administration and teaching: “Before I became a faculty member, I worked with Ken Levy in external affairs; in the travel department; and I managed one of the first student-retention programs. In academia, I’ve chaired the International Hotel School and the Center for Sports, Entertainment and Event Management. All of my positions have been student-focused. I still teach one course and I’m also engaged with students online.”

Teaching has been important to Karen, as it was to her father: “What always appealed to me about JWU is the fact that we provide a practical, professionally-focused experience for students that helps them establish careers. Hospitality is not a job; it is a lifestyle. You have to embrace it in all that you do. JWU teaches students that if a career in hospitality is a good fit for you, then JWU is the right place to get your education.” Karen now teaches a senior-level course designed to take all that students have learned and wrap it up so they are prepared for their next step in life.

With her estate gift, Karen has become a member of the 1914 Society, joining others who have established planned gifts for JWU. The university established the 1914 Society in 2014 in recognition of its centennial and to honor individuals who have included the university in their estate plans through wills, trusts, gift annuities, life insurance and retirement plans. For information about making a planned gift to JWU or about the 1914 Society, please contact Michael Eatough, executive director of major gifts, at 401-5984986 or email Michael.Eatough@jwu.edu.

— Julia S. Emlen above :

Professor Karen Silva with her father Edward

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ALUMNINEWS Want a better career? According to a recent Gallup survey, university mentoring can hold the key

I

By Matt Scanlon N 2014, GALLUP AND PURDUE University released a joint study of 30,000 college and university graduates — across a wide range of ages, race affiliations and types of institutions attended — representing some of the most sweeping research yet conducted on the long-term success of graduates in crafting a good career and a better life. The resulting Gallup-Purdue Index Report is surprising in many respects, not least in its finding that 61 percent of graduates with full-time employment were either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their jobs, and that just 14 percent responded strongly that they were “supported by professors who cared, made them feel excited about learning and encouraged their dreams.”

Again and again in the report, a hunger for mentor interaction is apparent, along with its payoff. Employed graduates who had a professor they felt cared about them as a person; a faculty member who made the learning process engaging; and a mentor who was able to amplify or expand professional aspirations more than doubled their likelihood of being engaged at work.

“That figure was startling,” says Brandon Busteed, executive director of education and workforce development at Gallup. “There’s a very clear connection between mentoring relationships in college and later success in work.”

Described by Busteed as either a faculty, staff or community member who simply “knows students well enough that they ask about and understand what their goals

and aspirations are and has done and/or said some things that help them along that trajectory,” mentors didn’t necessarily have to be career facilitators, but that role, he said, provided a neat bookend and complement to the university experience.

Such a role, according to Professor Jeff Thomas, J.D., School of Business chair at JWU’s Charlotte Campus, finds its most pivotal distinctions from academic advising in consistency and structure.

“I’ve wrestled with this definition of mentoring and what makes it unique,” he says, “and found that from a general process of identifying major goals and helping to achieve them, right down to the specifics of a sales or concept pitch, one of the keys is consistency. The student has to know what’s expected of him or her, how much time the mentor can share and that the mentor will be available at certain times, ideally over the course of some weeks.”

Thomas is quick to add, however, that once those requirements are met, the process can be liberatingly diverse — that JWU faculty have mentored students in organizations such as the Accounting Society and DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), and non-faculty (both JWU alumni and others) have mentored students participating in programs such as Queen City Forward’s ImpactU summer accelerator program and JWU’s SharkFest entrepreneurship contest.

“As valuable as faculty interaction is — what programs like these offer is additional interaction with businesspeople who are on the ground, and can share real-time experience,” Thomas says. “I had the chance to observe, for example, this summer’s ImpactU accelerator program attended by Mary Guin ’15 as she was moving her venture, UChef, forward (see related story on page seven). ImpactU’s emphasis on mentoring, and its ability to pair the right mentor with the right student, was just thrilling. Plans evolve in these programs, financing paths can emerge, and common mistakes can be avoided … the right advice at the right time is invaluable.”

Jeff Ledoux, mentor coordinator at JWU’s Larry Friedman Center for Entrepreneurship

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PROVIDENCE SHARKFEST PHOTOS BY SCOTT KINGSLEY, SCOTT BOROWY AND SCOTT BOWERS

Been There, Done That

at the Providence Campus, describes a managerial balancing act in how the relationship is structured. He and his “e-Center” colleagues John Robitaille and Peter Conopask first meet with both student and mentor, in part to determine if the latter’s skillset is right for the student’s needs, then make the introduction, establish a goal and lay out basic structure (including number of meetings and over what time frame). From that point, Ledoux lets them, as he puts it, “have the reins. It’s good for them not to hear us chirping all the time; in fact, it’d be counterproductive.”

Ledoux, Robitaille and Conopask track meeting notes in an online portal by logging them after each mentoring session, along with any indication of conflict or lack of progress. (“And neither mentors nor mentees have been shy about saying what’s working and what isn’t,” Ledoux adds with a chuckle.)

Asked how progress is defined, the mentor coordinator, who volunteers his time at the e-Center, got linear: “If a student starts at Point A — say a business concept and/or a prototype — but lacks a coherent marketing plan, getting that student to Point B is the

“If even a small fraction of JWU graduates volunteered some time, just think of the pool of market awareness and sheer networking that would represent.”

Jeff Thomas

target, which means he or she is armed with a solid — even if preliminary — sales strategy,” he explains. “If there’s no plan arrived at — just meetings and chat — that’s a waste of time. We emphasize movement, but also stress that mentor advice is just that; it should not be taken as gospel by the student, and mentors shouldn’t get upset if the student doesn’t take the advice. This is about teaching the mentee to think as much as anything else, and ego can’t be a part of the process.”

As far as the future of JWU mentoring is concerned, both Thomas and Ledoux have an

eye on expanding outreach both to additional prospective mentors and graduates seeking advice.

“If even a small fraction of JWU graduates volunteered some time, just think of the pool of market awareness and sheer networking that would represent,” Thomas says.

“Nevermind the additional alumni solidarity it would build. I think volunteer time, structured right, could also easily be extended to recent grads who are rethinking careers or business plans.”

“I would love to be able to offer a network of mentorship for alumni,” adds Ledoux. “If we can attract more successful alums to act as mentors, expand their advice to the student body and grads, and make for a tighter community as a result … that’s a thrilling thing to contemplate.” opposite , left :

Charlotte SharkFest winners (with two mentors) hold their checks. Students L-R: Fernando Coreas ’15, Elizabeth Katona ’17, Chris DiChiara ’15, Blake Mitkoff ’14 above , top row : Julius Searight ’13 presents at a SharkFest event; at the e-Center classroom. above , bottom row : Angelo Pitassi ’03 instructs; a mentor and student; SharkFest winner Hai Pham ’14 with John Robitaille

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ALUMNINEWS

Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years Later

Providence: Networking with a View

On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. Michael Hecht met with local alumni to discuss the “new” New Orleans and how far the city has come in the last decade. The event was held at the Hyatt Regency’s 8 Block Kitchen & Bar and hosted by Ashley Sorzano ’11, Bradley Feichter ’10, Leah Sarris ’05 and April Bellow ’05.

Providence alumni elevated their networking skills while taking in the beautiful city views and enjoying hors d’oeuvres from the rooftop at the Providence G restaurant and bar.

NYC Reunion Alumni met at Tavern on the Green in New York City to reconnect and learn more about all of the exciting new programs at JWU.

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JWU Denver Night Out at the Rockies Local graduates enjoyed an evening at DADA Art Bar, owned by Iain Chisholm ’09, followed by a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Houston Astros.

Ft. Lauderdale Networking Event Florida alumni exchanged business cards and honed their networking skills at local hotspot Bull Market, hosted by Corey Patterson ’08. Alumni enjoyed light bites and reconnecting with former classmates.

Charleston Regional Event This evening’s event was held at 492 in historic Charleston and hosted by Dave Bucks ’96 and Nate Whiting ’05. Graduates from Providence, Charlotte and Charleston enjoyed mixing and mingling with their former faculty and alumni from all three campuses.

Boston Link and Learn Fellow alumni linked and learned at Legal Sea Foods, hosted by Charley Wright ’89. The event featured a professional development program “Career Fulfillment: Guiding Principles” presented by James Fisher ’96, during which alumni learned how to use their own principles to achieve personal success.

Meat-cutting Boot Camp

Norfolk Tides Baseball Game

Alumni came from various parts of the country and Puerto Rico to experience this three-day meat-cutting seminar. Each chef learned the art of charcuterie, whole lamb butchery and seafood butchery. They dined at top alumni-owned restaurants in Denver and were taught by expert graduates.

Norfolk alumni watched their local minor league team in style while enjoying an in-game buffet and chatting with fellow alumni and JWU Charlotte Campus staff and faculty.

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CLASSNOTES 1975

1981

BERNARDINE HODGKINSON PVD

JOHNNY CARINO PVD

NORTH SCITUATE, R.I.

Johnny is corporate executive chef at King and Prince Seafood in Brunswick. Johnny is also the namesake of the Johnny Carino’s restaurant chain.

Bernardine is the president of BH + Associates in North Scituate.

1976 LINDA MAZZONE PVD COVENTRY, R.I.

Linda is the territory manager for Central Garden & Pet, based in Jamesburg, N.J.

1977 PAUL HENRY PVD DOVER, N.H.

Paul is a project manager at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

CHERYL MOORE PVD WESTPORT, CONN.

Cheryl is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut.

1978 JERRY MAZZONE PVD COVENTRY, R.I.

Jerry is the president of Baseball Cards of Rhode Island in North Kingstown.

1980 AUDREY MARATTA PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Audrey is the chef and owner of Culinary Art Catering in Providence.

BRUNSWICK, GA.

1983

ALICE VIETRI PVD

JAMES DOUGHERTY PVD WAKE FOREST, N.C.

Alice is an office manager at Dicor Construction Inc. in Mineola.

James is a banquet captain with the Raleigh Marriott in N.C.

1986

FREDERICK SABO PVD

LISA CAPASSO PVD

JERSEY CITY, N.J.

Frederick is executive chef at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

1984 NINA EPPS PVD BRONX, N.Y.

Nina does statement custom design at Tiffany & Co. in New York City.

MICHAEL VIETRI PVD NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.

Michael is the president at Vietri Associates Incorporated in Astoria.

1985 GREGORY GORGONE PVD BREVARD, N.C.

Gregory is a culinary design consultant with DRS Foodservice Design Inc. in Brevard.

DEBORAH-ANN MILETTE

PVD

NORMAN, OKLA.

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

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tech in 1971 and presently rescues and relocates exotic animals in the large and small feline area (such as lions, tigers or servals and caracals) She also shows a new breed of domestic cat called Savannahs and owns the second tallest Savannah in the world, known as “Motzie.”

Deborah-Ann has retired as a food science researcher at the U.S. Army Research Command in Natick, Mass. She co-founded four food patents dealing with foods for the survival of the soldier. She now resides in Oklahoma after serving her country as a medic and surgical

1

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.

program. A $60,000.00 USDA grant was awarded to McComb local schools during his nine-year tenure.

AUBURNDALE, MASS.

Lisa is doing freelance and volunteer work in Auburndale.

JOSEPH CHIOVERA PVD LEWISVILLE, TEXAS

Joseph is a principal at XS Foodservice & Marketing Solutions in Lewisville.

JOSEPH SWINSKI PVD CRANSTON, R.I.

Joseph is a massage therapist at Toll Gate Chiropractic in Warwick.

TERRY THOMPSON PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Terry has retired from his position at the Rhode Island School of Design.

1987

1988 ANDREA MANTIONE CHS HARRISBURG, PA.

Andrea has been awarded a diploma in medical billing and coding by the American Academy of Professional Coders.

PATRICK O’GRADY PVD SAINT LOUIS, MO.

Patrick is senior director of national accounts at TrueBlue, a staffing, recruiting and workforce management company; he is responsible for the sustained growth of its largest customers.

2

BETH HENNESSY PVD SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Beth is the business development director with Xerox Corporation in Boston.

[1] GORDON MYERS PVD MCCOMB, OHIO

Gordon has been a city councilman for the past 12 years and the food service director for a K–12 school, where he helped institute a pilot program offering schools all the fresh fruits and vegetables they could use as well as doubling the “type A” lunches, a federal reimbursement lunch

[2] DAVID SALCFAS PVD SPRINGFIELD, N.J.

David is responsible for all daily hotel operations of the New York Marriott Marquis, a 1,966-room iconic hotel in Times Square with

over 100,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space. A 25-year veteran of Marriott International, he started his career with the company as a catering service manager at the Seaview Marriott in New Jersey. In Spring of 2015 he was appointed to the position of hotel manager at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Throughout his career he has been recognized with many awards within Marriott International for his leadership and business successes. In addition, he has received the “Good Scout” award from the Boy Scouts of America, and was named a “King of Queens” honoree by the borough, while serving as general manager of the LaGuardia Marriott. David is an active member of the communities in which he has worked over the years and has served on tourism boards and participated in social and charitable events. He has been a guest lecturer for the hospitality program at New York City Technical College in Brooklyn.

KURT VON KAHLE PVD CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

Kurt is the owner of Kurt’s Kitchen in Cambridge.

MICHAEL ZABATTA PVD WARWICK, R.I.

Michael is the New England franchise business consultant for Moe’s Southwest Grill.

3

David Oscar ’91 (right) receives Distinguished Service Award.

Mexico, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

VINCENT SANTORO PVD BROOKLYN, N.Y.

Vincent is general manager at Aureole Restaurant in New York City.

ROBERT YOUNG PVD EAST GREENWICH, R.I.

Robert is the president and owner of Young International in East Greenwich.

1990 QUINN CORBETT PVD PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Quinn is a process coordinator for Blount Fine Foods Corporation in Fall River, Mass.

1989

JAMES MAJOR PVD

RICHARD LANCE GOVANG

James is a sales manager at Century 21 Crowley Braese in Woburn.

PVD

HOPKINS, MINN.

Lance is president of the Associa division of Community Development Inc. in Minneapolis. Associa is the worldwide leader in community management with more than 9,000 employees operating more than 170 branch offices in the United States,

WILMINGTON, MASS.

1991 JOHN HUBERT PVD TRUMBULL, CONN.

John is director of information technology for Cooperative Educational Services in Trumbull.

[3] DAVID OSCAR PVD UPR MONTCLAIR, N.J.

David has received the Distinguished Service Award at the National Association of Health Underwriters 85th annual convention and exhibition in New Orleans, La. David is a broker sales executive and regional Affordable Care Act specialist at BenefitMall based in Livingston; he has been in the insurance industry for nearly 25 years.

SPENCER TURER PVD ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

A fascination with coffee began for Spencer while working as a barista and café manager at Dean & Deluca in 1994. He matured quickly in the business, learning the roasting process just a year later. A career devoted to the art and science of coffee making and preparation has included extensive travels to South and Central America and a wealth of professional experience in testing, development, green sourcing and barista training for companies like Melitta, Dunkin’ Donuts and Mitsui. He is chairman of the Technical Edit and Peer Review committee of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and a founding member of the Roasters’

Guild; he also serves as vice president of Coffee Analysts in Burlington, VT— an independent testing laboratory certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). At its 27th annual conference, held in Seattle, Wash. in mid-April, SCAA honored Spencer with its Outstanding Contribution to the Association Award, which recognizes unique individuals in the specialty coffee industry. “A pioneer for roaster certification and an advocate for coffee industry education at all levels,” according to a press release issued after the conference, Spencer has lectured and taught SCAA classes many times both in the U.S. and internationally, has accumulated more than 1,000 volunteer hours, was responsible for the design and creation of the Roaster Certification Program (the coffee industry’s first multi-level professional development program), and changed the direction of SCAA training by incorporating both academic tests and practical experience-based evaluations to certify a student’s mastery of the coffee topics.

KEVIN WASSLER PVD YORKVILLE, ILL.

Kevin is a corporate executive chef with Nestle Professional in Yorkville.

1992 TIMOTHY HICKOK PVD NORTHFIELD, OHIO

Timothy is president of sales for Global Team Travel in West Lake.

BRENDAN MCLAUGHLIN

PVD

LEBANON, CONN.

Brendan is a managing member of McLaughlin Companies LLC in New London.

www.jwu.edu

29

CLASSNOTES LANI BROWN O’BRIEN PVD

FRANCISCO MORALES PVD

REDMOND, WASH.

HENDERSON, NEV.

Lani is a speechwriter and executive communicator for a senior leader at Microsoft in Redmond.

Francisco is the general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South.

1993 EVAN GRABER PVD HOLTSVILLE, N.Y.

Evan is a food service director at The Arbors Assisted Living in Jericho.

DEANNA MCNEILL PVD EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Deanna works for the state of Rhode Island in Providence.

ANDREA RAYMOND PVD PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Andrea is the assistant finance manager for Aramark.

MARIA WALL PVD

ALUMNI OVERSEAS 1999 PRIYA SINGH PVD GEORGETOWN, GUYANA

Priya is a manager at Medical Choice Pharmacy in Georgetown.

Maria is the proud owner of a 1956 Mountain View Diner called the Village Diner in Milford, ranked the top restaurant out of 39 in Milford on Tripadvisor.com.

Cara is a pastry chef instructor at Kennedy King College/ Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago.

1995

CHICAGO, ILL.

1996 STEVEN ARMSTRONG NOR MOSES LAKE, WASH.

1994 FERNANDO BARRIGA PVD

MICHAEL GROSSI ’99 MAT

CLEOPHUS CLARKE PVD

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Cleophus is the executive director of human resources at Eataly in New York City.

Charles is a program manager with Kronos in the greater Philadelphia area.

LAKEVILLE, MASS.

Fred is a chef with Legal Sea Foods Inc. at C Bar. CHRISTOPHER CIFELLI

PVD

WARWICK, R.I.

Chris is the general manager of Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House in Warwick.

ERIC FRAUWIRTH ’97 M.ED.

PVD

LONDONDERRY, N.H.

Eric has begun his new position at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Mass. Eric is the dean of career and technical education and business division.

DAMEON GRESH PVD SUNBURY, OHIO

Dameon is the executive chef at Scotts Company in Marysville.

30

Fall 2015

CARA BENSKI-MCPHEE

PVD

Walden is a senior national accounts director with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau; he is based in Glenview.

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

1998

MILFORD, PA.

Steve taught introduction to restaurant work to summer school students at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center (CBTech) in Moses Lake; he currently teaches intermediate and advanced culinary classes at CBTech.

CHARLES THOMPSON ’95 M.A.T. PVD

responsible for providing day-to-day staff management; overseeing all operations including membership services; endorsed programs; educational, workforce and state-regulation-partners; and training programs.

WALDEN AGUSTIN PVD GLENVIEW, ILL.

PVD

Michael is a general agent and managing director with Maffe Financial Group Inc. in Warwick.

He is also an adjunct faculty member with Johnson & Wales’ Accounting and Finance department in Providence.

SEAN HAIRE PVD DES MOINES, IOWA

Sean is the owner of Clean It Inc. in Des Moines.

SHANA MURRELL ’98 MBA

PVD

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Shana is director of alumni relations at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass.

RICK SIMONE PVD LINCOLN, R.I.

Rick is president of EGN LLC, a full-service consulting agency for experiential marketing, public and government relations and event production in Rhode Island.

NEW YORK, N.Y.

1997 PATRICIA CASEY PVD NASHUA, N.H.

Tricia is executive director for development and advancement services at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.

PAUL CASEY PVD NASHUA, N.H.

Paul has been promoted to first mate at Trader Joe’s in Nashua.

HEATHER SINGLETON ’99 MBA PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Heather has been promoted to chief operating officer of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association/Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation.

She has been with the organization for 18 years and will now be

RUTH FERLAND ’07 MBA

PVD

CUMBERLAND, R.I.

Ruth is director of IT and web development for Turino Group Inc. in Providence.

CHRISTOPHER GROOME

PVD

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J.

Christopher is the owner of Brownies Squared Bake Shop in Mays Landing.

KARRIEM KANSTON ’00 MAT PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Karriem is the owner of Kanston Development in Providence.

DONALD MEAD PVD WARREN, R.I.

Donald is the chief steward and manager with Military Sealift Command.

LAUREN SOARES PVD HARRISVILLE, R.I.

Lauren is the sales and marketing manager at Bryant University’s Executive Development Center in Smithfield.

1999 DENNIS DEMARINIS PVD NEW BEDFORD, MASS.

Dennis is director of development at Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in Providence, R.I. He also has been

re-appointed to his second three-year term as a commissioner on the Council for Citizens with Disabilities in New Bedford, an appointment made by the mayor and approved by the city council.

FRANK JONES PVD LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.

Frank is executive director of operations with Kaplan Test Prep in New York City.

JIMMY SADEGI DEN MOUNTAIN RANCH, CALIF.

at The Refiner and Michael Buttcavoli at Cena, along with many other select restaurants.

Thames Academy at Mitchell College.

GREG ROBERTS CHS

PVD

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Shemika is an employer relations developer with the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island in Providence.

KEVIN KLEGRAEFE PVD

SERGIO TENAGLIA PVD

MATTHEW LEEPER CHS

PHILLIP STEPHENSON NMI

ANDREA HERNANDEZ PVD

2000 [4] JASON LAUKHUF NMI TAMPA, FLA.

After being the executive pastry chef for both Berns Steakhouse and Sideberns in Tampa, Jason went on to build and direct the pastry and baking program at Keiser University in Sarasota.

Jason left Keiser in October 2014 to build his own wholesale artisan bread company: Jamison B Breadhouse Bakes, in the Ybor City neighorhood of Tampa.

Jason’s customers include Top Chef contestant Jeffrey Jew at Stillwaters Tavern, Ferrel Alvarez of Rooster & The Till, Greg Baker

4

Dwayne is a premier client manager with Santander Bank in East Providence.

Greg, chief operating officer and partner at CPEX Real Estate, participated in the Covenant House Sleep Out to Support Homeless Youth event in New York City. This annual event shines a light on homelessness and shows solidarity with homeless youth.

2001

Phillip is the executive chef at Hakkasan Las Vegas Nightclub.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

BAYPORT, N.Y.

Jimmy is the new chef at Outer Aisle in Murphys.

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

SHEMIKA MOORE ’06 MBA

DWAYNE KEYS ’05 MBA PVD

NEW YORK, N.Y.

Andrea is a nutrition educator at the Harlem Children Zone in New York.

RAY MCCUE ’11 M.ED. PVD CRANSTON, R.I.

Ray won the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef Educator of the Year award at their annual conference in Orlando, Fla. JANET RAY ’05 MBA PVD SMITHFIELD, R.I.

Janet is an associate director and international student advisor for Wheaton College in Norton, Mass.

JOSHUA RUSSELL PVD ATLANTA, GA.

Joshua is a pastry chef at In2Food in Duluth.

2002

WANTAGH, N.Y.

Sergio is director of operations at Gourmet Boutique in Jamaica, N.Y. Gourmet Boutique is a manufacturer and nationwide provider of entrées, sides and salads for retail and food service outlets.

JEFFREY VICTOR PVD MIDDLESEX, N.J.

Jeffrey has been appointed executive director and state advisor of New Jersey DECA. Jeff will oversee the strategic and operational aspects of the program, which has more than 8,000 students in 125 high schools statewide. As a member on the high school, collegiate and alumni levels, Jeff brings a wealth of industry knowledge and program experience to the position. N.J. DECA is based out of Kean University, where Jeff is also on the faculty as an instructor in the management and marketing department, focusing on hospitality management. He is a CHA, CHE, CHS and CMP.

SCOTT GARBINI ’08 M.ED.

2003

NEW LONDON, CONN.

CHANDRA BADOLA, MBA

PVD

Scott has opened Garbini Education and Career Consulting LLC, where he works with families to navigate the college/ trade/life process after high school. He advocates for children with learning differences as well as mental health issues.

Scott was formerly the assistant director of admissions for

PVD

WEST POINT, N.Y.

Chandra is a general manager with InterContinental Hotels Group PLC in West Point.

TRISHA DELANEY PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

ATTLEBORO, MASS.

Kevin is the meat team lead at Whole Foods in Bellingham.

LA CROSSE, WIS.

Matthew is executive chef at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

CURTIS LIGHTSEY NMI WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J.

Curtis obtained a dual master’s degree in international marketing management/MBA from the University of Maryland (online) in May. TESHANNE PHILLIP NMI CORAL SPRINGS, FLA.

In May, Teshanne hosted a Women’s Empowerment Conference in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

NATILY SANTOS PVD PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Natily is procurement director with Aramark in Philadelphia.

CHINMAYA SARANGI ’05 MBA PVD ALPHARETTA, GA.

Chinmaya is a lead regional revenue manager for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC in Atlanta.

2004 JOSEPH CLEMKO PVD DALLAS, TEXAS

Joseph has passed the Texas bar exam and accepted a position with Forex Capital Markets as a compliance associate; he will be managing financial regulations both domestically and internationally.

Trisha is a purchasing manager with BCD Meetings & Incentives headquartered in Chicago, Ill.

www.jwu.edu

31

CLASSNOTES 5

2007

[6] JOSE RESENDEZ NMI

ANDREA ALDANA PVD

Jose has been named to AdWeek’s list of 30 Under 30 in the PR Industry for 2015. He is a senior account executive (publicist and digital strategist) at FleishmanHillard, specifically the Miami office. FleishmanHillard is one of the top PR firms in the world, with more than 50 offices.

Jose works on the Procter & Gamble and AT&T client accounts, focusing on lifestyle, tech and consumer packaged goods, marketing to U.S. Hispanics and Latin America targets. His specialty is influencer integration (celebrity, blogger, ambassadors) and media/social relations.

JOHNSTON, R.I.

Andrea is senior financial analyst, FP&A reporting and consolidation at Schneider Electric in Kingston.

FELICIA ALEXANDER PVD HYDE PARK, MASS.

Felicia is a clinician at Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton.

KEREY BOYLAN PVD EAST HARTFORD, CONN.

Kerey is a premium auditor with The Hartford (Insurance) in Hartford.

NICOLE MCCABE CHS INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

Nicole is director of banquets for the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis.

2005 ROBERT CARROLL PVD BROOKLYN, N.Y.

Robert is the director of sales at the Boro Hotel in Long Island City.

SHENISE FOSTER PVD ALEXANDRIA, VA.

Shenise is a housing systems program manager with the United States Army in Arlington.

responsible for daily operations, staff recruitment and development, inventory, financial management and cost accounting, food/bar quality and maintaining high customer service standards.

KETAN PATEL PVD WINDERMERE, FLA.

Ketan has created a new educational finder app that makes it easy for students to find colleges globally on iOS and Android.

SETH RADIN DEN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.

2006

Seth has joined Facebook’s university recruiting team.

MATHIEW MEDEIROS ’14 MBA PVD

ARIANNE TANASIO PVD

RUMFORD, R.I.

Mathiew is community manager at NAIL Communications in Providence.

FRANCISCO O’BRIEN PVD WARWICK, R.I.

Francisco is the human resource manager at Saint Elizabeth Community in East Greenwich.

[5] STEPHANE OST PVD SMITHFIELD, R.I.

Stephane has been named general manager of the two Red Stripe locations in Providence and East Greenwich. Stephane is

32

Fall 2015

LINCOLN, R.I.

SARAH CIRELLI PVD BELMAR, N.J.

Sarah was recently named one of New Jersey’s Best Marketing Professionals Under 40 by the The New Jersey Ad Club in conjunction with the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association.

NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASS.

Joseph has been promoted to lead quality assurance analyst at Steward Health Care System in Westwood.

MEGHAN FITZGERALD

PVD

PINE BROOK, N.J.

Meghan is a partnership manager at Ten Group North America.

ALTAGRACIA GOMEZ NMI

VOS VAJDA PVD

Altagracia is an associate director of human resources with Loews Hotels & Resorts in Philadelphia, Pa.

Vos is the director of operations with LV Group Inc. in Las Vegas.

LV Group works with under-utilized venues to turn them into profitable Vegas hot spots.

6

JOSEPH ERHARD PVD

Arianne is a realtor with Tanasio Realty Advisors.

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

MIAMI BEACH, FLA.

MAPLE SHADE, N.J.

PAVAN NAYINI MBA PVD CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD.

Pavan is an accounting manager at Slevin & Hart in Washington, D.C. Pavan previously worked as an assistant controller at the Washington Hilton in D.C.

SABRINA SOLARES-HAND

PVD

JOHNSTON, R.I.

Sabrina is external affairs associate at Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy in Cumberland.

MICHELLE WOODLAND MBA PVD WASHINGTON, D.C.

Michelle is a hospitality Instructor with the District of Columbia Public Schools.

2008 ISABELLA FITZGERALD

CLT

CRANFORD, N.J.

Isabella was promoted to assistant beverage director at Gramercy Tavern in New York, N.Y. MEGAN KENNEY PVD NEWPORT, R.I.

Megan is the new assistant general manager and event planner for Camille’s Restaurant in the Federal Hill section of Providence.

LIANE MCDONNELL PVD

OBITUARY CHEF ROBERT “MOSHE” NOGRAD ’99 HON. A Distinguished Mentor and Colleague Robert “Moshe” Nograd ’99 Hon., dean emeritus of the College of Culinary Arts, found joy from making people happy through food. He chose to be trained as a cook for one reason — to never be hungry again. Born in Hungary, he was only three when his father died and his mother sent him to an orphanage.

He was then given to peasants “not for love, but to work.” From a very early age, he told one reporter, “I was always hungry.” Nograd was on his own, a student at age 12, when he worked before and after

MANVILLE, R.I.

school at a carpentry shop to pay for food and a bed in

Liane is director of sales and marketing at Alpine Country Club in Cranston.

a local family’s house. In March 1944 the Germans

SAVANNAH WHITE PVD

meant for eight horses. A four-day journey to

PLAINVILLE, MASS.

Savannah is the sales and client services manager at the Southern California Region office of Amica Insurance.

2009 CHRISTOPHER ALEXIS PVD MOUNT KISCO, N.Y.

Christopher is senior housekeeping manager at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

arrived. By May he and other Jews were forced into boxcars on a train — about 100 people in each car Auschwitz concentration camp ensued — the worst

Robert Nograd ’99 Hon.

of it, he recalled, was the sound of crying babies. An infant’s wail and the sight of cattle cars remained disquieting for the rest of his life. Nograd was then

design and open the campus in North Miami, where,

sent to a work camp in Bavaria, where he toiled 12-

in 2006, the Robert M. Nograd Center for Bachelor’s

hour days hoisting 110-pound bags of cement for an

Degree Studies Kitchen and Dining Room was

underground airplane factory. He envied the kitchen

opened. In 1983 when he was given a special

workers who survived on leftover scraps and prom-

certificate of appreciation, Morris J. W. Gaebe said,

ised himself: “If I would ever go from here, I will al-

“In a single day you accomplish more than the

ways have food.”

average person accomplishes in a week.” Larry Rice,

He weighed 75–80 pounds when American troops

Ed.D., ’90, president of JWU’s North Miami Campus,

liberated the camp on April 27, 1945, “the day I was

recalls his mentorship: “He hired me more than 21

NEWTON, MASS.

born a second time.” After recovering in a German

years ago and like most of us who were here when he

Kyle is a consultant with CFGI in Boston.

hospital, Jewish and United Nation agencies facili-

was dean of culinary education, you knew you were

tated his education. He was sent to cooking school,

prepared to teach students if Dean Nograd approved

apprenticed in France, served in the Israeli Navy for

of your work. He had an unequivocal way of critiqu-

KYLE BRITTO PVD

SIGOURNEY BRYANT ’15 MBA PVD

five years, and then became a cook with a passenger

ing our performance, and sharing great wisdom and

NEW YORK, N.Y.

cruise line out of Haifa, working his way up to its ex-

insights, that instilled within us a strong sense of

Signourney works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

ecutive chef. He later taught at culinary schools. In

pride in seeking to meet his expectations.”

JEFFREY GEMIGNANI CLT CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Jeffrey is the East Coast sales representative for Joyce Farms, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based producer of premium heritage breed poultry and grass-fed beef.

1979, he came to the U.S., and soon joined the College

Nograd passed away June 3, 2015, in Taramac,

of Culinary Arts at the Providence Campus as the

Florida, his residence since retiring from the

executive chef and food and beverage director at the

university in 1999. He was the devoted husband of

Rhode Island Inn, now the Radisson Hotel Provi-

Ana for more than 60 years and a loving father and

dence Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island. He later

grandfather.

held several administrative positions and, in 1987,

“I never dreamed of being a master chef,” he once

was appointed dean of culinary education, also su-

said. “I never dreamed of being dean of a university.

pervising the programs in Charleston, S.C. and Nor-

I only dreamed of having food in my stomach.”

folk, Va. In 1992, he relocated to Florida to help

— Denise Dowling

www.jwu.edu

33

CLASSNOTES ALLIA GHANIM PVD

BRADLEY FEICHTER CLT

2011

ENGLEWOOD, N.J.

NEW ORLEANS, LA.

Allia is a personal insurance advisor with Liberty Mutual Insurance in Ramsey.

Bradley is the senior banquet manager at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans; it is the sixth largest convention center in the United States with 3.1 million square feet of space.

DANIEL ALVAREZ PVD

MATTHEW GALLANT PVD

Erin is a guest relations coordinator at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City.

RYAN JUDGE DEN POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.

Ryan has been accepted into the Ed.D. program at the University of New England beginning this fall.

MARISSA LO PVD CRANSTON, R.I.

Marissa is a chef with Legal Sea Foods Inc. in Dedham, Mass.

JOSHUA MANLEY PVD BEACON, N.Y.

Joshua is the technical director at Syntactic Studio in Beacon.

COURTNEY RAUCH PVD WINTHROP, MASS.

Courtney is an assistant general manager with Legal Sea Foods Inc. in Boston.

BOSTON, MASS.

Matthew is a property manager with First Realty Management Corp. in Boston.

ANTHONY HALEY PVD WEST ROXBURY, MASS.

Anthony is a kitchen manager with Legal Sea Foods Inc. in Boston.

JEREMY KOHN PVD ASTORIA, N.Y.

PHILIP SANTINI ’11 MBA

Jeremy is a sous chef with Restaurant Associates at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

NEW YORK, N.Y.

MEAGAN O’FLAHERTY PVD

PVD

Philip is the general manager at Le Pain Quotidien in New York City.

STEFAN TAYLOR PVD SEWELL, N.J.

Stefan is an area games manager with Morey’s Piers in Wildwood.

2010 KAITLIN COOGAN PVD DES PLAINES, ILL.

Kaitlin has opened a catering business called August Moon Catering; it specializes in non-GMO foods and organic, seasonal products. She also teaches cooking classes and dedicates 5 percent of the earnings toward a local charity.

JILLIAN DEITLE DEN DENVER, COLO.

Jillian is an account executive for the southwest region of insightsoftware.com.

34

Fall 2015

NEW YORK, N.Y.

Daniel is pastry sous chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York City.

ERIN BERNHARDT PVD HOBOKEN, N.J.

DAVID COUTURE PVD NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.

David is an equity capital markets analyst at Solebury Capital in New Hope, Pa. JENNIFER DANAUX ’13 M.A.T. PVD MEMPHIS, TENN.

Jennifer is operations manager at Snapchef in Cranston, R.I. CHRISTINA KIRSCH DEN ENGLEWOOD, COLO.

Christina is the venue sales director at Vehicle Vault in Parker.

FREEHOLD, N.J.

Meagan is special events associate at Meridian Health Affiliated Foundations in Neptune.

Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization, comprised of Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin and Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel.

JESSIE TIER PVD JERSEY CITY, N.J.

Jessie is an event coordinator with ProSight Specialty Insurance in Morristown.

RODRIGO ZETINAYGLESIAS PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Rodrigo is the director of operations at Benrus in Providence.

7

to associate producer at Forrester Research.

ASHLEY VUTECH PVD BOSTON, MASS.

Ashley is a media technology analyst at DigitasLBi in Boston.

MICHELLE WHITMORE

PVD

BRIDGEWATER, N.J.

Michelle is an internal talent acquisition specialist in Somerset.

2012 ASHLEY BAKER PVD BRIDGEWATER, MASS.

Ashley is a retail category management coordinator with United Natural Foods in Providence, R.I. TIFFANY CAGGIANO PVD PEABODY, MASS.

Tiffany is a leasing consultant with Equity Residential in Malden.

MATTHEW GOLD MBA PVD SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASS.

Matthew is a licensed agent with New York Life Insurance in Johnston, R.I. XIANGDONG LIU ’14 MBA

PVD

BOSTON, MASS.

Leo works at the front desk of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston.

KAYLA OLIVEIRA PVD SOMERSET, MASS.

[7] NATASHA SOARES PVD FALL RIVER, MASS.

Natasha is a post market surveillance analyst at Medtronic in Mansfield.

KATELYN SPURR PVD BROOKLINE, MASS.

Katelyn passed the Certified Meeting Professional exam and is now a CMP. She has been promoted from events associate

Kayla is the head of travel sales at Grand Circle Corporation in Boston.

STEPHANIE PARKER CLT INDIAN TRAIL, N.C.

Stephanie is garnishment coordinator at TriNet HR Corporation at the Fort Mill, S.C., location. TriNet is a strategic partner to small and medium-sized businesses for human resources, payroll, employee benefits, employment law

IN MEMORIAM THOMAS J. CORRIGAN ’72 June 13, 2015

LEON O. NEWMAN ’86 April 29, 2015

DAVID G. ROLAN ’02 March 19, 2013

ELIZABETH SPASEFF ’10 July 5, 2015

TYRONE JETER ’76 May 12, 2015

MARION S. PROUTY ’88 Aug. 2, 2015

SEANAN RORK ’02 June 15, 2015

NICHOLAS ZEESO ’13 May 24, 2015

CRAIG E. WILSON ’76 Jan. 26, 2015

RICHARD R. DERRICO ’89 July 27, 2015

LORA SHOGI ’02 Aug. 28, 2015

FRANK J. TAMMERA ’15 Aug. 23, 2015

JACKIE D. GRABLE ’77 June 6, 2015

ELLEN E. LEEVER ’89 July 1, 2015

KURT WERNER ’02 April 13, 2015

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

CHARLES L. ASSELIN ’78 June 8, 2015

ROSALIND A. MARTIN ’89 Aug. 18, 2015

JOHN R. DESLOGE ’03 May 18, 2015

LUDY W. ROMANO ’80 June 9, 2015

FRANK J. CLARK ’93 June 19, 2015

RUTHINA HAZARD ’04 July 9, 2015

ROBERT E. STEWART ’80 Jan. 15, 2015

GARY ROGERS ’93 Aug. 10, 2015

PAUL ROBIN, JR. ’81 June 9, 2015

LAURIE A. INSEL ’94 April 3, 2015

CLAUS D. ERSTLING CHRISTOPHER P. NUGENT ’08 Jan. 25, 2015 July 31, 2015 KINSEY J. FREDERICKSBISHOW ’16 JASON P. RAMOS ’08 July 14, 2015 June 25, 2015

KEITH M. BLEICH ’82 July 20, 2015

JENNIFER L. QUIGLEY ’94 April 27, 2015

TERRANCE MILLER ’09 Aug. 18, 2015

ROGER M. FREEMAN III June 9, 2015

JEFFREY S. HANSON ’84 June 14, 2015

SCOTT M. SAYA ’01 May 14, 2015

RONELL L. BLIZZARD ’10 June 30, 2015

DONALD RINGUETTE June 7, 2015

compliance and risk mitigation.

Her new position includes processing garnishments for child support, state and federal tax levies, and student loan repayments.

DANILO QUINONEZ MBA

PVD

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Danilo is a financial analyst with Hasbro in Pawtucket.

STEPHANIE SCHWAB NMI ORLANDO, FLA.

Stephanie is convention services manager at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive.

ROBERT M. NOGRAD, C.M.C. ’99 HON. June 3, 2015

2013

ADAM BOLOTIN PVD

Marcus has taken an Atlantabased job with The Southern Economic Development Council.

As their operations manager, he will manage various departments including membership, marketing and communications, accounting, meeting/education and management services.

RICARDO ALONZO NMI

Adam is a student at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

STEPHANIE WATSON YAEGER PVD

Raymond is a guest services manager at Club Quarters in Houston.

MARCUS URQUHART NMI ATLANTA, GA

TOPSFIELD, MASS.

Stephanie is the QA/R&D technician at Muffin Town, a bakery manufacturer based in Lawrence.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA.

Ricardo received his MBA from Colorado Technical University. He is starting a new job as pbx operator at the Aloft South Beach Hotel in Miami Beach.

RAYMOND AREVELO DEN HOUSTON, TEXAS

HANNAH BARNARD ’14 MBA PVD

VERNON HILLS, ILL.

MARIELLE DONAHUE PVD NEW YORK, N.Y.

Marielle is a retail marketing manager at Nickelodeon, where she interned in the same department before her senior year of college.

EMILY FORSYTHE PVD VERNON HILLS, ILL.

Emily is a contractor with Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Chicago.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

KATHERINE GARBANI PVD

Hannah is a special events assistant at Dave & Busters Inc. in Providence.

Katie an event coordinator for Joss & Main in Boston.

WESTBOROUGH, MASS.

www.jwu.edu

35

CLASSNOTES

College. Sigh. It’s a time of freedom, experimentation and — for many JWU students — getting hitched. Maybe not during school, but the campus is the venue for meeting a future spouse.

According to a 2008 career progression survey, 26 percent of married alumni who responded had met their spouse at Johnson & Wales. We were so impressed by that statistic we decided to debut “Pairings,” an intermittent column modeled on the New York Times’ “Vows” section, to highlight alumni unions.

If you have upcoming nuptials and would like to be considered for the column, please email jwumagazine@jwu.edu and tell us about your love story.

KIM PERKINS ’06 AND DAN ZELIKMAN ’06

Pairings Kim Perkins ’06 and Dan Zelikman ’06 are the kind of envy-inducing couple you’d like to hate. Attractive? Check. Athletic? Check. Lived near the beach in Hawaii? Check. Madly in love? Check. Do you want me to continue? I didn’t think so.

Dan is a filmmaker (check out Moostache Films), so you might expect the relationship to unfold in a meet-cute manner. But if a director storyboarded it, the conflict would be near the start. Dan thought Kim was pretty when they were introduced as sophomores on the Providence Campus, but he assumed she had a boyfriend. “I liked her, but I was an awkward, immature dude,” he explains. Kim’s first impression? “Wow, that guy talks a lot.”

Fast forward two years to Dan’s surprise 21st birthday party. Dan and Kim had casually asked their mutual friend if she knew whether the other person was dating. Both were unfettered so the timing was ripe. Dan — celebrating in the way you do when you’re officially legal — had enough cobalt courage to ask Kim for a birthday kiss.

They started dating but it was tangled by a long-distance summer: Kim headed for the Maryland shore to rent a house with friends while Dan was several hours away taking kids rock climbing, cliff jumping and hiking at a camp in Pennsylvania. Both were close with members of the opposite sex who were also athletic and attractive. Jealousy simmered.

“I was scared by how well we got along and how much I liked her,” says Dan. “I pushed back. A lot of couples start out great and then it goes bad, but we started out kind of slow.” After graduation, they even took a hiccup of a hiatus; a month apart was enough to make Dan physically ill at the prospect of losing Kim. “We got it all out on the table,” says Kim. “Instead of breaking up, we came back strong.”

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Fall 2015

They decided to run away from the distraction of frenetic social and professional lives in New York City in order to pursue life and adventures together. “Hawaii was the most exotic place we could live without a visa,” says Dan. Once there, you can guess the rest. With only each other and their friend Ronald “Kip” Vaughn III (another ’06 grad) to rely on at the start, they became inseparable. “Before, when I was dissatisfied I sometimes took out my frustrations on Kim,” Dan reveals. “But then I began to view her as my rock; now she’s the person I go to for support when I face challenges.” The revelation became his refrain when friends ask for relationship advice: “You have to recognize that it’s not so much couple issues, but each person having individual issues. You should see that person as your partner and that it’s the two of you against the world.”

For Kim, Dan’s turbo drive is a jumpstart: “I’m laid back so I like to surround myself with people who are really ambitious because it gets me to do more stuff.” For Dan, Kim balances his zeal with her appreciation for the simpler things. “In the beginning sometimes I wished she was more like me,” he says. “But then I realized I would hate to date myself! She’s the thing I never knew I always wanted.”

Moving to Hawaii was their version of commitment, but Dan was eager PHOT OS BY JO HN HO O K ( JO HNHO OKPHOT O. COM)

to “lock it up.” They had discussed marriage for years, but Kim had no clue he’d scripted an official proposal. The setting was postcard perfect: Imag-

THE BIG DAY

ine a Hawaiian sunset surf. Sea turtles bob nearby as Dan asks Kim to paddle over so he can try out his underwater camera. When she rafts up, he balances a white box on her board. “He was giving me this great speech, but I was so nervous that a wave might wash away the ring,” says Kim. “After he finished I said, ‘Yes … and will you put that ring away!’ ” Did I mention the rainbow over Diamond Head? Okay, you can hate them a little. — Denise Dowling

IT WAS A RUSTIC FARMHOUSE setting as 140 friends and family members gathered at Riverdale Manor in Lancaster, Pa., for the June 14 wedding. Dan’s grandmother was the flower girl and their vows contained movie line snippets (i.e., from “Good Will Hunting”: “You’re not perfect sport, and let me save you the suspense, this girl you met, she isn’t perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.”). Dan split his pants on the dance floor and had to swap them for his best man’s — but it was still perfect.

www.jwu.edu

37

CLASSNOTES NATHAN KIBARIAN PVD

TIMOTHY GARROLD PVD

LYNNFIELD, MASS.

SAUNDERSTOWN, R.I.

Nathan is the pastry chef at Bastille Kitchen in Boston; he was recently featured in the Boston Globe for his remarkable achievements in pastry arts.

Timothy was recently promoted to serve as deputy dIrector of the college of distance education at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport.

GISELLE PINTO NMI

KALEIGH HACKETT PVD

MARRIAGE AND UNIONS 2015 BETSY BAUCHMANN DEN ROSEVILLE, CALIF.

Betsy is a full-time baker for Share Good Foods, which wholesales to more than 50 coffee shops in the greater Denver area.

MIAMI, FLA.

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.

BRYAN CHAVEZ PVD

Giselle’s bakery, Sugar Yummy Mama, was given the title of Best Bakery (2015) by the Miami New Times.

Kaleigh has been editing a series of books authored by alumnus Jonathon Wright, now the published author of “So Far Gone”, the “The Jaxon Grey Chronicles” series.

MAHOPAC, N.Y.

KATIE HOWLAND PVD

Helen is lead secretary with the Pawtucket School Department.

KELLIE VEHLIES NMI BROOKLINE, MASS.

Kellie is the marketing and office manager with Chobee Hoy Associates Real Estate in Brookline.

KIMBERLY WONG CLT SUSSEX, N.J.

Kimberly is a marketing coordinator with the SCL Footwear Group in New York, N.Y.

2014 JENNIFER AGIN PVD PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Jennifer is a technology support manager with the Pawtucket School Department.

ANDRES ALMONTE MBA

PVD

CRANSTON, R.I.

Andres is a program manager with Eaton in East Providence.

MICHELLE ALTVATER PVD NORTH HAVEN, CONN.

Michelle is a loyalty ambassador with Omni Hotels in New Haven.

ARIANA ANTENOR PVD STOUGHTON, MASS.

Ariana is a sous chef with Legal Sea Foods in Braintree.

CHRISTINA AVILLAN PVD CANTON, MASS.

Christina is an executive assistant with Hunt Alternatives in Cambridge.

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Fall 2015

WILMINGTON, MASS.

Katie is an event coordinator with Newport Waterfront Events/ Waterfront Productions in Newport, R.I. LISAMARIE IANUZZI PVD ATTLEBORO, MASS.

LisaMarie has accepted an internship in the communications department of Dunkin’ Brands headquarters in Canton. This internship marks her second one with Dunkin’, her first being in the research and development department. LisaMarie is also starting her fourth season as a member of the New England Patriots cheerleading squad.

KIM LALIBERTE PVD SMITHFIELD R.I.

Kim is the assistant principal at Lincoln High School in Lincoln, R.I.; the new role offers her a variety of experiences in an academically progressive school district. Kim continues to serve as an adjunct professor for JWU’s John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences and School of Online & Continuing Education.

TIMOTHY LLOYD PVD CRANSTON, R.I.

Timothy is a project manager/ CAD technician with Old Castle Building Envelope in Warwick.

Bryan is an agent with New York Life Insurance Co. in Johnston, R.I. HELEN CONNORS PVD PAWTUCKET, R.I.

MOLLY GOZLAN ’15 PVD JAMAICA PLAIN, MASS.

Molly is an assistant manager of housekeeping at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf.

THOMAS KURZA PVD RINGWOOD, N.J.

2006 [8] KIM PERKINS PVD and Dan Zelikman ’06 (PVD) June 14, 2015

2008 MELINDA ROBINSON CLT and Ciara Lilly July 26, 2015

2009 [9] SCOTT MURRAY NMI and Andrea Morin-Mezzadri ’11 (NMI) August 22, 2015

2010 [10] LAUREN TUFTS PVD and Seth Roberts ’10 (PVD) June 13, 2015

2011

Thomas is an operator sales representative for Basic American Foods in the New York Metro/ New Jersey/East Pennsylvania market.

[11] AMANDA BECK and Neil McCleery July 10, 2015

GRACE PETERSON PVD

[12] CENZIA ECKERT PVD and Joshua Willard ’13 (PVD) June 20, 2015

PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Grace is a digital production assistant with Moo in Lincoln.

SAMANTHA RODRIGUES MBA PVD RIVERSIDE, R.I.

Samantha is a program assistant with the University of Rhode Island’s Alumni Association in Kingston.

MATTHEW TORTORA PVD NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.

Matthew is the founder of Crave Food Services in Providence.

2012

2013 [13] ABIGAIL CANDON PVD and Derek Rundlett July 10, 2015

8

9

10

11

12

13

BIRTH AND ADOPTIONS 14

2001 [14] CHAMPE SPEIDEL PVD and Lisa Thatcher Champe Carter

2004 STEPHANIE LAWSON LABRUYERE

CHS

and Daron Arlo Eugene

2006 DANIEL BATES NOR and Heather Eden Charise

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 (minimum one megabyte [1 MB] in size, in jpeg format), or actual photographs.

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

www.jwu.edu

39

CAREER UPDATE Natascha F. Saunders ’07 MBA

What Are You Worth?

“Every bad deal you’ve gotten, you’ve agreed to. So you need to have the capacity to say no.”

A

— Margaret A. Neale

TRAIT OF A GREAT LEADER IS THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE.

Whether you know it or not, you are a negotiator. Negotiation happens daily. Parents negotiate with their child; managers negotiate with their superiors; and patients negotiate with their doctors.

Negotiating demonstrates leadership. Negotiating your compensation is about knowing your worth and being compensated fairly. It’s about providing a solution that makes both parties better off. The next time you enter a negotiation ask yourself, “How much am I willing to lose if I avoid this short-term discomfort?”

WHAT DO YOU LOSE WHEN YOU DON’T NEGOTIATE?

Stanford MBA Professor Margaret Neale posits this analogy: You accept the first offer of $100,000 while another candidate negotiates it up to $107,000. What is the loss? It’s actually not $7,000 because that number is compounded! If you and that person were both hired and given the same raise terms, 35 years later you would have had to work eight more years to be just as wealthy because you didn’t negotiate.

Steps to Yes: •P repare: Know what you are worth by confidentially asking sources and researching competitors. Use websites like salary.com, payscale.com, bls.gov and glassdoor.com. Be able to answer, “Why are you worth that amount?” Is it experience, education or your network of influence?

•P redetermine Your BATNA (BATNA is a term coined by Roger Fisher and William Ury in their bestseller, “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Without Giving In”. It stands for the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. Decide your bottom-line and your walkaway offer. Include more than just base pay: it might entail bonuses, stock options, vacation time, memberships, industry conferences and a flexible/remote work schedule.

•P ractice: Role play with a peer or colleague — or at least in the mirror.

Before athletes hit the field they have already envisioned their outcome; train your mind to believe it has done this before.

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Fall 2015

• Pitch It: I’ve suggested clients say, “It would be ideal if we could learn more about each other and determine a best fit prior to discussing salary.” If that doesn’t work, then ask what they have budgeted for this job. Try not to talk money first. If they refuse, you might say, “Based on my research, informational conversations, industry trends, my experience and education, the range of X–Y is ideal; does that fit within the scope of your budget?” If they push back, say, “If you pay me X, then I assure you I can help mitigate Z and make a quality contribution to the success of your organization.”

KEEP LEANING IN: • Employers may actually think less of you if you do not negotiate.

• If an offer is less than you think it should be, you need to point that out politely but firmly and ask if the employer can improve the offer.

• Answer the employer’s questions before they even ask. For example, if you want more time off, explain how your workload will be covered.

• Don’t confuse assertive behavior with aggressive behavior; focus on interests, not positions.

• Read about body language and make sure everyone is on the same page when you conclude.

Natascha F. Saunders ’07 MBA (linkedin.com/in/nataschasaunders) is an entrepreneur, certified career coach and consultant. She is also a former member of the JWU Experiential Education team. Now in private practice, she coaches individuals on clarifying their purpose and taking action to achieve their goals.

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