School of Hospitality Management Monthly Update:
October 2008
This Monthly Update from the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State serves to keep you informed and interested in the news as it happens - for alumni, industry, faculty & students.
Send us your news....it's a great way to connect.
Homecoming Highlights
TJ Daniels (sophomore) is the 2008 Homecoming King and Queen Overall. TJ is responsible for involving students and faculty Homecoming Courts, including nominations and interviewing potential PSU Homecoming Kings and Queens.
This is TJ's second involvement with Homecoming, and he is also involved with Penn State Dance Marathon.
"Leadership and involvement weigh equally with academics," says Daniels. "This Homecoming season promises to be one to remember."
The Bikes are Back
The Penn State Hotel, Restaurant Society (PSHRS) will be represented in Homecoming on October 17, 2008.
All alumni, students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the Homecoming Parade. We will ride bikes again.
"Last year was so much fun," says Vivienne Wildes. She will be joined again by co-chairs Brenda Condo and Marja Verbeeten….and they hope others will join, too.
"I never laughed so hard for so long in my entire life," says Wildes.
"This year we intend to win the competition" Condo said.
The group is seeking others to either ride or walk along. "We need people to hand out candy and carry the PSHRS banner," encourages Verbeeten.
The bikes are provided by Bob Swaim, also known as "The Bike Man" from Allentown, Pa. Swaim is known around the United States for his exceptional bike collection. His collection boasts over 150 unique bicycles including a round 7-seat conference bicycle with Porsche steering, clown tricycles, an ice cream bicycle, the Osmond (yes, as in Donny) banana seat bike, the Penn State 6-Pack, classic Schwinns and many, many more.
If you want to join the group: Meet at Mateer Building at 5pm on October 17 or contact Brenda Condo at: blc20@psu.edu
On the Road
Philadelphia and Washington DC were destinations for Bert Van Hoof and Paul Howard as they mingled with members of the Penn State Hotel, Restaurant Society (PSHRS). Several attendees promised to be on hand for Alumni in the Classroom ’08.
Max Patchen ’90 HRIM, director of Event Management for Pennsylvania’s largest hotel, Mariott Downtown hosted the Philadelphia event on September 15.
Guests at the Philadelphia PSHRS event included:
Rob Ambrose; John Batchelor; Lauren Brown; Robert Carachilo; Jennifer DiMucci; Gillian Frisch; John Gallagher; Ron Gilbert; Brian Helgesen; Tony Martino; Michael-Ann Matticoli; Derrick Monte Carlo; Jessica Park; Max Patchen; Scott Pullman; Ellen Rundbaken; Stacy Schlessinger; Allison Thomas; and Jennifer Tracy
There were lots of photos and Bert Van Hoof presented his slide show on “What’s New” in the School of Hospitality Management. Highlights included the growing student body (over 800 undergraduate students), international programs with a hospitality curricular spin, and the new gateway courses. Van Hoof said he was both impressed and enthused by the challenging questions posed by the group. “It’s great to see how engaged our alumni are in the future of the program,” he said.
Old Ebbit Grill (Clyde’s Restaurant Group) was the stage for the Washington DC alumni gathering on Sept. 16. Host Lindsay Cray ’06 HRIM, restaurant manager for the fifth highest grossing restaurant in the country, rolled out the carpet. “Working for Clyde’s is a fabulous and challenging experience,” Cray told Paul Howard. She’s happy to be there and living in DC.
Guests at the Washington DC PSHRS event included:
Joey Allen; Jason Awad; Dan Bell; Tim Colligan; Lindsay Cray; Shannon Egan; Brian Espin; Ted Farrand; Nick Francisco; Skip Hartman; Bill Kidd; Ray Leahey; Bobbie Leahey; Liz Lamar; Tony Makhoul; Paul Miller; Rachel Nedelman; Jeff Owens; Brandon Stiver; Jordan Towart; Andrew Walk; and Gordon Wells
Paul Howard observed “all the ‘young guns’ receiving words of wisdom from the likes of Skip Hartman ‘58 Hotel Administration, regional vice president (retired) for Loews L’Enfant; Bill Kidd ’87 HRIM, vice president for Host Hotels and Resorts; Tim Colligan ‘86 HRIM, director of sales, and Dan Bell ’83 SP COM, vice president of the hospitality & leisure segment at Micros Systems, Ron Leahey ’61 Hotel Administration, realtor, Jeff Owens ’85 ACCTG, chief financial officer, Clyde’s Restaurant Group.”
“There’s a real element of camaraderie that holds promise for the future of PSHRS,” says Howard. “And, it’s great to be part of it!”
Grand Opening
Brothers Paul Kelley ’77 FS HA, ’81 MBA, and Pete Kelley ’79 SH HA, are the proud owners of the all-new Tennessee's BBQ and Grill in Levittown, Pa.
Tennessee's BBQ and Grill (with 4 locations outside Boston) is a fast-casual BBQ concept with a full bar, 3,200 square feet, and 85 seats.
The brothers graduated from Penn State’s Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management program, though they graduated when the program had different names. Paul Kelley is currently on the faculty in the School of Hospitality Management. He worked for Friendly’s Restaurants and Il Forno before coming to Penn State in 2006. Pete Kelley worked for Marriott/Sodexho and Chartwell before starting the restaurant.
Tennesee BBQ and Grill is the first concept the brothers have opened together.
“Pete is a very important piece of this restaurant,” says Paul Kelley. “He will operate the restaurant while I am teaching at PSU.”
Danielle Tinari (senior) worked at Tennesee’s BBQ and Grill as a dining room supervisor and intern this past summer. She says she learned many things that helped her to put information learned in the classroom into better perspective.
Several faculty and staff were on hand to celebrate and bring good luck at the Grand Opening in June 2008.
Scholarship Winners
Alison Anthony (junior) was selected as a recipient of a $5,000 National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Clark DeHaven Scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. The Clark E. DeHaven Scholarship is intended to provide financial support to students who demonstrate a commitment to a foodservice career.
Gilhuerme Barbosa (junior) won $2,500 from the National Hispanic Fund to support his tuition.
Two seniors won scholarships from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Addison Bartlett and Mollie Irvin were awarded $2,500 each.
Recruiting Ambassadors
Rosemarie Hibbler has instituted the SHM Recruitment Ambassador program with the hopes of making recruiters visits to Penn State a memorable event.
Hibbler is the recruitment coordinator for the School of Hospitality Management. She is often requested to be in the lobby at recruitment tables, in the interview room, in her office with a student or hosting even a lunch all at the same time. “I concluded that I simply cannot be in three or more places at the same time,” she said. The solution was to provide students the opportunity to showcase their interpersonal skills and to network with recruiters on their own turf while representing the School in a positive light.
“I try to do a little matchmaking,” Hibbler says, “but, I’m more interested in providing a memorable recruiting experience for the companies who spend their time and money to visit our students at Penn State.”
The School of Hospitality Management takes pride in the number and variety of companies that come to campus seeking some of the nations top management picks. The number of recruiters keeps growing. "I'm excited to add new companies to our Wall of Fame" adds Hibbler.
This academic year alone Hibbler added the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Intercontinental Hotel Group and Compass to the list of restaurant, hotel, and institutional food service companies seeking to hire Penn State HRIMers.
“Penn State students are regarded as genuinely enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable and definitely hard workers,” says Bill Anstee '88 HRIM, Market Senior Director of Diversity, Sodexo. “I’m a Penn Stater and proud of it. Our company is always seeking students with an eye for excellence, a heart for service, and a true sense of who they are and who they want to become.”
Hibbler enjoys the many relationships already established such as Darden, and Hyatt. Like Anstee, many recruiters are returning alumni of the program, which is among the oldest and largest alumni groups at Penn State.
“The new student ambassadors promises to augment the recruitment experience,” says Hibbler. “I value their dedication and skills and think it will be a win-win-win.”
Career Links
A page has been created on the on the Penn State/PSHRS Web site for mid-level and senior-level career opportunities. For Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society: Career Opportunities visit: www.hhdev.psu.edu/alumni/apg/pshrs/careers.html
Alumni in the News
Ken Siegrist ’07 HRIM was recently mentioned in Nation’s Restaurant News. Ken, executive manager of Washington DC’s The Tombs, a rathskeller-style eatery near Georgetown University and one of 13 establishments run by Clyde’s Restaurant Group was featured in the article “Web-based programs take the pain out of shift scheduling “ by Dina Berta. Ken extols the new software, Schedulefly, that he says improves scheduling his 100 employees. The web-based scheduling software helps managers to better connect with younger, tech-savvy employees and reduces the amount of time managers spend putting schedules together. Employees’ schedules show up on email or as a text message. For the full article: www.nrn.com/article.aspx?id=356874&searchWords=schedulefly#
When Lori Benson’93 MHRIM returned to Happy Valley for the Coastal Carolina game a few weeks back she had a pleasant surprise. Benson, who is currently executive director for the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in her community, says “The highlight of my visit was running into the Penn State Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity on the HUB Lawn. They were in the middle of the Operation HUB project.” Benson has been with Habitat for five years and finds it absolutely rewarding. Lori also says that Penn State is her teenage son’s #1 choice for college. “He’s a junior right now and already bleeds blue and white. We miss Penn State and enjoy our visits.”
Conti Professor Fred DeMicco was quoted in a recent article entitled “Older can Mean Better” in the online magazine, Hotel Interactive. The article was written by Caryn Eve Murray. According to DeMicco, the hospitality industry itself provides a natural welcome for older workers. The full article can be found at: www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=11466
Onward & Upward
Gordon Wells ’06 HRIM, has been promoted to Product Manager, Customer Experience at Fishbowl, Inc. Formerly, Gordon was a Client Services Representative with the same company.
Beth Cohen’90 HRIM, has a new job as Marketing Communications Specialist for IPG Photonics Corporation. Beth recently relocated to the Boston area. Beth was formerly director of conferences for Laser Institute of America, Orlando, Fl.
Marty Grabias ’00 HRIM, was recently promoted to Director of Human Resources at Hyatt Regency Coral Gables. Marty has been with Hyatt for 8 years and recently moved from the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport where he was Assistant Director of Human Resources.
Joe Reese ’68 HRIM, is all about his new little lion and future Penn Stater, granddaughter Savannah Grace. “She already knows how to cheer,” says Reese.
Keep in touch
Send us your news – we’d love to hear from you! Send your news to: Vivienne Wildes: vjw100@psu.edu
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Send us your news - we'll include it in the School of Hospitality Monthly Update. Contact Vivienne Wildes at vjw100@psu.edu