Message from the President
Fall in Vermont is one of my favorite times of year. The leaves are vibrant, the harvest of fruits and vegetables laden our tables and everyone enjoys the last few warm days of the year.
It is also a time when we begin to think about what comes next - whether the cold blustery days ahead or the celebration of holidays - and how we will spend our time together. NECI faculty, staff and students have settled into the rhythms of the school year.
We have undertaken two important but very different projects, and we would like your help. First is the NECI Alumni Survey. This survey gathers data on the alumni that we can use to help tell NECI's story to prospective students and their parents. I can't tell you how important it is to share the success stories of our alumni and show students what their futures can be with a NECI education. Please make sure you complete the survey so we have as much information as possible.
Second is the annual solicitation for the NECI Scholarship Fund. This past year, NECI tapped almost all of its resources in order to guarantee that all students who wished to attend NECI were able to do so. Put differently, we asked the NECI Scholarship Fund board to spend most of its principal while the school itself awarded a record amount per student after resources for student aid dried up and many private banks eliminated student loan programs or tightened up their loan qualification criteria. Thus, we are renewing our efforts to raise much needed scholarship dollars to continue to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to realize their career dreams.
The students at NECI are always our primary focus. Sharing NECI's alumni stories and providing the resources for students to attend are critical to their and our success. Below you will find links to both the survey and the Scholarship Fund webpage.
Please help us help our students. Remember that in many cases someone helped you when you were here as a student.
All the best,
Fran
Letter from your Alumni Association President
With the formation of our new Board of Directors, I am excited at the potential that we have as a group to make on the future of NECI. Earlier this week, Fran joined us on our monthly conference call to give us a State of the School update. Although the school may have a challenging road ahead, our future looks bright. And with the President-Elect search getting closer to a final candidate, NECI looks poised to be moving in the right direction.
As your Board of Directors, we too are looking to the future. Every day, I hear from Alumni who want to have more connection with each other across the country - a way that we can help one another and stay connected as a group. We have made some small strides by having a Facebook and Linked In pages. But over the next year, we are planning to have events across the country where we can actually get together face-to-face.
In this month's newsletter, Karen Nevin announces the potluck dinners that we will sponsor next year. This will be a great way for many of us to gather locally and share our stories. But this is only the start. Over the next few months, there will be more events to announce.
It is my vision that these events across the country will help to start grassroots efforts for our alumni community to become connected as we look to the 30th anniversary of NECI next year. So if you want to get involved in the first steps of our planning, I urge you to contact either myself (orrick-at-kaonconsulting.com or
720-524-8095) or Karen Nevin.
Regards,
Orrick Nepomuceno
Essex 1996
Cheffing on the Other Side of the World!
Valerie Gemuend (AOS Culinary Arts 2007) sent us a wonderful letter telling us her fascinating and exciting story. She gave me permission to share it with you.
Valerie last updated us when she was still in Hawaii, at least a year and a half ago. A lot has happened since then. When the economy started to go south and business took a slump, Valerie determined that it was becoming fiscally impossible for her to stay in Hawaii. So she decided to head back to Maine, where she went to high school and had spent a good four years of her life.
Once in Maine, Valerie had the opportunity to go to the state university for free, so she enrolled at the University of Southern Maine in Portland as a Biology major. Though at school she still wanted to work in the kitchen so she checked out craigslist.com and found an ad for a line cook position at 555. Five fifty-Five sounded very familiar. When working with Chef Will to find her first year internship, 555 was the first restaurant mentioned. Valerie went to interview with Chef Steve Corry (AOS Culinary Arts 2002) and returned the next day for a stage. Things went well and she was hired! Valerie realized that she had taken another step towards improving her culinary knowledge. She had moved to Portland to focus on school and hadn't planned on a job that would take over her life. But it did and she absolutely adored working there. The staff was amazing, the food marvelous, she never felt so at home in any other kitchen.
Valerie was at 555 for almost exactly one year then a new opportunity came up. She hadn't planned on making any drastic changes but due to some personal issues, she felt it was as good a time as ever to do something new and exciting. During a heartwarming trip to Vermont, she met with Mary Beth Rowe and Jonathan Hebert at Career Services. Out of pure curiosity she asked if there were any interesting places that were hiring. As it so happened, Career Services had just received an e-mail from Executive Chef Patrick Sullivan of Amankora Resort in Bhutan (NECI HOT JOB April 2009). As soon as she heard about the position, she got excited. It just clicked for her and she knew she wanted the job. Off when her application and two days later she got her first response from Chef Sullivan. After a lot of correspondence back and forth for about 5 weeks, Valerie received a phone call from Chef and was offered the job!
Valerie is now the newest Lodge Chef of Amankora Bhumthang and Gangtey! Valerie tells us that it is astoundingly beautiful. The pace is much slower. Amankora is a luxury resort chain and Bhutan is extremely expensive to visit, therefore there are only a dozen or so travelers a week. The largest number of guests she would ever serve is 50 and only if she was at the biggest lodge in Paro.
The kitchen staff is so different in demeanor than the typical American crew. Valerie had gotten used to the jokes, yelling and cursing of her mostly male coworkers. Now, she is greeted with nothing but respect and kindness. It’s a nice change, but she admits that she sometimes misses the crude humor at her old jobs. The employees are local and have no formal culinary training. They can all cook yet they lack refinement, and they have no awareness of certain sanitary or health standards. They’ve never heard about the Danger Zone and bacterial growth rates, so that is one of her biggest responsibilities; not only teaching the local staff how to cook delicious food, but how to properly deal with safety standards. But they are eager to learn and seem happy to have her there. She admits that she has never been met with so much respect before. She finds it is something she has to get used to especially at her young 22 years of age.
What she loves most about Bhutan so far, are the people who are completely self sufficient and sustainable. People own their land, build their houses, raise their cattle, and farm their own grains and vegetables. The Gangtey Valley has no electricity. The lodge is run on two huge generators, which are switched off when there aren't any guests. The local product is beautiful. A Swiss expat started all the artisan products, like apple cider, cheese, honey, liquor, vegetable gardens, etc. Every day one of her cooks goes outside and picks watercress. There’s even a potato field right outside which was just harvested. She recently went on a two hour car drive to buy a 19kg wheel of locally made Gouda for about $2.50 a pound.
There are many challenges going along with the luxury of having such beautiful locally made product. Right now there is a shortage of butter. This means she had to buy as much as they could store to hold the Lodge over for the next month. Since Bhutan is landlocked, they are dependent on products to be shipped from Bangkok and Singapore. Shipments are very irregular and can sometimes take months.
Valerie loves her new challenge though she is a little homesick. She shares that she loves reading the alumni updates in the newsletter. It makes her proud to be a NECI grad.
Alumni Association Board of Directors Appoint David Potwin
The NECI Alumni Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce that David Potwin (AOS Baking & Pastry 2008) has been appointed to the Board to complete a vacant term. David was the Pastry Chef at the Chillingsworth Restaurant & Inn in Cape Cod, a seasonal position that just ended. While at NECI, David served two terms as the Student Council President. David's previous life included a 4 year tour in the Navy and a former life as a network administrator.
The NECI Alumni Association's mission is to perpetuate mutual, professional support for alumni, enhance the relationship between alumni and NECI and increase the ability of NECI to recruit quality students. The Alumni Association seeks to reach these goals through the Alumni Ambassador Program, sponsoring the Distinguished Alumni Award and hosting alumni events around the country.
The Board of Directors for 2009-2010:
Joshua Duda (AOS Culinary 1996)
Ed Feldman (AOS Culinary 1984)
Michael Levy (AOS Culinary 1999)
Paul Lynch (AOS Culinary 1990)
Orrick Nepomuceno (AOS Culinary 1996)
David Potwin (AOS Baking & Pastry 2008)
Hunter Satterwhite (AOS Culinary 2000)
The Alumni Association would like to sponsor a nationwide event and we need your help! We would like to "host" potluck dinners on the same weekend this winter across the country. We know there are pockets of alumni in cities and towns and think it would be fun to get groups together to enjoy each other's company and reminisce about the good old days at NECI! There's a group of NECI women chefs in Indiana who already get together every few months. There are large contingents of alumni in Boston, Virginia, Chicago, Alabama and of course, NECI-West out in the Napa Valley region. If any international alumni would like to host a potluck, all the better. NECI alumni are everywhere!
The Alumni Association wants to encourage gatherings that are fun, but also economical. What better way to be economical than to do a potluck? Plus, we have the added benefit of our alumni being NECI trained chefs! I know any food at a NECI potluck will be fabulous!
Here's the plan:
1. A weekend (Thurs-Sun) is chosen in January/February for the NECI Potluck Dinner.
2. Alumni will volunteer to host an alumni gathering at their home or other location during the chosen weekend.
3. The Alumni Relations Office will announce the locations for the regional potlucks and will develop invitation lists and a plan to assist alumni hosts.
4. The host will take RSVP's and coordinate the potluck dishes.
5. Everyone will get together on the same weekend across the country to meet each other and celebrate being a NECI alum.
6. Photos will be taken and stories will be shared in the next issue of the Alumni Newsletter.
Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a NECI Alumni Potluck or would like to get involved in planning or attending one of the regional events. I look forward to planning this NECI Alumni Nationwide Potluck!
To volunteer to host, contact Karen.nevin-at-neci.edu
Give to the NECI Scholarship Fund Annual Drive
Though economic challenges hit hard last year NECI held firm that the welfare and future of our students is first and foremost. NECI's Board of Directors kept tuition increases under 2% and the Scholarship Fund Board tapped nearly all of its resources in order to guarantee that any student who wished to attend NECI was able to do so.
We are planning a number of events and activities to increase giving to the NECI Scholarshp Fund. On November 19 we will be hosting a French Harvest Wine Dinner to benefit the Scholarship Fund. With Chef Michel working his magic in the kitchen we are expecting a great turnout. On December 2nd, we will conduct the first Wine Spectator Best Award of Excellence Holiday Sale. Proceeds from the wine sale, along with mini-tutored wine tastings promises to be a wonderful way to benefit the Scholarship Fund.
Finally, all employees, vendors, corporate partners, friends and alumni will receive a special request to consider giving to the NECI Scholarship Fund. With your generous support and good will, we will be able to continue expanding NECI's role as a leader in culinary education.
If you would read more about the NECI Scholarship Fund or would like to give now, click Here.
Thank you!
NECI Annual Alumni Survey
There are so many ways to share NECI's story and there are many people who want to hear it. Prospective students want to know what it's like to be here, while their parents want to know if their investment will pay off with a future career. Board members and administrators need to track the success rates of our students. A very basic, but simple way to collect this information is through NECI's Annual Alumni Survey.
The purpose of the survey, which was last given in 2007, is to gather data on salaries and employment based upon years since graduation and program. Using this information we can track how our alumni are doing since graduation. In addition, by using the same survey each year, we will start seeing trends that can further our understanding of how our alumni are faring and what exactly you are doing.
If you have not yet taken the NECI Alumni Survey, please take 5 minutes to complete it now. In December we will share the results with you. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me!
To participate in the survey, please click on this link: 2009 Alumni Survey. Thank you!
Become a Fan of the official and interactive NECI Facebook Page. Touch base with current students, prospective students, faculty, staff and just general folks who love NECI and love what we do!!! You can also follow us on Twitter and catch up-to-the-minute updates, fun culinary and Vermont tidbits and so much more. You can share pictures and events of your own or just say HI to the NECI Community!! See you there.
Find us on FACEBOOK
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NECIContEd or www.twitter.com/NECI.
Nominate Alumni for NECI Distinguished Alumni Award Now!
Make your Nominations Now! The Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the NECI Distinguished Alumni Award. This award honors an alumnus for outstanding achievement, as it relates to their career or humanitarian achievement, and whose work encompasses the ideals of NECI's vision.
Please consider nominating a NECI alumnus for this honor. The NECI Alumni Association wants to make sure that NECI alumni are given the opportunity to identify and nominate their peers for this award, along with the traditional nominations that are sought from NECI's faculty and staff.
Criteria for the Distinguished Alumni Award:
- be in good standing with NECI
- have completed courses no less than 10 years before nomination
- have contributed to the culinary profession or a humanitarian endeavor, above and beyond the level of his or her peers
Recipients over the past ten years of the Distinguished Graduate Award are Michael Rhoads, Ruth Feldman, Gavin Kaysen, Alton Brown, Melissa Close, Max Hanson, Bradley Koehler, David Hale, Kerry Rommaniello, Annette Weaver, and Ahmed Azizy.
To nominate someone, please provide:
- Name, address, contact info, email, phone, cell
- Place of employment, title
- A description of why this person fits the criteria of the award
Send your nomination to karen.nevin-at-neci.edu. All nominations must be received by October 31, 2009.
A committee made up of NECI alumni, faculty and staff will convene and select the honoree from the nominations received. The award is given each year at graduation, when the Distinguished Alumnus speaks to the graduating class. If you have any questions, please let contact Karen Nevin.
NECI Participates in the High Mowing Harvest Festival
High Mowing Organic Seeds, located in Hardwick, Vermont, may not sound like a destination, but here in Vermont, in the middle of the fall harvest, it was the place to be. Chef Jeffrey Ferrell (AOS Culinary Arts 2003) brought over 20 NECI students and faculty to the High Mowing Harvest Festival on September 13, 2009 to prepare farm fresh fare picked directly from the fields around them. The festival celebrates the local producers and the harvest at High Mowing Seeds and the NECI students were a huge part of the event as they cooked in a make shift prep-kitchen tent set squarely in the center of the fields. Over 300 people made their way to the Northeast Kingdom in order to visit the fields, take advantage of workshops and generally taste the harvest goodness.
As the day came to a quiet end, the students could be found in their chef whites wandering through the High Mowing Seeds' test fields picking and tasting the local raw cuisine.
Culinary Volunteer Opportunity in Puerto Rico
Recruitment of Culinary Professionals Begins for January 2010 Volunteer Outreach Trip by CulinaryCorps
CulinaryCorps, the nation's first service organization for culinary professionals, will expand its culanthropy footprint with an outreach trip to Puerto Rico from January 31 to February 7, 2010. CulinaryCorps is now recruiting 10 exceptional culinary professionals who will complete 6 days of culinary service while learning about the cuisine of the country through insider tours, tastings and events.
TRIP DETAILS
WHERE: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
WHEN: January 31 – February 7, 2010
COST: FREE (includes housing, ground transport, most meals and activities). Does NOT include travel to and from Puerto Rico. Please note, each participant chosen for the team will be asked to assist with our on-line fundraising efforts in the lead-up to the trip.
PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS:
- 1-Year professional culinary experience and/or culinary degree (or pursuing a degree)
- Personal Health Insurance
- Travel Insurance
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO:
- Fluent Spanish Speakers
- Dietitians who specialize in HIV/AIDS nutrition
- Independent Cookbook Publishing Expertise
- Large Scale Catering Experience
- Previous Volunteer Work in Puerto Rico
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 23, 2009.
ADMISSIONS PROCESS: All application decisions will be e-mailed on November 25th, 2009. Please note, applications decisions will be made on a rolling basis. We expect the trip to be filled well before the November deadline so please submit your application as soon as possible.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THE APPLICATION Click
Here.
By Mark Molinaro, Director of Career Services
Artisan Bread Baker
Alumna Kristyne Bouley (AOS Culinary 2004), Pastry Chef at HerbSaint Restaurant in New Orleans, is looking for an Artisan Bread Baker. Candidates should have 3-5 years experience making a full variety of breads and be able to work alone and overnight hours.
For more information contact:
Kristyne Bouley
bouley-at-linkrestaurantgroup.com
504.524.4114-herbsaint
504.588.2189-ext#3-link restaurant group office
www.herbsaint.com
To find more Hot Jobs, check out NECI's Alumni Job Board at HOT JOBS.
Sam Packard (AOS Baking & Pastry 2008) passed away on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Sam, of Cornwall, Connecticut, was employed by The Mayflower Inn in Washington, CT as their assistant pastry chef, where he also completed his second internship. Sam graduated from NECI in 2008.
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NECI alumni are all over the globe. I am always looking for a good story to tell in the Alumni Newsletter. If you would like your story profiled, please let me know!
Karen karen.nevin-at-neci.edu
2009
Chad Gelso (AOS Culinary Arts) is the Chef de partie at Natalie's Restaurant in the Camden Harbour Inn in Camden, Maine. Chad recently made his debut on Maine television where he prepared his deconstructed chicken pot pie. Catch the video Here.
2008
Paulette De La Rosa (AOS Baking & Pastry) is keeping us up to date on the whirlwind of her new business, The Whirling Whisk Baking Co. She recently met with the head buyer and assistant buyer of Bloomingdales and they are going to be carrying her new line of cookie mixes. Paulette notes that her products are the first baked good items that they have ever carried. In addition she will be doing appearances and demos in their stores. Paulette is also contemplating a cookbook and will be opening her store front bakery early next year. Wow! Paulette, you do NECI proud!
2006
Brannon Fetzer (AOS Culinary Arts) let us know that he is living in Sonoma but no longer pursuing a cooking career. He has recently been highly successful in sales and looking for contacts in the area. If anyone would like to share their ideas with him, contact him at brannonfetzer-at-yahoo.com.
2005
Christian Kuzia (BA Food & Bev Mgmt) has been named the new General Manager of TownePlace Suites in Williston, Vermont.
Stephanie Bellacicco (AOS Culinary Arts) is moving to Charleston, South Carolina in a few weeks. She'd love to hear from any NECI alumni in the area, as she is looking for work! Contact her at chefsteph8-at-gmail.com.
2004
Jason Greene dropped us a quick not to say he and his wife, Lauren, have just had a baby girl named Avery! They are busier than ever with the new addition to the family. Congratulations!
2003
Nathan Anda (AOS Culinary Arts) is the butcher and executive chef at the Red Apron Butchery, associated with Tallula Restaurant in Arlington, Virginia. He was recently profiled, at length in the Washington Examiner. Check it out Here.
Robbie Lewis (AOS Culinary Arts) has been named the new sous chef at the popular neighborhood bistro, The Grape, in Dallas, TX. In 2007, Robbie was named "First Place Winner for Red Wine" at The Dallas Morning News' Rising Star Chef Competition.
James Thompson (AOS Culinary Arts) called to let us know that he is the new Banquet Chef at the Hilton in Saratoga Springs, New York.
2001
Michael Geldart (AOS Culinary Arts) dropped us a quick note to let us know that he is the new Pastry Chef at Sportello in Boston.
2000
Randal Rodecki (Cert. Basic Cooking) has opened a new ribs restaurant, Carolina Ribs on the Run, in North Carolina. Randal's restaurant received a great review. You can read it HERE.
1999
Kelly (Mader) Bianchi (AOS Culinary Arts) found Chef Michel on Facebook. She let us know that she is working at the Wynn in Las Vegas.
Jennifer Gammill McKay (AOS Culinary Arts) also dropped Chef Michel a note. She is back in Hattiesburg, MS where she grew up. Her husband got his degree in Hospitality Management from Southern Miss and they opened up a store, The Kitchen Table. And Jennifer is also the proud mother of their precious little girl.
Josh Short (AOS Culinary Arts) is the Executive Pastry Chef at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria, Virginia and works for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Josh was interviewed at length about his desserts and the local DC cupcake craze. You can read the interview HERE.
Manuel Trevino (AOS Culinary Arts) has finally opened his new restaurant in New York City. We have only heard this through the grapevine, so if anyone knows the name of the restaurant or any other news on Memo, let us know!
Tucker Yoder (AOS Culinary Arts) and his restaurant Red Hen were featured in Budget Travel magazine. Tucker is the Executive Chef at Red Hen which is located in Lexington, Virginia
1997
Raymond Li (AOS Culinary Arts) is working for Hong Kong's largest airline Cathay Pacific Airways. They create and plan all the in-flight meals to and from the regions that he looks after.
1995
David Cuntz (AOS Culinary Arts) is the Executive Chef at The Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado. David lives in Colorado with this wife, Jen and their son Martin. David loves spending time coaching his son's soccer team when not in the kitchen. David has spent numerous hours volunteering and working for many worthy organizations, most recently serving as a BBQ Judge for the 2009 Smokin' Kiwanis 4th of July Picnic, a Kansas City BBQ Society event. Way to go, David!
1994
Chris Edelman (AOS Culinary Arts) sent us a quick update. Big things are happening for Seafood Specialties as Chris closes on a new plant and new wholesale division of Edelman & Company by early November. Jody Adams, Boston restauranteur, featured Chris in a recent blog entry. Read all about her visit Here.
Paul Malcolm (AOS Culinary Arts, BA Service & Mgmt 1996) is a chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University. Paul received notice in Nation's Restaurant Notice for his composting efforts at J&W. Students and faculty members now compost 60 tons of food waste at the school per year!
Jill Stroup(AOS Culinary Arts) gave us a call. She and her husband John (AOS Culinary Arts 1995) just bought their first house in Santa Rosa, CA. Jill reports that John is the executive chef at Willi's Wine Bar which has just been named one of the top 100 restaurants in the San Francisco Chronicle. Jill is working as an office manager at a company that arranges cultural exchange programs.
Tommy and Kristin Winrock (both AOS Culinary Arts) are sad to see the end of their restaurant, Tommy's City Grill, in Burlington, Vermont. A victim of the economy, the lease got too expensive to keep the business going. Tom and Kristin - our condolences. Let us know what is next for the two of you!
1993
Fred Dominguez (AOS Culinary Arts) is making burritos at his company Aztlan Foods in Waterbury, Vermont. Aztlan Foods is keeping production small and selling mostly at area food co-ops and their shop.
1992
Hanis Cavin is the Executive Chef of the Kensington Grill in San Diego. Chris and his partner, Sara (GM of Kensington Grill) were recently in Vermont and stopped by NECI for a tour. It was a great treat to have a chance to visit with them both.
1990
Leanne Smith (AOS Culinary Arts) dropped us a quick note. She is a Merchant Marine and loving it! The barriers are many (language, long hours, hardwork and only a few females on board), but she loves the travel and is proud to chef for the crew. In Leanne's words, "Fair Winds and Following Seas can never replace all the good stuff I learned at NECI!"
1989
Terry Baddock (AOS Culinary Arts) dropped us a note, "I have returned to my former career as a Ship's Captain and have been working in Qatar in the Persian Gulf for the past 3 years. The money became too good to resist! I spend much of my time off traveling in France, Belgium and Canada. My daughter, Emily, and I spent the last two summers driving around France and Belgium. I am sure that one day I will go back and start a little bistro and bakery. Or perhaps I will travel and write and photograph regional food." Terry thanks for the update!
Chris Quirk got in touch with Chef Michel via Facebook. He is still working at Kendall College, but says it will never be NECI. His ties to the Virgin Islands continue strong and he hopes to return in a few years.
Alumni who received more than one degree are listed by year of their first degree. Those who attended but did not graduate are listed under the year they would have graduated; or in some cases, the last year they attended. If you have changed your address, have a new job or have other news to share, let us know! www.necialumni.com
Editor: Karen Nevin, Director of Alumni Relations
56 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 225-3232, karen.nevin-at-neci.edu
