General Session VII: Building Consensus: How to Create Buy-In at Every Level for Plant-Forward Culinary Training and Professional Development

Meeting the growing demand for more nutritious, sustainable, inclusive, and above all, delicious meals requires a significant shift in culinary skills training for cooks and chefs at every level of an organization. From educational offerings at the CIA such as the Menus of Change Kitchen, teaching gardens, and related coursework at the undergraduate and graduate levels to the Plant-Forward Kitchen Training and Certification initiative for industry professionals, the CIA continues to innovate around transformative learning experiences that prepare future food leaders for our changing world. In this session, you’ll hear from key CIA leadership responsible for developing and driving these training initiatives in addition to two different industry perspectives from the corporate (i.e., Google) and nonprofit (i.e., Lenox Hill Neighborhood House) sectors. With ongoing labor shortages and challenges facing the foodservice industry, it’s more critical now than ever to attract, retain, and invest in your staff as your greatest asset to achieving triple bottom-line benefits for your business.

• Mark Erickson ’77, CMC, MBA (Provost, CIA)
• Evelyn Garcia ’06 (Teaching Kitchen Chef, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House)
• Chavanne Hanson, MPH, RD (Food Choice Architecture and Nutrition Manager, Google; Co-Chair, MOC Business Leadership Council)
• David Kamen ’88 (Director of Client Engagement, CIA Consulting)
• Cynthia Madden ’19 (Menus of Change Chef Manager, CIA)

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

CIA: https://www.ciachef.edu
CIA for Enthusiasts: https://www.ciafoodies.com
CIA at Copia: https://www.ciaatcopia.com
CIA ProChef: https://www.ciaprochef.com

Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.