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Les Dames d’Escoffier International Council of Delegates Meeting Saturday, October 31, 2015 Charleston, SC The mission of the LDEI Board is to foster the growth and success of the organization by supporting the development of new and existing chapters. It provides guidance, education, connectivity and effective communication among LDEI members. Page(s) I. Call to Order L. Willis II. Secretary S. Olson A) Roll Call B) Approval of Minutes of 2014 L. Willis 1-5 III. Approval of the Agenda L. Willis IV. Chapter Affiliation Agreement L. Willis 6-8 V. Report of the President L. Willis 9-12 VI. Report of the Treasurer S. Zeigler A) Financial Overview 13-15 B) Approval of 2016 Budget 16-17 VII. Report of the First Vice President M. Gomez 18 VIII. Report of the Second Vice President A. Stratte 19 IX. Report of the Third Vice President H. Matson-Mathes 19-20 X. Report of the Secretary S. Olson 20 XI. Report of the Past President B. Allen 20-22 XII. Report of the Chapter Board Liaisons D. Mintcheff, D. Orrill 22-25 B. Shaffer XIII. Reports of Committees/Task Forces/ED A) Executive Director Report G. Jewell 25 B) Nominating Committee S. Brown 25-26 C) Legacy Awards Committee S. Huffman Robison/ 26-27 A Awerbuch D) Global Culinary Initiative S. Hu 27-28 XIV. New Business L. Willis A) Potential Hosts for 2018 conference XV. Adjourn L. Willis Chapter Presidents’ Annual Reports are included on pages 29-66
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Page 1: Les Dames d’Escoffier International Council of Delegates Meeting … CHAS agenda and... · Les Dames d’Escoffier International . Council of Delegates Meeting . Saturday, October

Les Dames d’Escoffier International Council of Delegates Meeting Saturday, October 31, 2015

Charleston, SC The mission of the LDEI Board is to foster the growth and success of the organization by supporting the development of new and existing chapters. It provides guidance, education, connectivity and effective communication among LDEI members. Page(s) I. Call to Order L. Willis II. Secretary S. Olson

A) Roll Call B) Approval of Minutes of 2014 L. Willis 1-5

III. Approval of the Agenda L. Willis IV. Chapter Affiliation Agreement L. Willis 6-8 V. Report of the President L. Willis 9-12 VI. Report of the Treasurer S. Zeigler

A) Financial Overview 13-15 B) Approval of 2016 Budget 16-17

VII. Report of the First Vice President M. Gomez 18 VIII. Report of the Second Vice President A. Stratte 19 IX. Report of the Third Vice President H. Matson-Mathes 19-20 X. Report of the Secretary S. Olson 20 XI. Report of the Past President B. Allen 20-22 XII. Report of the Chapter Board Liaisons D. Mintcheff, D. Orrill 22-25

B. Shaffer XIII. Reports of Committees/Task Forces/ED

A) Executive Director Report G. Jewell 25 B) Nominating Committee S. Brown 25-26 C) Legacy Awards Committee S. Huffman Robison/ 26-27

A Awerbuch D) Global Culinary Initiative S. Hu 27-28

XIV. New Business L. Willis A) Potential Hosts for 2018 conference

XV. Adjourn L. Willis Chapter Presidents’ Annual Reports are included on pages 29-66

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Minutes from the 2014 COD Meeting in Boston

LDEI Council of Delegates (COD) Meeting Saturday, November 1, 2014 Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston, MA

1. Call to OrderDame Beth Allen called the meeting to order at 2:40 pm EDT.

2. SecretaryDame Maria Gomez called the roll. Present were:

FIRST LAST CHAPTER Holly Chute Atlanta Ashley Mitchell Atlanta Shelley Pedersen, CPCE Atlanta Gayle Skelton, CPCE Atlanta Stacy Zeigler, CMP CPCE Atlanta Kitty Crider Austin Beth Pav Austin Amy March Austin Angela Schmidt Birmingham

Lee Napoli Boston

Louise Kasdon Boston Juliana Lyman Boston Becky Paris Turner British Columbia Cate Simpson British Columbia

British Columbia Danielle Wecksler Charleston Jennifer Goldman Charleston Julie Chernoff Chicago Mary Reidy McMahon Chicago Patty Erd Chicago Shannon Kinsella Chicago Judith Hines Chicago Carol Hacker Cleveland Bev Shaffer

Beverly Cox Colorado

Renie Steves Dallas

Karel Anne Tieszen Dallas

Dottie Griffith Dallas

Janet Cobb Dallas

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Dorothy Colby Hawaii Nancy Edney Hawaii Hawaii Jackie Clark Houston Janet Crockett Houston Kansas City

Rebecca Clark Kansas City

Sue Carter London

Nancy Eisman LA/OC Janet Burgess LA/OC LA/OC Dorothee Rubin Miami Ana Plana Miami Merrilyn Tauscher Minneapolis Barb Strand Minneapolis Sharon Van Meter Monterey Bay Joan Bloom New York City Vanessa Trost New York City Jane Kettlewell New York City Margaret Happel Perry New York City New York City Victoria Taylor Northeast Nancy Fisher Northeast Lisa Webster Northeast Sarah Kline Northeast Palm Springs Adrienne Abramson Philadelphia Kathy Gold Philadelphia Barbara Samson Philadelphia Phoenix Katherine Shearer San Antonio Cathryn Tarasovic San Antonio Nancy Fitch San Antonio Karen Contreras San Diego Marie Kelley San Diego Tanya Holland San Francisco Sue Huffman-Robison San Francisco

Helen Roberts San Francisco

Amy Myrdal Miller San Francisco

Arnell Hinkle San Francisco

Katherine Kehrli Seattle Anne Nisbet Seattle Braiden Rex-Johnson Seattle Cecily Hoffius St. Louis Mary Sutkus St. Louis

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Drew Faulkner Washington DC Theresa Morrison Washington DC Nancy Hart Mola Washington DC

Judy Rusignuolo Washington DC

Eileen Dykes Washington DC

Janet Yu Washington DC

Beth Allen Board

Lori Willis Board

Braiden Rex-Johnson Board Cathy Cochran-Lewis Board Maria Gomez Board

Ann Stratte Board

Hayley Matson-Mathes Board

Deborah Orrill Board

Stacy Zeigler, CMP CPCE Board

Mary Ellen Griffin Board

Dame Allen asked if there were any changes to the minutes from the 2013 COD meeting; there were none.

Dame Holly Chute made a motion to approve the minutes. Dame Kathy Gold seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 3. Approval of the Agenda Dame Allen asked for an approval of the agenda as presented. Dame Lee Napoli made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Dame Deborah Mintcheff seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 4. Report of the President Dame Allen provided a brief review of her report and thanked the COD for the opportunity to serve as president.

5. Report of the Treasurer Dame Ann Stratte provided a brief overview of the balance sheet and the accounts that make up the total assets of the organization. She also reviewed the Budget vs Actual report and provided an explanation of the projected deficit, noting partnership generation was down, unusual expenses (i.e. copyright infringement and BiddingForGood issue), etc.

Dame Stratte then provided a comprehensive overview of the proposed budget for 2015 as ratified by the board. There were several questions raised in relation to the budget, including:

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• Brock Circle spending. Who determines this? It was noted that a task force will be brainstorming for big ideas for 2015.

• Funding for the Legacy Awards. The committee wants to ensure the program’s future. It was noted that the new board will be discussing this issue.

Dame Julie Chernoff made a motion to accept the budget as presented. Dame Margaret Happel Perry seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

6. First Vice President Report Dame Lori Willis provided an overview of the situation pertaining to partnership development. She reported that AEC Management Resources had been retained as partner development representatives. She stated that Dames need to become more involved in partner development by providing contact information for potential partners that the AEC team could follow up with.

7. Second Vice President Report Dame Braiden Rex Johnson provided an overview of the year in Quarterlies and her role in the conference brochure. She also thanked Dames Helen Roberts and Shelley Pedersen for their work on the e-newsletter.

8. Third Vice President Report Dame Cathy Cochran-Lewis gave an overview of the marketing and PR of the organization, which included two webinars on social media, the distribution of three national press releases (conference, M.F.K. and Legacy awards), an increase in social media engagement and the engagement of a social media administrator.

9. Report of the Secretary Dame Gomez provided an overview of her projects, including her efforts to generate more than a dozen hotel gift certificates for chapters to use to create CharityBuzz packages around.

10. Immediate Past Presidents Dame Mary Ellen Griffin thanked Dame Abigail Kirsch for becoming the 40th member of the LDEI Brock Circle.

11. Chapter Board Liaisons (CBL) Dame Stacy Zeigler urged the chapters to share best practices and encouraged them to utilize the chapter reports in the COD materials as they were a wealth of information. Dame Deb Orrill thanked her chapters for making the time to participate on the calls. Dame Hayley Matson-Mathes thanked the chapters that welcomed her during her visits. She also touted the All Presidents Calls as a valuable resource, as well as the chapter guidelines. Dame Allen then introduced the new CBLs: Dames Deborah Mintcheff and Bev Shaffer. Dame Deb Orrill will continue another year in the role.

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12. Committee Reports Greg Jewell thanked the Council for their business and being a great client. Dame Allen introduced the incoming board. 13. New Business The COD was presented with charter details for a new chapter in Nashville. The potential chapter had met all of the requirements for chartering and the board of directors had approved the charter. The charter needs to be ratified by the COD to move forward.

Dame Sue Robison-Huffman made a motion to approve the charter for the Nashville chapter. Dame Barbara Samson seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Dame Allen asked if any chapters would be interested in hosting the 2017 LDEI Annual Conference. Dame Janet Burgess of the LA/OC chapter said that chapter would be interested in hosting. In addition, the following chapters expressed interest: Seattle volunteer to host 2018 Miami volunteered to host 2017 A drawing was held for the three chapters to receive a comp registration for the 2015 conference in Charleston. They were: - London - Hawaii - Birmingham

The issue of print-on-demand for the membership directory was introduced. The new board will look into it. Dame Willis reminded the group that the board was looking for contact information for potential partners for 2015.

Dame CiCi Williamson provided the correct pronunciation of the organization’s name.

Dame Danielle Wecksler asked the group to be sure to attend the 2015 conference in Charleston.

14. Adjourn Dame Happel Perry made a motion to adjourn. Dame Shannon Kinsella seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 3:58 pm EDT.

Minutes prepared by Greg Jewell on 11.20.14

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Affiliation Agreement Between Les Dames d’Escoffier International and

Les Dames d’Escoffier ___________ Chapter This Agreement shall serve as the official Affiliation Agreement between Les Dames d’Escoffier International, also referred to as ‘LDEI,’ and Les Dames d’Escoffier __________, also referred to as ‘Chapter’ for the purposes of this Agreement. This Agreement shall be effective as of ________________, 2015 (the “Effective Date”). 1. Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles The Chapter agrees to adhere to the vision, mission and guiding principles of LDEI as currently stated or as may be altered in the future. Chapter shall not adopt policies or undertake initiatives that are in contravention of the vision, mission or guiding principles of LDEI. 2. Incorporation/IRS Designation The Chapter must be incorporated within sixty (60) days of being approved for an LDEI chapter charter. The Chapter must also apply for and receive a 501(c)3 IRS determination letter within the first two years after approval of the chapter charter. (Exclusions to both apply to International chapters with different tax regulations. These are handled on a case-by-case basis.) 3. Conform with LDEI Governing Documents The Chapter’s governing documents must conform and continue to conform to the LDEI governing documents, including but not limited to the articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies and procedures and membership standards and criteria. Failure to do so could lead to chapter charter revocation. The Chapter must have on file with LDEI, its governing documents, including: Current chapter bylaws Articles of Incorporation IRS determination letter (or equivalent) 4. Operations Each party (Chapter and LDEI) acknowledges and agrees that it shall be responsible for overseeing its own operations, including all administrative procedures related to imposing and collecting dues and fees from its members, processing membership

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applications and organizing and executing meetings, seminars and events. Further, each party (Chapter and LDEI) shall operate and conduct its business and affairs in accordance with the laws (generally accepted principles) applicable to the operation of not-for-profit corporations in the jurisdictions in which it is incorporated and in which it operates. Neither party shall be responsible for any financial obligations and liabilities incurred by the other party or its officers, directors, trustees, employees, or agents. Each party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the other party from any and all of the indemnifying party’s financial obligations and liabilities. 5. Grant of License Subject to Chapter compliance with all of the provisions set forth herein, LDEI hereby grants to the Chapter, a non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to use LDEI’s name and acronym in the form of the LDEI logo in order to promote the Chapter’s goods and services. (Chapter must adhere to the graphic standards of LDEI when using the logo and may not alter the logo in any manner.) The Chapter may not further license or otherwise grant permission to any third party for the use of the LDEI name and logo without the prior written approval of LDEI. The parties agree and acknowledge that LDEI owns all rights, titles, and interests, in and to the LDEI name and logo, and that no ownership of any intellectual property rights to the LDEI name and logo is transferred from LDEI to the chapter as part of this Agreement. The license granted by LDEI to the Chapter hereunder shall terminate immediately upon the termination of this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, Chapter shall immediately cease using the LDEI name and logo and shall change its name so as not to include the LDEI name. The LDEI name and logo are set forth on Exhibit A to this Agreement. 6. Revocation of License Agreement LDEI reserves the right to revoke this Agreement should any of the Chapter obligations or requirements set forth in this Agreement be breached, ignored or unmet. Causes for revocation include, but are not limited to, failure to pay annual dues, failure to operate a Chapter as a proper business, with adherence to articles of incorporation, bylaws, and the laws of the) state in which the chapter is incorporated (state laws supersede bylaws), misuse of the LDEI name or trademarks, or willful or negligent disregard of the LDEI mission, vision and guiding principles. 7. Relationship of Parties The relationship of LDEI and the Chapter to each other is that of independent contractors. Nothing herein shall create any joint venture, partnership, or agency relationship of any kind between the parties. Unless expressly agreed to in writing by the parties, neither party is authorized to incur any liability, obligation, or expense on behalf of the other, to use the other’s monetary credit in conducting any activities, or to represent to any third party that either party is an agent of the other party.

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8. Assignment This Agreement may not be assigned, or the rights granted hereunder transferred or sublicensed, by either party without the express prior written consent of the other party. 9. Governing Law This Agreement shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, without regard for its conflicts of laws principles. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, LDEI and the Chapter have executed this Agreement by their respective duly authorized representatives as of the Effective Date. ___________________________________________ ______________ Chapter President Signature Date ___________________________________________ _______________ LDEI Executive Director Signature Date

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Report of the President Submitted by Lori Willis (St. Louis) Introduction and Overview: The 2015 Board has made significant contributions to the overall health of our organization. As you read through the reports of all LDEI Board officers, you will see that as a team we have made great strides in the targeted priority areas of communications and transparency; growth (across several categories); branding and in quantifying our organizational value. In support of those efforts, every Board member has taken on new initiatives in her area of responsibility that she believes will positively impact LDEI and our members. We reviewed nearly every process to evaluate its benefit to our members/organization or to consider how it could be improved to better serve our mission. We partnered with Board members, past presidents, Dames, Greg Jewell and outside experts to review and ensure the sustainability of all programs and pave paths for new ones. COMMUNICATIONS/TRANSPARENCY Chapter Connections: All Board members have worked to connect with chapters as their schedules allowed. My schedule included visiting regional chapters Kansas City and Chicago (August 2014) to kick off my term; attending Nashville induction and returning for the Chapter’s inaugural event (May 2015) along with Nathalie Dupree; Nathalie and I also met with potential members of the Kentucky Chapter (May 2015). I attended a San Antonio Chapter Board meeting. (August 2015). Ann Stratte facilitated the Board visit to Minneapolis in (June) where we were graciously hosted in the home of 2015 MFK Fisher Award recipient, Kim Ode. Maximizing our time in Minneapolis, we held a half-day, framework building session to kick off Strategic Planning (underwritten by Dame Alice Gautsch Foreman). CBL Bev Shaffer also organized a tour with potential partner, Tadware, an agency that promotes food products, equipment and advertising materials. I thank our Chapter presidents and Boards for their hospitality and willingness to speak of challenges, successes and insights with me. In each case, I saw, first-hand, LDEI’s powerful influence in the communities we serve. I shared some of that over a year of consistent communication including electronic messages, conference calls and Quarterly reports; news releases and advisories; Webinars and on-line postings of information and updates. That will soon include our Annual Report which Stacy Zeigler, Deb Orrill and I will work toward publishing on-line (January). In addition to traditional media outreach, our social media efforts are getting a boost from Hayley Matson Mathes, the PR Team (share Conference information at #LDEI2015). Taking a cue from Boston, and with help from Greg Jewell, we brought back the Guidebook APP for Conference which will be a great resource of navigating events. GROWTH: LDEI has enjoyed steady growth over our 29 years and, in a time when similar organizations are losing members, we are achieving unprecedented growth. Thanks to the tenacity and vision of our Board, particularly Secretary Sharon Olson and Dames who took responsibility for on-boarding new chapters, we have achieved growth in a number of categories. This year, we fully vetted and approved an unprecedented six new Chapters; Ann Arbor, Kentucky, North Carolina, Portland, Sacramento and, thanks to Maria Gomez, we expanded our international footprint with

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Mexico. We added 157 members bringing our totals to 36 Chapters and 2100 members in 2015. The Board will help guide our new Chapters in their first year. On behalf of the Board, I thank the Council of Delegates (CODs) for approving the new Chapters via conference call on Sept. 11; making the new officers eligible to experience and learn from Conference a year ahead of the traditional timeline. We also achieved growth in finances, governance/leadership and diversity of all types (race, ethnicity, age and profession). Growth is a key indicator that our mission and vision is as relevant today as it was in 1986. If growth is to continue to be an organizational priority, and I believe it must, we must continue to monitor its impact and look for ways to support it. What a great opportunity we have going into our 30th Anniversary year in 2016! We are excited that the Brock Circle added Washington D.C. and San Antonio! (You may contact any Board Member or look on-line for information on how to join). Individual members and one from each Chapter will be invited to attend a reception in Charleston. See your brochure for details. The Brock Circle committee (Carol Brock, Suzanne Brown, Patty Erd, Mary Ellen Griffin, Beth Allen and Lori Willis) helped develop an outline of ideas on how to use the funds to support our mission and vision and impact the greatest number of members. As an example, this year, we will be able to use a portion of available funds to 1.) Add a Leadership Forum speaker and 2.) Provide AV needs at Conference including podcasts, benefits to all members that, in the past, were provided by Dame Foreman. When it came down to the Brock Circle, we found there was not one "Big Idea," but rather, many small, yet impactful ways we can put these funds to use. We plan to use the same process for the MFK Fisher Fund (not award program). In each case, these funds can be powerful branding vehicles; indicators to potential partners that LDEI is a forward thinking organization with a clear vision for the future. We grew our muscles in governance and leadership during the Minneapolis framework building session (and will share information with Chapter Boards). What we learned led us to pursue Strategic Planning; develop a Board committee to review our Mission/Vision Statements (carrying over to 2016); enhance education delivered in the Conference Leadership Forum and, eventually, to the development of the Affiliation Agreement. Similar to those used in other large, organizations, the Affiliation Agreement was created for the benefit of our Chapters and for LDEI overall. Now that we have surpassed 2,000 members, it is important to have a document that outlines the LDEI/Chapter relationship and how both parties work together, sets expectations for both and specifies how the LDEI brand (logos and intellectual property) is to be represented. Working with Attorney Jackie Henson, we are submitting the document to the COD’s for review. Our request to the COD is that, if approved, each Chapter sign and return the Agreement by Dec. 31, 2015. Like all Chapter By-Laws, the Agreements will be kept on file and posted on-line for easy review. As we continue to grow and our name becomes more widely known, this document is the single most important thing LDEI can do for our members. Heritage Programs: This year, the Board reinforced support to Legacy Awards, MFK Fisher Awards, Green Tables and Global Culinary Initiative; programs that inform our mission and are key to our overall branding effort. New Chapter Formation Guide/Procedures – Where resources allowed, we connected Dames with Chapter organizers and held small receptions for select potential members. We are developing a plan to facilitate the organization of international chapters. International non-profit laws vary greatly and can lead to an increased information burden and upfront fees. (We are helping Mexico work through the required steps now.)

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PR Manual and new Logos - Hayley and the PR Team revised and updated our PR Manual and added a detailed branding component to the guide. The LDEI and Chapter logos have been refreshed and are available on-line. Charity Buzz and Raffles – These are two fun and easy ways we can all help offset expenses and keep costs down for members. Sharon Olson and Bev Shaffer reformatted the auction so Chapters receive 50% (after fees) of the proceeds of their donated item! Forms are due Nov. 12 so look for more information to come. Affinity Program- Bev Shaffer enhanced on-line partner participation in our Affinity Program leading to more member benefits. CBL On-boarding Guide - The CBL’s (Deborah Mincheff, Bev Shaffer and Deb Orrill) created a new guide to ease the learning curve for that position. Professional Networking – Immediate Past President Beth Allen has worked diligently in pursuing closer contacts with the CIA, Universities and other organizations that can help our members with professional growth opportunities. BRANDING: We continue to look for opportunities to celebrate LDEI and get our name out across all communities we serve. As an example, although LDEI was not directly involved, the PR Team provided social media support throughout the Expo. Many of our Dames, including our Conference keynote Chef Carla Hall, were engaged in various capacities at the Milan Expo. LDEI has an interest in pursuing these types of opportunities going forward so we ask our members to let us know where LDEI might make a stand to promote the LDEI vision/mission on a larger stage. Another potential opportunity is the Escoffier Museum. We can leverage branding strength by reconnecting with the Museum that shares our name. One of the ideas is to refresh LDEI materials currently on display; particularly fitting as our 30th Anniversary nears. In addition to timing Conference around his birthday (DOB Oct. 28), we are looking for more ways to honor the life and story of Auguste Escoffier. We want to hear Chapter “best practices” on this as well. VALUE: Once again, we ask our Chapters to let your CBL know the total amount of funds you provide through scholarships and charitable donations (2015). We are hoping for full participation. If you provided it last year, please update it for 2015. Data drives conviction. We want to give partners and potential partners who share an interest in our mission, an idea of LDEI’s community and global impact; making their investments in our work more compelling. Conference Updates: Being part of the planning for the Charleston Conference was exciting because from the very first meeting, these Dames had a clear vision for what they wanted to share of their City and they went for it! And, thanks to the support of our partners, the result is an amazing itinerary of experiences, education and entertainment. I acknowledge the work of Jennifer Goldman, Paige Crone, Danielle Wecksler and the Charleston Conference team and thank them for their extraordinary service and for their calm in the face of recent community challenges and weather events. Conference planning and site visits were spectacular learning experiences this year and I personally thank Maria Gomez for her leadership in this area. Washington planning is well underway and we can anticipate a wonderful visit at the Fairmont Hotel in 2016 and at the Island Hotel in Orange County for 2017.

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Conclusion: I sincerely thank you for your confidence in me and for allowing me to serve you and our fine organization. It was a privilege to work with such an ambitious and productive team. I thank all Board members and Greg Jewell of AEC Management for being so generous with their time, talents, friendship, and support. Boards that turn frequently, gain the most velocity in their work when they have access to a strong and extended network of expertise. On behalf of the LDEI Board, I thank past officers, Dames and partners who answered questions, shared ideas, volunteered or participated in some way. A special thanks to Ms. Carol Brock, Alice G. Foreman and Nathalie Dupree for inspiration and encouragement. Congratulations to in-coming President, Maria Gomez. She and I have worked closely over the past year and I look forward to what she can bring to the presidency and to the Board. Following the lead of traditionally strong Boards, the 2015 Board has gained significant ground in areas that will afford us stability, flexibility and creativity in the coming years -- leading to better service to our members and to the communities we serve. But, this is just the start. Our best days are ahead! Thank you!

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Report of the Treasurer

Submitted by Stacy Zeigler (Atlanta)

Les Dames d'Escoffier International Balance Sheet

As of October 5, 2015

Total ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 1100 Fifth Third - Operating 225,511.18 1106 Fifth Third - Legacy Awards 31,794.85 1107 Fifth Third - Brock Circle 13,897.36 1109 SunTrust 20,995.87 1110 Investments - MFK Fisher 78,442.77 1115 Investments - Brock Circle 135,656.22 Total Bank Accounts $ 506,298.25 Other current assets 1400 Prepaid Expenses 1,999.97 Total Other current assets $ 1,999.97 Total Current Assets $ 508,298.22 TOTAL ASSETS $ 508,298.22 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities Total Liabilities Equity 3000 Opening Bal Equity 152,990.43 3900 Retained Earnings 172,726.82 Net Income 182,580.97 Total Equity $ 508,298.22 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 508,298.22

Monday, Oct 05, 2015 12:28:34 PM PDT GMT-4 - Cash Basis

Balance for same period in 2014 $ 425,014.55

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Les Dames d'Escoffier International Budget vs. Actuals: 2015 Budget - FY15 P&L

January - December 2015

Total

Actual Budget over

Budget % of

Budget Income 4000 Auction 10,413.60 16,000.00 -5,586.40 65.09% 4005 Brock Circle Donation 42,650.00 35,000.00 7,650.00 121.86% 4022 Dues 2015-2016 121,595.00 164,050.00 -42,455.00 74.12% 4031 Dues 2014-2015 6,105.00 0.00 6,105.00 4050 Income conference 128,125.78 101,000.00 27,125.78 126.86% 4060 Income interest 799.95 4,000.00 -3,200.05 20.00%

4065 Legacy Award Contributions 12,000.00 0.00 12,000.00 4070 Member Merchandise 2,729.00 5,000.00 -2,271.00 54.58%

4080 MFK Fisher Award Entry Fees 2,730.00 5,500.00 -2,770.00 49.64% 4090 Miscellaneous 0.00 1,000.00 -1,000.00 0.00% 4100 Underwriting/sponsorship 41,250.00 100,000.00 -58,750.00 41.25% Total Income $368,398.33 $431,550.00 -$ 63,151.67 85.37% Gross Profit $368,398.33 $431,550.00 -$ 63,151.67 85.37% Expenses 5000 Admin - software license 1,920.00 1,920.00 0.00 100.00% 5005 Administratiive - mgmt fee 48,314.25 64,419.00 -16,104.75 75.00% 5010 Administrative exp 3,273.03 7,500.00 -4,226.97 43.64% 5020 Auction expense 2,411.20 4,000.00 -1,588.80 60.28% 5025 Audit 0.00 3,300.00 -3,300.00 0.00% 5030 Awards 2,856.47 5,500.00 -2,643.53 51.94% 5040 Bank charges 2,893.77 2,650.00 243.77 109.20%

5050 Board of Directors Meetings 5,847.48 9,000.00 -3,152.52 64.97%

5065 Board of Directors Office Exp. 0.00 100.00 -100.00 0.00% 5080 Board of Directors travel 26,263.48 34,000.00 -7,736.52 77.25% 5131 Board Meeting Misc. 1,378.42 750.00 628.42 183.79% 5140 Brock Circle Expense 1,094.00 2,000.00 -906.00 54.70% 5144 Conference Calls 247.80 500.00 -252.20 49.56%

5146 Brock Circle Asset Transfer 0.00 35,000.00 -35,000.00 0.00% 5150 Conference Waivers 0.00 2,500.00 -2,500.00 0.00% 5160 Directory 15,203.76 14,500.00 703.76 104.85% 5165 Legacy Awards Program 2,022.53 20,000.00 -17,977.47 10.11% 5170 Gifts 204.50 250.00 -45.50 81.80% 5175 Grande Dame Award 0.00 2,500.00 -2,500.00 0.00% 5180 Green Tables 0.00 2,000.00 -2,000.00 0.00% 5183 Global Culinary Initiative 0.00 2,000.00 -2,000.00 0.00% 5185 Insurance 3,265.98 3,300.00 -34.02 98.97%

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5190 Member Mdse 285.75 0.00 285.75 5200 Miscellaneous expense 867.85 500.00 367.85 173.57% 5210 Partnership Underwriting 18,369.20 45,420.00 -27,050.80 40.44% 5215 Public Relations 0.00 2,500.00 -2,500.00 0.00% 5220 Quarterly 25,217.74 34,000.00 -8,782.26 74.17% 5226 Quarterly Editor Fee 4,800.00 4,800.00 0.00 100.00% 5230 Chapter Develop 983.06 1,000.00 -16.94 98.31%

5235 Receptions - IACP, WCR, etc. 750.00 750.00 0.00 100.00% 5240 Taxes 100.00 100.00 0.00 100.00% 5245 Legal & Professional Fees 0.00 2,500.00 -2,500.00 0.00% 5424 Website 420.00 3,000.00 -2,580.00 14.00% 5500 Conference 16,827.09 119,000.00 -102,172.91 14.14% Total Expenses $185,817.36 $431,259.00 -$245,441.64 43.09% Net Operating Income $182,580.97 $ 291.00 $ 182,289.97 62742.60% Net Income $182,580.97 $ 291.00 $ 182,289.97 62742.60%

Monday, Oct 05, 2015 12:31:59 PM PDT GMT-4 - Cash Basis

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2014 Actual YE

2015 Actual 8.30.15 2015 Budget

2015 Projected YE

Proposed 2016 Budget Budget Assumptions for 2016

Income 4000 Auction 9,092.80 10,413.60 16,000.00 16,000.00 20,000.00 $20K in sales minus CharityBuzz fee 4005 Brock Circle Donation 39,500.00 42,650.00 35,000.00 36,000.00 based on members as of 9.3.15 4021 Dues 2016-2017 178,500.00 based on 2100 members @ $85 ea 4022 Dues 2015-2016 20,145.00 164,050.00 178,500.00 0.00 4031 Dues 2014-2015 158,235.00 5,828.75 0.00 0.00 4039 Dues late fees 200.00 100.00 100.00 4050 Income conference 146,723.61 57,659.90 101,000.00 135,000.00 145,000.00 250 @ $520 ea plus optional events 4060 Income interest 5,770.11 798.36 4,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 based on performance to date 4065 Legacy Award Contributions 12,000.00 12,000.00 0.00 12,000.00 12,000.00 2016 donation already received 4070 Member Merchandise 3,962.50 1,889.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 pins, caps, bracelets, etc. 4080 MFK Fisher Award Entry Fees 2,575.00 2,730.00 5,500.00 2,730.00 2,975.00 85 entries @ $35 ea MFK Fund Revenue 2,270.00 3,000.00 transfer from MFK Fund for expense neutrality 4091 Raffle 2,285.00 0.00 2,500.00 2,500.00 based on 2014 performance 4090 Miscellaneous 7,168.16 0.00 1,000.00 500.00 500.00 based on actual to date 4100 Underwriting/sponsorship 51,250.00 27,750.00 100,000.00 60,000.00 75,000.00 increase of 20% Total Income 438,762.18 $ 181,864.61 $ 431,550.00 $ 416,600.00 $ 482,575.00 Gross Profit 438,762.18 $ 181,864.61 $ 431,550.00 $ 416,600.00 $ 482,575.00

Expenses 5000 Admin - software license 1,920.00 1,920.00 1,920.00 1,920.00 1,920.00 $160 a month for license fee 5005 Administratiive - mgmt fee 65,918.96 48,314.25 64,419.00 64,419.00 64,419.00 3-year agreement thru 12.16 5010 Administrative exp 6,664.13 3,178.99 7,500.00 7,500.00 7,500.00 postage and staff travel 5020 Auction expense 1,151.82 2,411.20 4,000.00 2,411.20 8,000.00 chapter percentage - 50% 5025 Audit 2,750.00 0.00 3,300.00 3,300.00 4,200.00 annual audit (required) 5030 Awards - MFK 4,260.54 2,856.47 5,500.00 5,500.00 5,500.00 $4K for awards pgm, $1500 for expenses 5040 Bank charges 5,361.13 2,118.04 2,650.00 4,000.00 5,500.00 merchant processing fees 5050 Board of Directors Meetings 6,854.80 5,847.48 9,000.00 9,000.00 9,000.00 F&B for 3 board meetings 5065 Board of Directors Office Exp. 0.00 0.00 100.00 0.00 0.00 phone charges, etc. 5080 Board of Directors travel 36,624.13 25,763.28 34,000.00 34,000.00 34,000.00 airfare and hotel charges 5131 Board Meeting Misc. 767.12 1,378.42 750.00 1,378.42 1,000.00 AV, flip charts, etc 5140 Brock Circle Expense 4,498.66 1,094.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 marketing, reception 5144 Conference Calls 1,102.68 247.80 500.00 500.00 500.00 utilized new service in 2015 to lower costs 5146 Brock Circle Asset Transfer 0.00 35,000.00 36,000.00 based on members as of 9.2.14 5145 Conference Previous Year 112.00 0.00 0.00 N/A 5150 Conference Waivers 5,940.00 0.00 2,500.00 6,760.00 3,640.00 3 drawn annuall plus 4 from new chapters 5160 Directory 14,059.07 15,203.76 14,500.00 15,203.76 16,275.00 increased membership = increased cost 5165 Legacy Awards Program 14,864.07 2,022.53 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 $8K from LDEI and $12K from JCF

Total

Les Dames d'Escoffier InternationalProposed 2016 Budget

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5170 Gifts 269.11 0.00 250.00 250.00 250.00 presidents gift 5175 Grande Dame Award 0.00 2,500.00 2,500.00 0.00 no Grande Dame in 2016 5180 Green Tables 716.60 0.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 no change from 2015 5183 Global Culinary Initiative 1,498.28 0.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 no change from 2015 5185 Insurance 3,166.80 3,265.98 3,300.00 3,265.98 3,450.00 based on 2014 Member Brochure 1,151.88 0.00 0.00 reprinted in 2014 5190 Member Mdse 1,105.30 285.75 0.00 285.75 0.00 cost of pins, hats, bracelets, etc. 5200 Miscellaneous expense 2,339.67 867.85 500.00 867.85 500.00 best practice is to keep this amount low 5210 Partnership Underwriting 40,065.62 18,369.20 45,420.00 28,500.00 31,500.00 $2000 per month + 12%, plus travel/$60K revenue Partnership Expense 7,920.00 10,400.00 10,400.00 20 @ $520 5215 Public Relations 618.24 0.00 2,500.00 0.00 0.00 webinar expense, wire service, social media admin Previous Year's Expense 1,293.24 .0.00 0.00 N/A 5220 Quarterly 34,188.98 25,217.74 34,000.00 34,500.00 37,000.00 graphic design, print, mailing 5226 Quarterly Editor Fee 3,800.00 4,800.00 4,800.00 4,800.00 4,800.00 increase for 2015 5230 Chapter Develop 0.00 983.06 1,000.00 1,300.00 2,500.00 for travel to potential new chapters 5235 Receptions - IACP 750.00 750.00 750.00 750.00 750.00 for IACP reception 5240 Taxes 100.00 0.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 taxes paid to state of NY for incorporation 5245 Legal & Professional Fees 6,111.00 0.00 2,500.00 750.00 2,500.00 legal fees 5424 Website 1,843.33 420.00 3,000.00 1,850.00 2,000.00 web updates enhancements, hosting 5500 Conference 172,403.13 8,437.08 119,000.00 153,000.00 163,000.00 conference subsidy of $18K Total Expenses 452,190.29 $ 175,752.88 $ 431,259.00 $ 425,011.96 $ 482,204.00 Net Operating Income -13,428.11 $ 6,111.73 $ 291.00 -$ 8,411.96 $ 371.00 Net Income -13,428.11 $ 6,111.73 $ 291.00 -$ 8,411.96 $ 371.00

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Report of the First Vice President Maria Gomez-Laurens (San Diego, LA/OC) Partnership Developments It has been an honor to work side by side with our Partnership Development Director, Brian Culvert. From the moment AEC took over the partnership development role, the change was immediate and for the first time we had a contract signed in December. Brian reached out to our partners from 2011 through 2014; and he was able to get Roland Food Group back this year. Roland was a partner 2 years ago. At the beginning of my term, I sent an email to our board, asking if anyone had any leads with adequate connections; but unfortunately the list was limited. Greg also sent an email to our membership, but we did not receive any leads. I then reached out to Mary Moore and she sent me 5 contacts. We reached out to these leads, but none of them materialized. I also received a lead from one of the dames in San Antonio; she introduced me to a Mexican company that makes sweeteners who has now expressed interest in becoming a partner next year. Brian and I then created a list of possible partners with more than 45 companies; I did all the cold calling, and Brian sent information via email. We reached out not only to companies in the food and beverage industry; but also companies such as United Airlines and Southwest. The results were not favorable as our organization is not as recognized as other associations in the food and beverage industry. Making cold calls and developing relationships will take time, so I encourage our incoming Fist Vice President to keep in contact with these companies; the more we can educate them on our organization, the more likely they will partner with us in the future.

Economic issues, rising costs (even weather related crises for our growers) and minimal patronage by dames has led to reduction in partner funding. Knowing that this is a trend that will likely continue; we are working harder to cultivate new partners and find creative new ways to increase our support to our long-standing partners. I believe that our growth in members, new chapters and diversity of professions will show our true value as an organization. The main reason why some partners did not renew this year was mainly due to the lack of return on investment. I encourage all of our membership to connect with our partners, not only at our annual conference but throughout the year as it is vital for the longevity of these relationships. Most of the partnership funds are utilized to offset the cost of the conference as the current registration fee does not cover the full cost of the conference.

As an organization, we also need to find creative ways decrease the dependency on these funds as many companies have dramatically cut down on monetary partnerships, and are seeking product exchange. It’s important to note that, last year, we negotiated a cost savings in our professional development services which is helping to offset the loss in funding. Partner participation is an on-going challenge.

Report of the Second Vice President

Organization Status Revenue Roland Food Group signed contract received 12.17.14 $3,760.00

Riviana Foods Inc./Mahatma Rice signed contract received 01.16.15 $3,500.00 Wusthof-Trident of America, Inc. signed contract received 02.03.15 $3,500.00

Alaska Seafood Marketing signed contract received 04.16.15 $6,000.00 Wente Family Vineyards signed contract received 05.15.15 $10,000.00

Kikkoman Sales USA signed contract received 05.26.15 $6,000.00 St. Michelle Wine Estates signed contract received 05.27.15 $3,500.00

Cakebread Cellars signed contract received 05.28.15 $2,500.00 Breville signed contract received 06.08.15 $3,500.00 Vitamix signed contract received 07.01.15 $3,500

Le Creuset signed contract received 09.02.15 $6,000 Pakal Direct Trading/Ferra Coffee signed contract received 10.07.15 $3,500.00

$55,260.00

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Submitted by Ann Stratte (Washington, DC) It has been an honor to serve a third term on the LDEI board. Working with the Quarterly editors, Dame CiCI Williamson (Washington, D.C.) and Dame Susan Slack (Charleston), is truly a pleasure. These two professionals continue to outdo themselves producing fantastic issues of our signature magazine. On behalf of all of us, I want to thank them for their labor of love that is delivered via US mail four times a year. With the addition of six new chapters, our editors will be busy squeezing in even more news and information, keeping us updated on what is happening with our membership across the globe. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Chapter News editor Dame Janet Burgess (LA/OC) and Member Milestones editor Dame Dottie Kotesky (Philadelphia) for their contributions, And lastly, many thanks to all of the members who contribute to the magazine with articles, chapter events and member accomplishments. I am happy to share with you that the LDEI board approved an expanded “conference” issue. The Winter 2016 Quarterly will have four additional pages to accommodate thirty-six chapter photos and special reporting on all of the activities happening in Charleston. i thank my fellow board members for understanding the importance of this publication to our membership. i look forward to a second year in this position and welcome any comments that you would like to share with me as it relates to the Quarterly.

Report of the Third Vice President Submitted by Hayley Matson-Mathes (Hawaii) Key accomplishments:

Revision and development of Public Relations and Brand Strategy handbook. Sought input from past presidents, third vice presidents, social media and communication members in the development process. Handbook was distributed to Chapter leadership, posted on the website, and provided to those attending Annual Chapter Leadership Program.

Increased media releases by 60% this year distributing releases on the following topics: o Announcement of LDEI board and president o Legacy Call for Entries and follow up promotion of Legacy Awards o Collaboration with the Legacy Co-Chairs Sue Robinson and Alison Auwerbuch o Legacy Winners Media Announcement o M.F.K. Fisher call for entries collaborated with Cici Williamson and M.F.K. Fisher winners o Grande Dame Media Announcement o New Chapters Media Announcement o Annual Conference

Collaborated with WCR, IACP, and ACF to promote Legacy and M.F.K. Fisher programs.

Developed Social Media Editorial Content Calendar and updated calendar with concept content

throughout the year.

Completed refresh of LDEI Logo and development of Chapter logos with leadership and expertise of Dame Shara Bohach and support of President Lori Willis.

o The LDEI logos are available on the LDEI Website

Record breaking LDEI Webinar participation – 173 Dames participating in two webinars.

o Sought input from the social media committee regarding social media webinar content.

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o Beyond Social Media Basics webinar by Dames Kristi Willis and Natanya Anderson, record attendance of 103 Dames

o Mindful Dining webinar by Dame Sharon Olson, 70 Dames

Social Media Channels. Dame Tara Anderson continues to do an excellent job posting and developing social media content for Facebook and Twitter. Tara developed our first Twitter party with potential for growth in the future. Included Member Milestones content in our social media mix as appropriate.

o Facebook: 1,267 followers SEP 2015 (600 followers JAN 2014) o Twitter: 695 followers SEP 2015 (345 followers JAN 2014)

Set up an interview for Lori Willis with new Charleston magazine, “Planting Seeds.”

Collaborated with Lori Willis on promoting Milan Expo USA Pavilion.

o Reached out to social media contacts at Milan Expo o Posted about Milan Expo to LDEI Social Media

Report of the Secretary

Submitted by Sharon Olson (Chicago) Chapter Formation Update Following approval of new chapters by the delegates September 10th it is requested that the board consider chapter board liaison appointments for each of the new chapters to build their connection with LDEI and get them prepared for attending conference in Charleston. They are enthusiastically ready to get going. Charitybuzz Following approval of the Charitybuzz plan at the August board meeting, Greg Jewell signed the contract with Charitybuzz. Sharon Olson and Bev Shaffer have prepared a brief for chapters and potential donors that describes the benefit of the program and a separate sheet with details on logistics of how donations will be handled. Copies of these documents are attached. We ask that the board begin the communication process that was included in the plan.

Communication to chapter presidents through CBL’s with highlights of Chariitybuzz consumer reach and 50% direct return to chapters

Communication direct to all members welcoming contributions from Lori Willis and explaining advantages

Final requests at Leadership Forum – there will still be time to donate a package

Report of the Immediate Past President Submitted by Beth Allen (New York) It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve four years on your LDEI Board — this year as Immediate Past President, and in previous years as President, First VP and CBL. During 2014-2015, at the request of the President and the Board of Directors, I have focused on two LDEI initiatives—Branding and Onboarding/Succession. This reports summarizes my progress, accomplishments and recommendations.

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♦ LDEI Branding • Opportunities to further expand the LDEI Brand have been extensively researched and found to be available

through LDEI partnering/endowing Graduate Fellowships in Culinary studies at various Universities and programs with Culinary Schools in food, fine beverage and hospitality.

• Local Les Dames d’Escoffier Chapters are already actively involved in similar Branding programs. Two examples:

The Dallas Chapter’s Endowed Presidential Fellowship in American Studies at the University of Texas and the Boston Chapter’s Escoffier cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Boston, open to Dames and the public.

• Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Potential Partnership: My discussions with CIA’s Women in Leadership (WIL)

group and CIA’s Marketing Director have crested interest in their collaborating with LDEI for our mutual educational/branding benefit. Conversations are on-going.

• Recommendation: * Continue the exploration of LDEI Partnerships with University Fellowship programs and prestigious Culinary

Schools, as they offer excellent opportunities to expand the LDEI Brand. Conversations are on-going.

♦ LDEI Onboarding / Succession

• Committee: Dames Beth Allen (Chair), Toria Emas, Deborah Mintcheff and Ann Stratte • Mission:

* To create a more formalized approach to Onboarding—for those joining the LDEI Board, as well as for members moving into a new responsibility on the Board.

* To develop an on-going strategy for Board Recruitment, with the Nominating Committee.

• Recommendations: * Communications with Chapter Leaders and Committee Chairs is the most important tool for identifying

leaders for the LDEI Board, as well as Onboarding new Board members. * An Onboarding Manual is recommended for CBLs, but not believed needed for other Board positions. [Dame

Deborah Mintcheff offered to create the Manual for 2015-2016 CBLs.] * The Leadership Forum and the Conference of Delegates at the Annual Conference offer valuable

opportunities for identifying and connecting with future LDEI leaders. * Going forward, the Committee recommends that… New Chapters be part of the Onboarding process, such as partnering the President of each new Chapter with

a member of the Onboarding Committee or a member of the LDEI Board.

Report of the Chapter Board Liaisons Submitted by Deborah Mintcheff (New York)

10 Chapters: Birmingham, Colorado, Dallas, Hawaii, Monterey Bay, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington DC

CBL Conference Calls This was my first year as a CBL. I hosted four (one-hour) calls at 2:30 PM Eastern time. It was my goal to make this calls as worthwhile as possible, always striving for great take aways for the attendees, a robust conversation, and a compelling exchange of ideas. Attendance on Calls December 12, 2014—10 chapters January 22, 2015—7 chapters May 28, 2015—6 chapters

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July 23, 2015—8 chapters Each call began with a welcome statement and an update of important news and issues from LDEI and deadlines to take note of. The remainder of each call was based on a topic(s) of my choosing or one suggested by one of the chapter presidents. Call Topics December 12, 2014 What is working well in your chapter? What areas need to be focused on and improved? How does your chapter manage social media outreach and public relations? January 22, 2015 The topic of the call was new-member retention: How are new members engaged during their first year so they assimilate into the chapter? How are inactive long-time members accomodated? What is done when members do not fulfill their membership requirements? After the call, the chapter presidents shared: codes of ethics, membership requirement forms, how member and board member termination is handled via bylaws, new-member handbooks. May 28, 2015 How does your chapter bring in new members? Do you have a cap on the number of members you accept each year? If so, what goes into the decision-making process? July 23, 2015 What bookkeeping system does your chapter use? What are the term limits on your board? All Presidents Calls March 26, 2015 On this call, I led a 30-minute conversation with the attendees. The first topic was” How Do You Onboard New Board Members.” A second, briefer, topic was “How Does Your Chapter Manage the Business of Running Your Chapter.” September 24, 2015 On this call, I took the minutes of the call. I also welcomed the attendees, provided the call guidelines, and wrapped up the call at the end. LDEI Board Meetings I participated in monthly board meetings, as well as three face-to-face meetings: October 29, 2014 at the Boston Conference (I was an observer at this first meeting.) January 30-31 in Orange County June 19-20 in Minneapolis The meetings in Orange County and Minneapolis gave me the opportunity to meet with the members of the local Les Dames chapters and get to know them at Saturday night dinners. Also: I contributed to the revised New Chapter Formation handbook and wrote an Onboarding Handbook for incoming CBLs. I had the opportunity to meet with Kathy Shearer, then president of the San Antonio chapter, while visiting in Texas.

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Submitted by Deb Orrill (Dallas)

Chapters (10): Austin, Charleston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles/Orange County, Minnesota, New York, Northeast, Phoenix, San Francisco

CBL Conference Calls: I hosted four calls with my chapters with a gratifying participation:

• December 4, 2014, 9 chapters; January 22 2015, 7 chapters; May 28, 2015, 8 of my chapters; and July 23, 2015, 7 chapters.

• The agenda for each call began with my updating chapters on board activities and important deadlines followed by each chapter relating chapter activities, plans and challenges. The final portion of the call was for discussion of predetermined issues.

• December 4, 2014: We discussed the value proposition and I requested chapters to report the following numbers (which I subsequently reported to President Lori Willis:

o 2014 Estimated Scholarship Disbursements o 2014 Estimated Charitable Donations o 2014 Estimated Volunteer Hours (if possible) o

• January 22, 2015: We discussed branding and marketing.

• May 28, 2015: We had a lively discussion of new member qualifications and the application process.

• July 23, 2015: Topics of discussion were “retired” member status and member participation.

• Overall I think these are an effective means of communication between the LDEI board and chapter leaders. The real bonus, I believe, is the communication it fosters among the chapters since so many issues are relevant to every chapter, regardless of size or location; presidents can follow up with others where issues and ideas strike a chord.

All Presidents’ Conference Calls: I participated in leadership of both All Presidents’ calls. • March 26, 2015: I discussed the status of LDEI Awards and deadlines: Grande Dame, MFK

Fisher and Legacy Awards. I also took and issued notes from the call. We had 23 chapter participants representing 22 chapters and 4 board members on the call.

• September 24, 2015: I discussed the upcoming Chapter Leadership Forum and encouraged all interested Dames to plan to attend. We had 24 chapter Participants representing 22 chapters and 5 board members on the call.

• These calls were especially effective by updating chapters of board activities, events, and deadlines.

LDEI Board Meetings: I participated in monthly board meetings, face-to-face as well a by conference call. Face-to-face meetings were January 30-February 1, 2015 in Newport Beach and June 19-21, 2015 in Minneapolis; these meetings also afforded us the opportunity to meet with LA/Orange County and Minnesota chapter members for dinner on Saturday of our visit—a real highlight of the working weekend. I also participated in several board conference calls to review and approve new chapter applications/applicants as well as on calls to review and approve the 2016 budget (the latter in my role as incoming treasurer).

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Fellow CBLs Deborah Mintcheff and Bev Shaffer and I convened three-way calls to reimagine and plan the Chapter Leadership Forum in Charleston on October 29.

Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire: In April I visited the Escoffier museum in Villeneuve-Loubet, France. Subsequently I participated in a conference call with LDEI President Lori Willis, Monterey Bay Chapter President Mary Chamberlin, and St. Louis Dame Karen Mitcham-Stoeckley to discuss the museum and our relation to it. Two articles in the Summer Quarterly 2015 about the Escoffier legacy were enlightening. Karen and I also communicated about ideas for an LDEI presence at the museum. No specific plans for fundraising were made.

Submitted by Bev Shaffer (Cleveland)

Chapters (10): Atlanta, Boston, British Columbia, Chicago, Houston, London, Miami, Nashville, Palm Springs, San Diego

CBL CONFERENCE CALLS: I hosted four lively calls with my chapters on an eclectic mix of relevant topics, with each call beginning with an update on LDEI Board activities and important deadlines. As time permitted, chapter activities and current challenges were discussed. There was a gratifying amount of sharing of information, which I gladly included as attachments with the distributed call notes.

• December 8 (7 chapters) – I spent a small portion of this call introducing myself and my contact information. Main topic of discussion was chapter activities and challenges, with chapters asking each other “do you have a template for how you communicate with members”

o Follow up notes included – LDEI Chapter Website requirements A sample of Atlanta’s “Tuesday Tidbits”

• January 22 (5 chapters) – Call kicked off with a welcome to our newest chapter, “Nashville”. Website links were sent out prior to this call, and we each discussed our chapter website—How it’s utilized; Who maintains; Suggestions for improvement? Open discussion followed, including how chapters on-board new board members

o Follow up notes included – “Getting Off to a Great Start: On Boarding New Board Members”

• May 28 (5 chapters) – Call topics included: What is your LDEI “Elevator Speech”? How do you describe/define who you are in 5 minutes or less?; Communications—What is your chapter’s current communication plan? (channels/content/frequency); What are you communicating? Who is your audience? How do you measure effectiveness?

• July 23 (8 chapters) – Call kicked off with the topic of member involvement; How do you get and keep members involved? No matter what size your chapter, we all seem to have a core of people that do everything. How do you deal with this issue? Open discussion followed.

Although the participation could have been better on some calls (several chapters had last minute business commitments and/or emergencies, which is understandable), our calls went by quickly and the participation was very engaged. These calls foster great communication among the chapters as they see so many issues are relevant to every chapter, regardless of size/location. Participated in second ALL PRESIDENTS’ CONFERENCE CALL in September (traveling on business for the first call); several CBL discussion/review calls with CBL Mintcheff and Orrill to set agenda, topics and outline of call. LDEI BOARD MEETINGS: I participated in monthly board meetings, face-to-face as well as by conference call (calling in once from Japan). We also had a wide assortment of special LDEI Board calls this year to review, discuss and approve chapter specific topics, including approval of new chapters.

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Face-to-face meetings were held in February in Orange County, California and in June in Minneapolis, affording us the opportunity to also meet with local chapter members for dinner on Saturday. Our face-to-face in Minneapolis also included a Strategic Planning Session prior to the Board meeting. Other participations: Conference call to discuss potential partnerships; Attended “Dames Who Drink!” hosted by the Chicago Dames during NRA Show (food, not rifles!) in May; CBL call to discuss how we want to host the Leadership Forum at Conference; Assorted calls to discuss Charity Buzz; CBL call to discuss distribution of chapters to CBLs (being mindful of the addition of new chapters)

A very productive, busy year! Thank you for the opportunity to continue to move the organization forward.

Report of the Executive Director

Submitted by Greg Jewell The AEC staff continues to strive to find ways to enhance the member experience for both the member and volunteer leader through the use of technology and excellent customer service. Here are some of the projects we have been working on this year:

• We have successfully automated the M.F.K. Fisher online registration system to make the process easier for applicants while keeping staff time to a minimum.

• Our online registration portal is seeing more activity with more members registering online instead of sending in a registration form to the LDEI office.

• The staff has created fillable PDF forms for a number of initiatives, such as new members, new chapter charters, etc. These are designed to make the process easier and more streamlined.

• Working with Lori Willis, the board and Jackie Henson, we helped create the new Chapter Affiliation Agreement, which is designed to protect the LDEI brand and further define the relationship between LDEI and its chapters.

• The AEC team successfully oboarded 157 new members as part of the addition of six new chapters this fall. Working ahead, we were able to add all the new members to the database prior to the COD call that ratified all of the chapters. Within six hours of the COD ratification, all 157 new members received a welcome email with their new username and password appended to it. This is the largest onboarding that we have undertaken and it went smoothly.

• We have successfully produced two webinars this year, using an inexpensive screen-sharing application. We have had more than 100 participants on one of the calls with nominal technical issues.

This marks my 14th LDEI conference and the beginning of my 15th year as executive director of LDEI. As always, I think the board and the Council of Delegates for their continued support of me and AEC Management Resources. We truly value your business.

Committee Reports Nominating Committee Report Submitted by Suzanne Brown (Atlanta) It is with great pleasure that I introduce your elected LDEI 2016 LDEI Board of Directors:

1st Vice President (President Elect/Partnership Development) Stacy Zeigler (Atlanta) 2nd Vice President (Communications/Quarterly)

Ann Stratte (Washington, DC) 3rd Vice President (Public Relations)

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Hayley Matson-Mathes (Hawaii)

Secretary (New Chapter Development) Bev Shaffer (Cleveland)

Treasurer (Finances)

Deb Orrill (Dallas)

Chapter Board Liaison Deborah Mintcheff (New York)

Judy Bellos (St. Louis) Kathy Gold (Philadelphia Of course, your Past President will be Lori Willis (St. Louis) and your President will be Maria Gomez Laurens (San Diego) Thanks for the opportunity to serve you and I look forward to an exciting year for Les Dames.

Legacy Awards Report Submitted by Alison Awerbuch and Sue Huffman Robison CO-CHAIRS: Alison Awerbuch (NY) and Sue Huffman Robison (SFO)

COMMITTEE: Toria Emas (CHI), Trish Gelles (SEA), Holly Hadsell El-Hajii (HI), Abigail Kirsch (NY), Barbara Ostmann (STL), Suzi O'Rourke (NY), Marsha Palanci (NY), Becky Paris Turner (BC), Susan Weinstein (MIA) and Stacy Zeigler (ATL). Thanks to a $12,000 donation from The Julia Child Foundation, we were again able to offer six awards for 2015. Five of the six winners who are attending the LDEI Conference in Charleston will share their Legacy Experiences at the annual luncheon on Saturday, October 31 and there will be a video shown of one winner not attending. Kudos to President Lori Willis for her continued support and to Third VP Hayley Jo Matson-Mathes for her outreach to traditional and social media, resulting in a record of 49 applicants. And special thanks to Greg Jewell for his patience and good humor. 2015 HOSTS AND WINNERS Dame Nora Pouillon of Washington D.C.'s Restaurant Nora, America's first certified organic restaurant, hosted Van Doren Chan of Vancouver, B.C. in the Culinary Category. Chan is Maitre D'/General Manager of Vancouver's Le Crocodile Restaurant and owner of a food truck promoting healthier sustainable living. Good Housekeeping Magazine's Dames Susan Westmoreland, Food Director, and Sharon Franke, Director of Kitchen Appliances and Tech- nology Department of the Good Housekeeping Institute, hosted the Food and Wine Journalism Category for a second year. This year's winner is Christine Burns Rudalevige, a food writer, recipe developer/tester and food stylist from Brunswick, Maine. Two wineries offered awards in the Wine Category. Wente Vineyards in Livermore, CA hosted Katie Groffman, a Chef and Sommelier

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from San Francisco. She spent a week in the California wine country during the harvest working with Dame Amy Hoopes, EVP Global Sales/Chief Marketing Officer, and Dame Carolyn Wente, CEO of America's oldest continuously-operated family-owned winery. At Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Woodinville, WA, Dame Kari Leitch, Vice President of Communications and Corporate Affairs, welcomed Ashley Hawkins of Austin, TX to the oldest winery in Washington state. Hawkins is Global Brand and Retail Marketing Program Lead for Whole Foods Market Global Headquarters in Austin. Both the Hawaii and Los Angeles/Orange County Chapters of LDEI offered experiences in the Farm to Table Category. Kelly Patkus, a Chef Instructor at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC flew to Hawaii's Big Island to spend the week with Dame Lesley Hill, CEO of the Wailea Agricultural Group. Wailea Ag is the largest grower of fresh Hawaiian Heart of Palm in America along with a myriad of tropical and subtropical fruit. In Los Angeles Dame Nancy Eisman introduced Jennifer Moniz to Melissa's, the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States. Moniz is Event Chef for Bold American Events, a prominent Atlanta catering company. Alison and Sue are handing over the co-chairmen reins to Becky Paris Turner (BC) and Shara Bohach (CLE) for 2016. Four chapters have already committed to next year's Legacy Experiences: British Columbia, Chicago and London with Seattle and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates re-uping for a second year. We are hoping to have all six hosts lined up by the conference in Charleston. GCI Committee Submitted by Sandy Hu The Global Culinary Initiative Committee consists of four members: Roberta Duyff (St. Louis), Susan Slack (Charleston), Rachel Gaffney (Dallas) and Sandy Hu (San Francisco). This is just the right size for a committee, enabling us to move nimbly, with few members to consult, while still representing the diversity of our membership, coming as we do from different careers and geographies. Accomplishments this year:

• 3rd EDITION OF GCI NEWSLETTER COMPLETE; 4th EDITION IN PRODUCTION: Our committee produced and distributed the third edition of the GCI newsletter, Hello, World!, and has researched information for the fourth edition featuring the culinary contributions of Africa. As in past issues, it will include GCI program ideas that can be executed around the newsletter content. The newsletter is a biannual production and the 4th edition is scheduled to be distributed in October.

• A GCI SPEAKER TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE:

Charleston provides rich resources for the study of the African influence on Lowcountry cuisine, which will be the subject of our breakout session at the annual conference. The GCI has invited three local speakers: Jonathan Green, award-winning Southern artist and founder of the Lowcountry Rice Culture Project; CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, Gilliard Farms, The Farmer and The Larder, and Associate Professor of Culinary Arts–College of Coastal Georgia; and Chef Kevin Mitchell, BCA, CEC, CFSE, ACE, Chef Instructor, Culinary Institute of Charleston and Secretary of the Edna Lewis Foundation. We are fortunate that GCI committee member Susan Slack was able to identify, vet and invite these illustrious speakers, due to her connections in the Charleston area.

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• A GCI MANUAL: Our committee wrote copy for a GCI manual last year; this year, we are in the process of editing and determining how to design it attractively. This will be a “living” manual that we can continue to update and enhance. We hope to complete and distribute the manual at the annual meeting. Design and formatting are the challenges.

• NEW GCI CHAIRS: Roberta Duyff and Susan Slack, who have been on the committee since its inception, will be co-chairs of GCI following this year’s conference. They are dedicated to this initiative and will make excellent leaders.

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LDEI Dues Table as of 10.15.15

Dues Pay Chapter Amount 2015

# of Delegates

9.13 Ann Arbor 2,040.00 24 1

9.17 Atlanta 10,115.00 119 5

9.28 Austin 4,845.00 57 3

9.17 Birmingham 2,805.00 33 2

Boston - 3

10.12 British Columbia

5,865.00 69 3

9.28 Charleston 5,525.00 65 3

9.17 Chicago 9,605.00 113 5

9.3 Cleveland 2,380.00 28 2

9.5 Colorado 2,380.00 28 1

9.17 Dallas 9,010.00 106 5

9.17 Hawaii 5,695.00 67 3

9.3 Houston 2,890.00 34 2

9.5 Kansas City 6,845.00 81 4

9.13 Kentucky 3,570.00 42 2

9.3 London 2,295.00 27 2

9.3 Los Angeles 6,035.00 71 3

Mexico 16 1

10.17 Miami 5,290.00 62 3

8.31 Minnesota 3,570.00 42 2

9.3 Monterey Bay 3,825.00 45 2

9.28 New York 12,920.00 152 7

9.13 North Carolina 3,315.00 39 2

9.3 Nashville 2,890.00 34 2

Northeast - 3

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9.3 Palm Springs 2,210.00 26 2

9.5 Philadelphia 4,590.00 54 3

8.26 Phoenix 2,550.00 30 2

9.13 Portland 1,955.00 23 1

9.13 Sacramento 1,445.00 17 1

9.17 San Antonio 5,950.00 119 3

9.28 San Diego 3,825.00 45 2

9.3 San Francisco 7,650.00 90 4

8.26 Seattle 6,205.00 73 3

8.31 St. Louis 3,740.00 44 2

8.26 Washington DC

11,390.00 134 6

Total 163,180.00

2,009 100

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Chapter Reports Ann Arbor Chapter

Submitted by Sandra Arlinghaus Officers for Coming Year Co-Presidents: Sandra Lach Arlinghaus and Raquel B. Agranoff Vice President: Lisa Howard Secretary: Cecilia Fileti Treasurer: Donna K. Tope Head Legal Counsel: Donna K. Tope, M.S., J.D. Head Technology Officer: Sandra Lach Arlinghaus, Ph.D. Number of Chapter Members: 24 Comments Our Chapter was approved on September 10, 2015. Since that time, our focus has been on getting good communications among our members, in getting organized into committees, and in learning to know our individual and collective strengths. • Communications:

o Human Continued interaction with Chicago Chapter and LDEI; looking forward to same with

others. • Drawing, in a major way, on local resources of possible relation:

o Higher Education o Environmental activisim

o Electronic Website: http://www.LesDamesAnnArbor.org/

• QR code to make site portable • Webmaster on local board (rather than hiring outside)

DropBox: Files in the cloud are easy to share Digital audio recordings of meetings preserve (in the cloud) accuracy of content Google Hangout—first session held on September 30, 2015. Texting, voice, video, and so forth for distant members to stay in touch--generally

using electronic networking capability to keep a far-flung human network in close touch.

A Spreadsheet of data and lists of potential members, as well as other records, is kept in our own Dropbox account which is shared by the Executive Committee members and may be shared with others as determined by that Committee.

• Committees:

o Memberships: Chair and 7 volunteers appointed o Scholarships: Chair and 2 volunteers appointed o Marketing: Chair and 2 volunteers appointed o Fundraising: Chair and 3 Volunteers Appointed o Legal: Head Legal Counsel o Technology: Head Technology Officer

• Determination of Strengths:

o Held a meeting of the group on September 14, distributed a ‘welcome’ packet and questionnaire (to be filled out at the meeting) to consider individual interests.

o Last half of the meeting was professionally facilitated by the Secretary to further understand groupings of interest within our set. There were five major groups, reflecting

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the LDEI broad categories plus two others representing general strengths in the Ann Arbor area.

Food Beverage Hospitality Education Environment

On September 25, 2015, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Ann Arbor, became a ‘Group Member’ of the Ann Arbor City Club. The vote by the City Club Board was unanimous to approve our Chapter to membership. As this Club began its existence as the ‘Women’s City Club’ our missions overlapped considerably. The City Club owns an historic-register mansion in central Ann Arbor with large grounds and substantial adjacent free parking. Their professional staff hosts many events throughout the year, both inside the elegant mansion as well as outdoors on the well-maintained gardens, patio, and lawn. The Club serves as the home base for LDE-AA. Our membership (costing $12 per year per member) entitles us to use the event rooms 12 times a calendar year, free of site charge. Next steps: generate projects and events to move forward in support of LDEI and LDE-AA goals!

Atlanta Chapter

Submitted by Gayle Skelton Board of Directors 2014-2015 President: Gayle Skelton, CPCE Vice President Programs: Holly Chute Vice President Philanthropy: Tamie Cook Vice President of Communications: Kelly Hornbuckle Secretary: Barb Pires Treasurer: Gloria Smiley Total number of members 2014-2015 – 119 Chapter Activities, 2014 – 2015 Our Global Culinary initiative was held at the Indian Consulate in November. It was a spectacular evening complete with Indian Cuisine and a fashion show. In January we hosted our second Culinary Futures Event at the Atlanta Americasmart Gift Show. The $18,000.00 raised from this event was awarded to an aspiring culinarian who is a high school senior. She is attending Boston University. Another tremendous success with Afternoon in the Country also in November. We netted $118,00.00. The majority of the proceeds go to our scholarships and grants. We look forward to our 15th Afternoon in the Country this November 8…..even bigger and better! June Chapter Meeting, Dames Author Event. A very special event featuring Dame cookbook authors at Dame Anne Quatrano's farm. Light bites, sweets and beverages will be provided, along with bus transportation.

August was our Annual Scholarship Dinner and it was held at the Atlanta History Center. We are proud to announce that we awarded a total of $78,408.00 in grants and scholarships.

At the September Annual General Meeting we welcomed 14 new Dames with a reception featuring light hors d'oeuvres prepared by the Dames Class of 2014: Each Dame was appointed a mentor to guide them through their first year.

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Austin Chapter Submitted by Beth Pav Incoming Board of Directors President - Natanya Anderson 1st VP - Michele Haram 2nd VP - Kristi Willis Secretary - Tiffany Cunningham Treasurer - Sahar Arafat-Ray At-Large - Carla Williams Immediate Past President - Beth Vlasich Pav Total Number Chapter Members 2014-2015 - 62 Chapter Activities Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Board Goal Setting Retreat February 2015 marked our annual all-day board retreat held at the corporate offices of Whole Foods Market. We established 1, 3 & 5-year goal initiatives focusing on communication, branding and business process/automation. Communications/Social/Automation

• Redesigned website with improved interactive interface. • Established a following of over 500 Facebook friends. • Re-activated a private members-only Facebook page. • Designed and initiated a monthly chapter newsletter using www.mailchimp.com • Initiated www.volunterspot.com as our volunteer sign-up source for our weekly outreach

programming. • Archived and organized business collateral in www.dropbox.com • Twitter (862 followers) and Pinterest (13 followers) accounts are being held for future strategic

social integration. Fundraising

• Austin Food Fight! En Garde! Dames partnered with nationally renowned laV restaurant for our annual major fall fundraiser. Chaired by Carol Huntsberger we hosted a one-of-a-kind evening soirée and silent auction. Through Carol’s philanthropic prowess and committee leadership we significantly increased proceeds from last year’s on-line auction with a total of $21,060.08. • Culinary Kitchen Sale Chaired by Tracey Evers and guided by Kelly Ann Hargrove we had our 2nd Annual Kitchen Sale partnering with The Mueller Farmer’s Market. We doubled our sales from last year making $3000 for scholarship. Citywide it was a well-received fundraiser, which raised community awareness. Through the PR efforts of Elaine Garza of Giant Noise and Sam Davidson of Cultivate PR our mission was broadcast via several local morning news programs, in print, on-line and social media outlets. • LDEI International Charity Buzz On-Line Auction Donated a culinary weekend package including lodging, food and tour to LDEI’s on-line fundraiser. Received a little over $100 in proceeds. • Endowment The board is currently conversing about the opportunities in setting-up an endowment as a long-term development strategy.

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Outreach Feeding the Homeless

• Chaired by Pamela Nevarez Fisher and since our chapter’s inception we have partnered with Whole Foods Market flagship store on a weekly bases picking up fresh produce, bread and pastries and delivering these goods to two Austin soup kitchens.

• Annually chapter members volunteer food and hours to make a holiday dinner for up to 300 at one of the soup kitchens.

Green Tables Initiative

• President Beth Pav and Secretary Tiffany Cunningham presented a donation amount of $1000 to Austin’s new East Feast Festival Beach Food Forest Initiative. This donation will go towards building an orchard of fruit trees.

• Green Tables Chair Cecelia Nasti and Treasurer Sahar Arafat-Ray proposed and submitted a grant submission to SXSW for $10,000. This grant is a food initiative program providing under-resourced, food insecure communities with the means to grow some of their own fresh, seasonal, culturally appropriate food at home using a portable, stand alone vertical planting system called “patio producers”

Scholarships Our chapter gave 2-$4000 scholarships this year totaling $8000. The recipients came from two different periods in their lives; one beginning her culinary career the other in professional transition.

• Markita Skeen of Austin, a student at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, received her Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts in May 2015. Her industry experience includes catering and decorating special occasion cakes. Her cakes have gained significant notice in recent competitions; her immediate goal is an externship as a cake decorator with Disney. Inspired by volunteer work she did in her hometown of Brady, creating pastries and sweets for a nonprofit organization, Markita’s big picture goal is to share the joy she finds in baking, by creating beautiful and exquisitely flavorful desserts.

• Bonnie Archer of San Antonio, a student at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts,

completed her Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts in April 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition & Dietetics from New York University; and a Master’s Degree in Human Relations, from the University of Oklahoma. Currently employed at Central Market San Antonio, Ms. Archer served in the U.S. Army as a dietitian for over twenty years. One of the highlights of her military career was volunteering her time to create and implement an occupational therapy/cooking class program for injured service members, teaching knife skills, meal planning and nutrition education. Her philosophy is “there are no bad foods—all foods can be enjoyed in moderation”. Her goal is to “improve both public health AND enjoyment of good food.”

Programming Under the guidance of Program Chair Kristi Wills our chapter presented several educational and networking events.

• Dai Due Ladies’ Steak Night – Tuesday ladies steak night at one of Bon Appetit’s top 10 restaurants in the country – 2015; Dai Due.

• LDEI Austin Skill Swap – Sharing expertise and industry best practices with one another by setting up “knowledge hubs”.

• Diving into Wine Workshop – Educational evening with Certified Sommeliers Denise Clarke and friend of Dames Matt McGinnis.

• Summer Picnic Potluck – Celebrating Dames and their families. • A Very Happy - Happy Hour at Alcomar – Hosted by Past President Gina Burchenal and Alma

Thomas; networking and fellowship.

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New Members Our chapter welcomed 7 new members for 2015. Michele Haram, Nomination Chair and 1st VP, hosted and led the orientation meeting. With a power point presentation she shared the opportunities and responsibilities of being a Dame. New members are:

• Brandy Gibbs – Owner/Chef – Fine Home Dining • Carla Crownover – Owner, Austin Urban Gardens • Denise Clarke – Owner, DC Communications • Janina O’Leary – Executive Pastry Chef, laV Restaurant • Julie Kuhlken – Co-Owner, Pedernales Cellars • Lynda Berrios – Local Forger, Whole Foods Market - Flagship • Yvonne Loya-Saenz – Director of Education/TX ProStart Coordinator, Texas Restaurant

Association Business Meetings

Fall Meeting 2014 • Hosted by Carol Huntsberger at her restaurant Quality Seafood. She shared her new brunch food

trailer menu. We received a tour of the trailer, conducted Dame business and introduced the new 2014-15 board.

Spring Meeting 2015 • Hosted by Susan Auler at her newly opened Fall Creek Vineyard in Driftwood, Texas. We were

given a wine seminar by Susan, her husband Ed Auler and their wine maker Sergio Cuadra, a tour of the facility and sat down to a dinner by David Garrido (Dine restaurant) in the wine cellar. We conducted Dame business, introduced and honored our new scholarship recipients and inducted seven new members into the chapter.

Birmingham

Submitted by Angela Schmidt 2015-16 Officers: President: Angela Schmidt VP Programs: Pardis Stitt VP Membership: Becky Satterfield Secretary: Susan Swagler Treasurer: Beba Touloupis Number of chapter members: 36 Philanthropy: In partnership with Dame Cathy Jones, our chapter created an educational opportunity with the public through our Kid’s Cooking with Dames demos at Pepper Place Farmer’s Market this year. Dames Angela Schmidt, Kay Reed and Beba Touloupis donated their time and talent. Our Outreach Committee facilitated a day long celebration of Alabama Tomatoes with a blue ribbon (literally!) recipe contest, emceed by local celebrity, Morgan Murphy. Our distinguished panel of judges included Laurence Calvert from Calvert Farms; JoEllen O’hare, former food writer for Birmingham News; and Carole Griffin, owner of Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu. The recipe contest was followed by a Tomato Festival and Farm Dinner at Dame Deborah Stone’s Stone Hollow Farmstead with Chef David Bancroft from Acre in Auburn, Al.

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Outreach Committee Members: Angela Schmidt, Deborah Stone, Maureen Holt, Kay Reed, Linda Godfrey, Susan Swagler, Patricia Terry, Becky Satterfield, Jan Gautro We continued our work with the Food Bank of Central Alabama to produce recipe pamphlets educating families on recipes and techniques to provide better meals for their families. Many dames donated and volunteered for the Magic City Sunday Supper in April, a fundraiser presented by the Junior Board, which raised approximately $50K. Food Bank Project Committee: Brook Bell, Becky Stayner, Jan Gautro, Susan Swagler, Angela Schmidt Chapter Organization: Our programs committee, lead by Dame Pardis Stitt, produced a successful year of events, several dames opened their home and businesses for social gatherings and committee meetings. Programs Committee: Pardis Stitt (chair), Susan Hartley, Gia McCollister, Jan Gautro, Rosalyn Bloomston, Susan Green We developed our first new member nominations this year, lead by Dame Becky Satterfield. We successfully inducted three outstanding nominees: Jan Walsh of birminghamrestaurants.com; Idie Hastings from Hot & Hot Fish Club and Ovenbird; and Melany Robinson from Polished Pig Media. We had one former members reinstate: Andie Thompson from Inland Seafood. Membership Committee: Becky Satterfield (chair), Angela Schmidt, Susan Swagler, Martha Johnston, Kathy Mezrano, Sherron Goldstein, Susan Nash Gilpin, Annette Thompson, Mary Ester Mathis We had another great year of quarterly newsletters for our members and chapter updates to the international organization by our newsletter committee. Newsletter Committee: Martha Johnston and Brooke Bell We took our first official chapter photo, which you can see on our website and Facebook pages, styled by our resident prop stylists, Dame Jan Gautro. Chapter Photographer: Becky Stayner This year we created our website, www.ledibirmingham.org, with a photo directory of dames. Thanks to Dame Beba Touloupis and her work with Circa Marketing, Steve Inskeep. We now have an official chapter uniform, Alabama Chanin full length aprons with the LDEI Birmingham logo. Alabama Chanin is a local clothes maker known for hand sewn, thoughtfully designed creations. Dame Susan Swagler lead the effort. We have engaged Jackie Henson’s firm to handle our 501(C)3 status in the coming year. Treasurer, Beba Touloupis assisted with the research and facilitation. This year we instituted a Annual Conference Scholarship program to get more dames to conference. Many dames donated and participated in raffles at each our monthly meetings. Our group has been featured in several local papers this year highlighting our activities and mission as a group.

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Boston Chapter

British Columbia Chapter

Charleston Chapter

Chicago Chapter Submitted by Julie Chernoff Executive Committee: President: Julie Chernoff President Elect: Mary Reidy McMahon Secretary: Anne Kauffmann Treasurer: Polly Peters Past President: Jennifer Lamplough Board of Directors: Patty Penzey Erd Catherine Koelling Margaret Laport Donna Pierce Kathy Ruff Melissa Yen Appointed Positions, 2015-16: Anupy Singla, Communications Chair Carol Mighton-Haddix, Newsletter Editor (Panache) Nancy Brussat, Policy Committee Chair Veronica Hastings, Scholarship Chair Number of Chapter Members: 116 Membership Ten new members and one returning member were inducted into the Chicago chapter in June, 2015. In October, a new member orientation event was held at President Julie Chernoff’s home. New members inducted in the past two years, the board, committee chairs and past presidents attended and shared all the organization has to offer. New members inducted in June, 2015: Mary Nguyen Aregoni, Joan Driggs, Judy Hevrdejs, Sandra Holl, Ellen King, Jennifer Lewis, Nicole Pederson, Karen Rose, Phaedra Ruffalo and Cindi Webber. Returning member: Cheryl Cardello Lucas. Five members resigned for various reasons: career change, new location, time constraints. Fundraising and Philanthropy We are currently planning our 2016 fundraiser, the Dames’ Carnival of the Senses, to be held on Monday, May 16, 2016 at a gorgeous West Loop venue in downtown Chicago. We anticipate an attendance of over 200 people. a spirited live auction, our now-famous Dessert Dash In September, 2015, scholarships were awarded to culinary students in local culinary programs totaling $30,000. We have partnered with Kendall College to guarantee a $5000 scholarship there in 2015 and 2016. Board Member Patty Penzey Erd presided over the interview and selection process of our winners.

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The Mentorship Program continues to build trust through communication, educate by sharing experiences, and inspire each student to reach their full potential. The program was designed to add value to scholarship giving, build membership, and fulfill our mission of education, advocacy and philanthropy. The program includes personalized mentoring, culinary tours of member businesses, guest invitations to appropriate Les Dames events and participation in the chapter’s community service programs. All scholarship recipients from 2015 were successfully paired with Les Dames mentors. Board Member Melissa Yen runs our Mentorship program. Community Service Mary Reidy-McMahon chairs the Community Service and is our liaison with The Roberti Community House (RCH), a program of the Roberti Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit organization. Located in an economically distressed, predominately Latino area of Waukegan, the RCH opened its doors to the community in the fall of 2011. Poverty is a major factor in this community. The majority of people served by the RCH are relatively new to this country, speak/understand little English, and frequently rely on their children to translate for them. Adults generally have a very limited formal education and many of the men are able to secure only seasonal employment. The neighborhood is faced with domestic violence, addiction, gang activities, homelessness, and hunger and the resources needed to confront these issues are extremely limited. Despite these problems, there is a remarkable resiliency in this population – parents are genuinely concerned about the future and they are continually striving to provide a better life for their children. We are in the second of a two-year commitment to support the RCH. In addition to the $10,000 cash donation that we made in May of 2015, we put together a family cookbook with simple recipes for Roberti Home. We have other activities planned in the coming year to further connect our chapter with this deserving nonprofit. 2014-15 Programs and Events Educational and networking events included dinners, a beer tasting (with a local female brewmaster), book group meetings and more. We strive to diversify the offerings for wide appeal. Programs and events included:

• Summer Evening picnic at Ravinia with cocktails at Dame Karen Levin’s Home

• Dames Who Read- Ruth Reichl’s Delicious! at Found; Anne Willan’s One Soufflé at a Time at Bistronomic; Molly O’Neill’s Mostly True at Harry Caray’s; and Nina Mukerjee Furstenau’s Biting Through the Skin at Udupi Palace; chaired by Dame Judith Hines

• Chapter Town Hall Meeting at Glunz Tavern (members only)

• Booksigning and program with Dame Dorie Greenspan for her new book, Baking Chez Moi at

Glunz Tavern

• LDE Exclusive Dinner at Sunday Dinner Club

• Dames Who Brunch at Lincoln Park’s Summer House; chaired by Dame Karen Levin

• Post Holiday Potluck at Dame Portia Belloc Lowndes Mag Mile condo

• The Ins and Outs of Social Media Branding with George Bardenheier at Glunz Tavern

• 3 Pot-Luck Networking Dinners at Dame Jeanne McInerney’s in Chicago, Dame Suzanne Florek’s in Western Springs and Dame Rebecca Wheeler’s in Evanston. Each hostess created a theme and guests enjoyed an evening of great food & conversation.

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• Washington DC Dame Paula Shoyer (The New Passover Menu) Book Signing and Tasting at Dame Nina Barrett’s Bookends and Beginnings in Evanston

• Rockin’ Ramen at Belly Q with Bill Kim

• Dames at NRA networking get together at the Virgin Hotel

• Annual Meeting/Dinner at River Roast Chicago

Communications Our e-Bulletin, Amuse Bouche, is emailed every other Friday. It includes past and future events, and information our membership needs to know on a timely basis—from forms that are due to LDEI updates to Dames member milestones. We are continuing to insure effective communication with chapter members and the larger community of culinary professionals on multiple platforms: in print, on line and in person.

• In Print: Quarterly issues of our newsletter Panache, which has interesting profiles and relevant stories our membership will enjoy.

• Online: The web site is continuously enhanced to encourage member communication and educate the general public. It includes current chapter events, the history of the organization, its members and stories about the Chicago chapter’s involvement with the community. The web site has more “hits” and activity now with the Amuse Bouche e-bulletin linking our membership directly to the web site every other week.

• Social Media: An active Facebook page allows members to stay in touch and share information in a relevant and personal context. Our members are also using Facebook and Twitter more and more to promote our events and fundraisers that benefit from touching the public at large.

• LDEI Communication: LDEI is kept updated of our chapter happenings. Links to important LDEI information is linked on our web site and Amuse Bouche.

Cleveland Chapter

Submitted by Carol Hacker Officers for 2015-2016 President – Carol Hacker Co-Vice Presidents – Cynthia Schuster Eakin and Marty Nagele Secretary – Jean Mackenzie Treasurer – Beth Davis-Noragon Member Liaisons– Andrea Wargo and Marla Monzo Holmes The Cleveland chapter of LDEI made a conscious effort to increase awareness of our group this past year after realizing that many in the local food community as well as the general public are unfamiliar with LDEI. Our exposure included: - A presentation at Felice Urban Café on April 14th. Five of our members presented info on the organization, what our local chapter does and women in the food business for one of the café’s monthly programs centered on women. - Twice, we had members represent the Cleveland chapter at Local Foods Monday, a monthly event showcases local food businesses. - August 29th and 30th, members volunteered at two events; the REAP benefit for Refugee Response at the Ohio City Farm and the Farmers Table for the Ohio Ecological Farm and Food Association. Dame Shara Bohach had logo aprons produced and volunteer members wore them and will for future volunteering efforts.

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The Cleveland chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier maintains an active blog with write-ups of all of our events and continues our Dame du Jour series, spotlighting a member each time. Programs Our year started in September with our annual meeting and election of officers. We had a tour of the Case Western Reserve Farm (our 2014 grant winner) and followed it with a potluck dinner and meeting. On November 3rd, we had a vegan cooking demonstration and dinner, presented by member Terry Frick at her establishment, Frickaccios. The Cleveland Dames got a private tour of Portside Distillery on January 12th, before it was open to the public. We followed the tour and tasting with dinner at Willeyville. The board of the Cleveland chapter met at the Grovewood Tavern on February 27th. On March 9th, a tour of the Culinary Launch Kitchen was followed by a cooking demonstration and dinner at the Western Reserve Cooking School’s downtown location. We also welcomed Linda Flannery as our newest member in March. Our annual potential new member potluck was held at Dame Crickett Karson’s home on May 11th. Nine guests attended the event. Members met for happy hours on June 25th at Petite Triangle Café. Interested members got a tour of Dame Paula Hershman’s Storehouse Tea facility prior to meeting for happy hours. A brunch and board meeting was held on July 12th at Carol Hacker’s home. July 14th saw the Cleveland Dames touring the Hough Vineyards. Situated in the heart of the inner city, this vineyard produces wine and provides job training for ex-offenders. It was followed by dinner at a restaurant in Cleveland’s Chinatown. In August, we welcomed 3 new members: Latoya Hunter, Britt-Marie Culey and Jessie Lindawan. Our annual meeting will be held on September 28th at La Campagna, owned by member Carmella Fragassi.

Colorado Chapter Submitted by Sandra Dugan Officers:

President – Sandra Dugan First Vice President – Megan Stromberg Second Vice President – Michele Morris Secretary – Amanda Archibald Treasurer – Ellen Daehnick Immediate Past Co-Presidents – Jan Findlater and Beverly Cox Directors at Large: Kimberly Lord Stewart, Carol Fenster and Kuvy Ax

Number of Chapter members: 29 Chapter News and Activities:

• Over the past year the Colorado Chapter has welcomed the following 9 new and transferring members: Sapna Von Reich, Layne Lieberman, Amanda Archibald, Jane Bauer, Rachel Begun, Megan Bucholz, Ellen Daehnick, Kuvy Ax and Judy Donahoe

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• The Chapter awarded two $1,000 scholarships to two deserving college students this year: Cassandra Rodriquez, a Family and Consumer Science Major from Colorado State University and Kalyn Taylor, a Soil and Crop Sciences major with a minor in Organic Agriculture from Colorado State University.

• The Colorado Dames had a wonderful December event hosted by Dame Carol Fenster at her home for the Holiday season. The Colorado weather held up, and Dames celebrated the Winter holidays outside on the patio.

• In February a capacity group of Dames from the Colorado Chapter along with their guests had the pleasure of meeting Madeleine de Jean, the first female sommelier and close friend of Julia Child. Dame Carol Maybach hosted the event in her Boulder home; guests were treated to stories told by Madeleine about her life in the wine industry, she read excerpts from her two books, and she shared thoughts about her friendship with Julia Child. Dames and their guests enjoyed a classic French lunch of Julia Child’s favorites, featuring salmon and pate appetizers paired with rose Champagne, followed by a nicoise salad, topped with both tuna and gluten-free fried chicken. After lunch, Madeleine signed books for guests while everyone enjoyed cupcakes for dessert.

• In March, a group of Dames and their guests spent an afternoon taking a private tour of the newly-built Leopold Distillery in Denver thanks to the host Dame Shellie Kark. The event included a fantastic tasting of private reserve spirits and tips on how to taste distilled spirits.

• In May, Colorado Dames and their guests were treated to a Cheese and Chocolate tasting led by Dame Jane Bauer of the American Cheese Society and Teresa St. Peter of New World Cheese, a local artisan cheese monger.

• Also in May, the Colorado Dames had their Annual meeting at Dame Holly Arnold Kinney’s wonderful restaurant, The Fort. The Chapter celebrated the successes of the past year, including a growth of 50% in membership, welcomed new Dames into the Chapter, and introduced this year’s scholarship winners, who were the Chapter’s guests for dinner. The menu included a choice of three entrees for dinner, and The Fort treated the attendees to prickly pear margaritas and appetizers.

• The Chapter’s new board of directors started its term this Summer by crafting a mission statement and vision specific to the Chapter, and proposing significant revisions to the Chapter’s by-laws. The new by-laws simplify and clarify some processes, and update others to suit the current phase of the Chapter’s lifecycle. The changes were approved by the Chapter, and are the foundation for the Chapter’s future growth. In addition, the chapter has recently adopted a much needed electronic accounting system with the help of Treasurer, Ellen Daehnick.

• In September, Colorado Dames took a private tour of Epic Brewing Company in Denver Colorado thanks to Dame Megan Stromberg. Dames were treated to a tasting of the local favorites and introduced to the process of brewing beer.

• The Chapter is in the early stages of a partnership with a local nonprofit dedicated to making healthy food available to all people, regardless of ability to pay.

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• In addition, the Colorado chapter’s Green Tables chair, Dame Kimberly Lord Stewart has been instrumental in helping fund a community garden and make fresh, organic produce available to those in the community who do not have financial or physical means to purchase this healthy alternative. We will continue to work with the Longmont YMCA and hopefully help them to fund a much needed cooler.

• Proceeds from all of the Colorado events went to the Colorado Chapter for scholarships. • Cookbook Author and Colorado Dame, Carol Fenster has made great contributions to the

Chapter and the culinary arts this year. Carol graciously donated the proceeds of her cookbook, “100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes” sales to the Colorado Chapter from a book signing at a local bookstore in Monument Colorado. Her cookbook “100 Best Quick Gluten-Free Recipes” was featured on three PBS episodes of “Creative Living with Sheryl Borden”. Carol won a silver medal in the “Favorite Cookbook” contest by GlutenFreeRecipeBox.com and sponsored by Kind bars for her book “1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes”. Carol was awarded a bronze medal for “Favorite Author” in the same contest which is conducted annually. Another of Carol’s cookbooks, Gluten-Free 101: The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Easy Gluten-Free Cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January, 2014) also won first place in the Cookbooks General Category of the 2014 USA Best Book Awards. Most recently, in August, Carol was the featured author at the 2015 Harvest Fest at the Holy Cross Abbey (owned by another Colorado Dame, Sally Davidson) in Cañon City.

Dallas Chapter

Hawaii Chapter Submitted by Holly Hadsell El Hajji Holly Hadsell El Hajji President Janice Yap Vice President Abigail Langlas Secretary Nancy Edney Treasurer Clare Bobo Board Member Leslie Hill Board Member Kathi Saks Board Member Dorothy Colby Immediate Past President Membership 2015/16: 69 Chapter Activities Escoffier Weekend on the Island of Hawaii Dames from the island of Oahu joined the Dames of the Island of Hawaii for an educational and delicious weekend. We toured Wailea Ag’s beautiful farm where they grow many variety of fruit trees and palm hearts. This was followed by a tour of Tropical Dreams ice cream factory. The Escoffier Dinner at the Fairmount Orchid was outstanding using many local ingredients. Dinner at MW Restaurant A fundraising dinner was held at MW restaurant feature chefs Michelle Karr Ueoka and Top Chef’s Leanne Wong. Urban Foraging Adventure Dames and guests forage through UH Manoa campus to sample the edibles that grow around us. Annual Meeting and New Member Welcome We gathered at the Original Roy’s restaurant, there was a showcase of dames businesses and products and welcomed 11 new dames.

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Tea and Baker Faire Bakers from Hawaii held a bake sale at MW restaurant a portion of the profits were donated to LDEI Hawaii. Potluck at Mohala Farms A meeting was held at Mohala farms, an organic farm in Wailua, Oahu Keiki in the Kitchen LDEI Hawaii partnered up with the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival at one of the events called Keiki (children) in the Kitchen we gave cooking demos of kid friendly foods that contained local ingredients, Spinach/Coconut Smoothies, Guacamole, Spinach Pesto on Focaccia, Chocolate Dipped Bananas. Although we had a low turn due to weather the demos we well received In the next year LDEI Hawaii chapter looks forward to expend our fundraising and mentorship programs.

Houston Chapter Submitted by Jacqueline Clark

Board of Directors 2015-2016 Jacqueline Clark, president Sandra Shafer, vice-president Andrea Albin, secretary Elizabeth Stone, treasurer Carla Buerkle, immediate past president Number of members 2014-2015: 37 Chapter activities 2014-2015 Opened the year with dinner at Dame Claire Smith’s Shade Restaurant; celebrated the holidays with a gift exchange at Harold’s in the Heights. Served the annual holiday lunch at the Star of Hope’s Women and Family Emergency Shelter Major fundraiser in January: First Annual Truffle Chef of the Year Challenge. Twenty chefs competed to create the best new dish using Spanish black truffles. The winner was David Cordua of Americas with his “Black Truffle Twinkie,” brioche filled with a mascarpone egg cream topped with shaved black truffle. $10,000 was raised for the Houston chapter’s scholarship fund. In March, Dame Merriane Timko presented a talk on “Perspectives on Culinary History” featuring references to food and wine in the literary works of Lawrence Durrell and their connection to culinary history. Celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the home of Dame Andrea Albin’s mother, Veronica, with an in-depth demonstration of making masa from scratch, starting with dried whole corn kernels and ending with an authentic Mexican meal featuring homemade sopes and tortillas. Three new members are joining the chapter: Diane Roederer, Layne Lynch, and Kate McLean.

Kansas City Chapter Submitted by Kimberly Stern Board of Directors 2016

President: Kimberly Winter Stern (*serving second year of a two-year term) Vice President: Rebecca Clark (*) Secretary: Martha Pruitt (*) Treasurer: Chris Becicka

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Membership: Marilyn Cupples Programs: Jill Means (*) Communications: Molly Fries Fernandez (*) Nominating: Kathy Moore (*)

Number of Chapter Members: 37 This has been a busy and rewarding year for the Kansas City Chapter. We held two required business meetings that were well attended and received, but also enjoyed dinner and fellowship at a Dame Chef Mary Berg’s place of business, delish! Catering, for the Fall 2015 meeting. At that meeting, President Kimberly Stern organized a panel of some of KC’s best-known female chefs for an entertaining program, “Chefs Unplugged.” Dames and Chefs Mary Berg and Renee Kelly were members of the lively panel, along with potential LDEI members Chefs Megan Garrelts and Shanita McAfee. We held a fundraiser in April at Dame Louise Meyer’s acclaimed kitchen store, Pryde’s, for Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG). With donations from attendees at the door and Louise donating 20 percent of sales from the evening, we presented KCCG Executive Director Ben Sharda with a check for $1,686. Nearly 100 guests attended “Art of the Gourmet Garden,” and Dames provided demos from their recent cookbooks and products, including Kathy Moore and Roxanne Wyss and Judith Fertig and Karen Adler. Dame Rebecca Clark demoed an herbal shrub. Kansas City Dames helped make Cultivate KC’s birthday bash on June 27 a success by collaborating with the nonprofit organization, which held its party during the week of Kansas City’s annual Urban Farm and Garden Tour. Dames Lisa Farmer and Rebecca Miller baked five Texas sheet cakes to feed 350 guests and Dame Kay Benjamin, owner of Take the Cake, designed a striking centerpiece cake, which was used for the cake-cutting ceremony. We also supported Gardens of Sunset, an annual benefit for the Kansas City Community Gardens. Our program calendar was robust and diverse. In April we hosted a truffle-making class at Dame Sheri Weedman’s Annedore’s Fine Chocolates. On July 11 the Kansas City Chapter toured the Ferran Adrià: Notes on Creativity exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The day kicked off with lunch in the Museum’s stunning Rozzellle Court (that boasts an ancient Roman tub turned into a fountain) and continued with a personal tour of the world-famous exhibit by Catherine L. Futter, Louis L. and Adelaide C. Ward Senior Curator of European Arts at the Nelson-Atkins. In August we organized an evening with Charlie Arnot from the Center for Food Integrity. Arnot is the voice of food and consumer trends. His research-based presentation, “Food Myths in the Media Today,” was insightful, important and entertaining. In addition, we hosted several informal “pop-up” lunches and cocktail gatherings at various restaurants and bars around Kansas City, including a wine lunch at Tannin’s Wine Bar & Kitchen during Kansas City Restaurant Week, a pre-St. Patrick’s Day lunch at Kansas City’s oldest restaurant, Browne’s Irish Marketplace, and a pop-up in Dame Kathy Denis’s lovely suburban backyard garden. We also hosted a cocktail party for one of our own, Dame Judith Fertig, to kick off the book-signing party for her debut novel, “The Cake Therapist.”

Kentucky Submitted by Jamie Estes Board of Directors 2015 President: Jamie B. Estes Vice President: Michele Bowling Secretary: Elizabeth Weimer Treasurer: Lisa Windhorst Total Number of Members, 2015: 42 Chapter Activities, 2015:

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While waiting on chapter approval, LDEI member and chef/owner Rhona Kamar of Ramsi’s Café hosted our first "Dames who Drink" event in July. Approximately 16 pending members attended. Rhona provided a huge spread of appetizers including her famous deviled eggs (which come from her organic farm). We followed in August with a Sunday brunch honoring Julia Child's birthday. LDEI member and Holly Hill Inn chef/owner Ouita Michel prepared dishes from Julia's cookbooks. The pending 38 members and guests were then treated to a bourbon cocktail along with pimento and cheese eggs on the restaurant's beautiful front porch in the middle of horse country in Midway, KY. Nearly $1,000 was raised to start our scholarship fund. Our first official event was held in early October at dual LDEI Chicago member and LDEI Kentucky board member Judy Schad's beautiful Capriole Farm in Southern Indiana. This Sunday Potluck Supper drew 20 members. We found out that our members can cook! What a wonderful meal. We have decided to make it an annual event and invite the "LE Dudes" next year. Our newly minted program committee is hard at work finalizing plans for 2016. We have a bourbon dinner planned for November at LDEI member and chef/owner Annie Pettry's Decca Restaurant. LDEI member and author Susan Reigler will debut her new bourbon book and lead a discussion about the industry. Buffalo Trace Distillery will be the sponsor for the evening. To wrap up the year, we are hosting a cookie sale benefitting Green Table in December at Copper & Kings Distillery.

London Chapter Submitted by Valentina Harris Board of Directors 2014/15 President Valentina Harris 1st Vice President Jacqui Pickles 2nd Vice President Christine Walker Secretary & Treasurer Sue Carter Total Number of members 2014 – 15 - 32 Chapter Activities, 2014- 15 Induction of 11 new members: Isabel Aspillera Xanthe Clay Anne Dolamore Catherine Gazzoli Clarence Gray Laura King Thane Prince Hannah Rhodes Fiona Richmond * Janet Rowson Helen Teschauer Kim Woodward The chapter launched their plans for Edible London 2016 with a new programme of events for a packed 4 day event in May 2016 and two add trips to either Rome or the Cotswolds. In September, an informal day out in the country was organised for all our Dames and their partners at the Kingscote Vineyard in Sussex.

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We have begun discussions with BBC Worldwide about forming a partnership with them to create the UK LDEI Women in Food Awards. We have also begun to formulate plans for a cooking class programme with London Dames operating as volunteers at H.M.P. Holloway. We are assisting with the formation of a new chapter to be created in Scotland under the guidance of Fiona Richmond. The annual Escoffier dinner is planned for November 11th, 2015 at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall where Valentina will be officially standing down as President and the Board of Directors will be refreshed with a new President and Vice Presidents.

Los Angeles/Orange County Submitted by Marje Bennetts and Phyllis Ann Marshall 2015/216Officers (election to be finalize in early November but the following is expected)

Co- Presidents - Trina Kaye (LA) and Anita Lau (OC) Secretary – Marje Bennetts Treasurer – Angela Pettera Director/ National Liaison - Janet Burgess Director/ Communication – Alison Ashton Director / Events – Terri Henry Director/ Membership- Jennifer Minichiello Immediate Past President – Phyllis Ann Marshall 1. Chapter Members – 72, with 4 additional members being voted on this week; expect 76

2. LA/OC Busy Year: starting in Nov. 2014 with an annual Brunch at Border Grille, Downtown LA and

home to Dames Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Both were presented Honorary LA/OC Dames for all they have done for Women (Dames) in business as the original “Two Hot Tamales” with their restaurants, books and many charitable activities.

In December, a holiday party was held in San Clemente at Dame Peggy Rahn’s beach home; Dames participated in a potluck, helped decorate miniature Christmas Trees, which were then donated to various charitable organizations.

In January LA/OC had the pleasure to entertain and meet the National LDEI Board, when they met for a site visit to Orange County and over 60 attended a dinner at Five Crowns restaurant honoring them.

The year held many successful activities and some highlights include: • Critical Thinking Seminar by Dame Nancy Hunyadi at Richard Nixon Library • Social Media “How To” with Dames teaching Dames on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram • Dames feeding homeless women at the Downtown Women’s Center on Skid Row, with

food for over 120 homeless women and a cash contribution to the organization • Visit to historical LA County Library with exhibit of “Live & Dine in LA” – over 9,000 menus

and 60,000 cookbooks on display, plus a Docent tour of the historic building • Seminars & Events on Olive Oil, Wines, Coffee and even Escoffier’s original Peach

Melba • Tour of the Orange County Vietnamese Market led by Dame Haley Ngugen • Dame Phyllis Ann Marshall hosting Western Food Service Hospitality & Expo panel on

Women in Food & Beverage, with several Dames participating in “Women Chefs & Entrepreneur Circle” panel discussion

3. 2016- LA/OC is working hard to bring the members together more, even with the large geographical barriers. An additional focus will include a new Mentoring Program with ProStart High Schools in Orange County. Also, the Chapter is also prepping for a joint LDEI LA/OC spring reception with visiting IACP members, as well as preparing for the National LDEI 2017 Conference in Orange County.

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Miami Chapter Submitted by Dorothee Rubin Board of Directors: President: Dorothee Rubin First Vice President: Lola Domitrovich Membership Director/ 2nd VP: Sandie Witmer Education Director: Ana Plana Communications Director: Adri Garcia Secretary: Ellen Kanner Treasurer: Lucila Jimenez Member-at-Large: Roxana Garciga Member-at Large: Alejandra Bigai Member-at- Large: Amira Eskenazi Member-at-Large: Pricilla Bittson Past President: Ariana Kumpis Board of Directors 2015-2016: President: Dorothee Rubin First V P: Ana Plana Membership Director 2nd VP: Laura Monges Education Director: Morgan Nims Communications Director: Alejandra Bigai Secretary: Monica Ciffone Treasurer: Day Longsomboon Member-at-large: Roxana Garciga Member-at-Large: Amira Eskenazi Past President: Ariana Kumpis Total number of members for 2015-2016: 84 Chapter Activities:

A. Scholarship and Grant Programs: 1. On May 16th our Chapter awarded two scholarships at the Scholarship luncheon which took

place at Smith & Wolensky in Miami Beach. • In collaboration with FIU- Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, our

Scholarship committee remitted the first scholarship of our “Women in transition” program. The awardee received the full tuition for the IHTER program.

• The second scholarship was awarded to a young student from Mast Academy now at Miami Culinary Institute who will be mentored for one week at Dame Alina Isambert from Thierry’s Catering and received funds for class tuition and books.

2. MAST Academy High School Culinary Program: in 2014 received a grant for the culinary program. The funds are used for certification material and tests, field trips to local farms, sponsoring of a young women to attend the FCCLA state championships in Orlando, edible garden and other educational programs.

3. Miami Beach Botanical Garden received a grant for Les Dames Edible Garden. Our Chapter will continue our commitment to the Les Dames Miami edible garden at MBGarden.

B. Educational Programs:

• In Partnership with the MBGarden, our Chapter organized and delivered a very

successful Saturday morning seminars. These seminars conducted by Dames were

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done the second Saturday of each month at the MB Garden. They volunteered their knowledge and expertise in gastronomy, oenology and gardening local vegetables.

• In partnership with Slow Food Miami, our chapter maintained organic and/or sustainable vegetable gardens for fifteen elementary schools.

• Vegetable gardens were maintained at the Culinary Arts programs of Robert Morgan Vocational High School and MAST Academy.

C. Philanthropic Programs:

• Educate Tomorrow: our members prepared a bountiful Thanksgiving lunch and

volunteered their time to serve the young adults from the Foster Care Program. • Casa Valentina: Several members volunteered to teach the young women how to cook,

eat nutritious food, and economy in the kitchen.

D. Fundraising Activities: 1. In November we had our Second LDEM Award Dinner honoring Chef Michele Bernstein and emceed by Lisa Petrillo. 125 Dames and guests attended this elegant event. The event was particularly noted in the local media and helped the branding of our Chapter in the community. 2. In March our seventh Annual Tropical Brunch took place at the MB Garden. It was a great al fresco brunch featuring 20 restaurants and caterers. Martinis, Sangria, wine and music was abundant during this fun-filled event. E. Members Participation This year we had a record participation of members in all events. These events brought together Dames and guests increasing the visibility of our Chapter in the community which in return encourages more people to participate in our events and help in our fundraising efforts to fulfill our mission. Thru the year, several Dames volunteering on Outreach or Green Tables committees, donated time and shared their knowledge to raise funds for the operational account of the chapter. (Meetings, administrative fees, conference).

• “Cheese & Chocolate” at “la Cuisine “ in Coral Gables • “ Afternoon Tea @ Seagrape” at Thompson Hotel in Miami Beach • “Virgin Territory “at Books & Books in Coral Gables. • “Farmers Market Dinner” at Books & Books on Biscayne • “ Bastille Brunch” at L’Epicerie in Wyndwood

F. Social Events 1. December 14, our traditional Holidays party took place at the lovely home of our

Treasurer/Past President. Dames prepared a gourmet potluck dinner enjoyed by all with great wines and bubbles.

2. January 13 members met at the Simpson Park in Brickell for a general business meeting which was also a celebration of the New Year. Board members cooked, baked a sumptuous buffet paired with California wines.

3. June 16, our Meet& Greet party at the home of our Nominating Chair in North Miami Beach, was a great success. Dames and Candidates enjoyed the sangria and the delicious food prepared by Dames and Dames of the Board.

Summary

The Board renews LDEM’s commitment to helping women enter the culinary field, to changing lives one student at a time, whether it’s a young woman starting out or an

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underprivileged woman seeking to redirect her life by pursuing an education in the culinary arts and hospitality. LDEM achieves this through individual mentoring but mostly through our scholarship fund. The Board will diligently work to bring to all a very interesting and rewarding year of education, network and social events with the continuous goal to raise funds for our programs and to continue the camaraderie and growth of our Chapter.

Mexico

Minnesota Submitted by Merrilyn Tauscher Officers for 2015-2016 President- Barb Strand Vice President- Ingrid Gangestad Secretary- Kim Ode Treasurer- Janice Cole Immediate Past President – Merrilyn Tauscher Chapter members for 2014-2015: 44 This was an extraordinary year for our chapter with great strides in connecting with our own chapter members, our philanthropic beneficiary Urban Roots and our national LDEI. The synergy we built is impressive and I know this will continue in the year ahead. Our chapter accomplishments give us much to be proud of, starting with our programs: smorgasbord and presentation on the New Nordic cuisine, holiday potluck and silent auction, dining on dishes from native American culture, Guatemalan cooking class led by Dame Amalia Moreno-Damgaard, learning to make chocolate baskets from an award winning chocolatier, wine pairing with locally sourced foods, tour of a new brew pub and tasting of hard ciders, brick oven pizza party with our national board, meet and greet happy hour with our scholarship winner at James Beard award winning chef’s restaurant and our September year end business meeting at the home of Dame Barb Strand. Our two new fundraising co-chairs began the process for an exciting event next year, focusing on noteworthy women chefs. We invited three dynamic new members for the upcoming year and continue with our successful new member mentoring program. Bylaws were updated to continue their relevance for our chapter. We gave out a culinary scholarship to a very worthy young woman and again this year gave prize money for a sweepstakes winner at the MN State Fair. Member benefits include a near monthly newsletter, Facebook page and directory. We had bi-monthly board meetings and elected a remarkable group of women for our 2015-2016 board. Our chapter supported Urban Roots with a variety of programs throughout the year. We connected with them on several key events: helped students plant their community garden, sponsored a female intern in their summer cooking program, led a cooking class for 60 youth for an enrichment program, supported their Celebration Fundraiser Dinner, and funded a bus and lunch for the youth’s summer field trip to an organic farm. A highlight for our chapter this year was hosting the National LDEI Board at Dame Kim Ode’s home for brick-oven pizzas, with appetizers, salads and desserts prepared by members. We nominated Dame Julie Miller Jones for the Grande Dame award and celebrated with our MKF Fischer award winners Dames Kim Ode and Lee Dean. We were diligent in sending in information for national chapter news emails and participating in president conference calls. Five of us attended the national conference in Boston and there will be at least five from our chapter in Charleston.

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Monterey Bay Chapter

Submitted by Mary Chamberlin I. ADMINISTRATION Board of Directors for 2015-2016 President: Mary Chamberlin 1st Vice President: Rachel Mueller 2nd Vice President: Annette Hoff Secretary: Marta Kraftzeck Treasurer: Carol Hilburn Scholarship: Chairs: Michelle Noseworthy Green Tables: Helaine Tregenza Communications & Publicity: Charlyne Brown Our Chapter has 47 members Donations: November 2014 to November 2015 $1500 to the Escoffier Museum & Foundation $5000 to Christina Morales Culinary Scholarship- Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin $5000 from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts to Christina Morales $3000 to Alice Cuadra-Cutler - San Francisco Wine School $1000 Bronze Sponsorship to Rancho Cielo II Events Christmas Holiday Party Christmas Tea at the nationally famous Stonepine Resort. Monterey Dames donated unwrapped dolls and toys for the Angel Project for homeless children and families living in tents in Carmel Valley. Also warm socks and toiletries to the Cypress Ridge Care Center for patients with no families. How To Set A Memorable Table Chateau Noel-Stonepine Luncheon hosted by Dame Carol Hilburn Panel Discussion and viewing of several beautiful tables Dame Anna Vandenbroucke owner of “Set In Your Way Susan vonDrachenfeis Irwin author of “The Art of the Table” Don Hilburn, on the Valentino approach to table décor The Culinary Enquirer Dame Dorothy Maras, Senior Liaison Event Coordinator for Pebble Beach Food & Wine and LA Food & Wine entertained us with her program on everything you want to know about behind the scenes trials and tribulation of working with the world’s rich and famous chefs. She has worked with celebrities including Jacques Pepin, Daniel Boulud, Guy Fieri, Thomas Keller, Alain Passard and Anne Burrell. She was Woman of the Year by Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula. The date was July 12th, 2015 at the home and magnificent garden of Dame Cheryle Pisto and TV Chef Celebrity John Pisto. John started with appetizer small bites from the pizza oven, individual baby iceberg lettuce with John’s bleu cheese dressing and house made pancetta , Mary’s Chicken seasoned with candy cap mushrooms harvested by Dame Cheryle Pisto, rhubarb cobbler with cinnamon meringue by Dame Mary Chamberlin. A special treat from newly inducted Dame Katie Blandin of the Bar Cart Cocktail Company Our speaker, Dame hy

III Milestones: Gathering of the Disciples & Les Dames d’ Escoffier International Induction Dinner - Hosted by Michel Escoffier - Sept. 14th, 2015

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The Induction Dinner and Scholarship Fund Raiser was held at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Jacks Restaurant. Here are the donations and work that made this a successful event: Michel Escoffier, Michel flew from London to Monterey for the Induction. Dame Laurence Escoffier is honored posthumously in our Monterey Chapter as a member. Scholarships have been given in her name. Les Dames d’ Escoffier International Inductees 2015 Tami Aceves - Chef/Caterer / Restaurateur La Crème Deborah Carpenter - Culinary Educator / Caterer Dawn Galante – Winemaker - Dawn’s Dream Winery Katie Blandin Shea - Personal Chef /Organic Farming / Owner Bar Cart Cocktail Co. Kim Solano - Chef & Restaurateur Haute Enchilada Laura Stahl - Wine Production / Personal Chef Sarah Wood - Publisher/Editor “Edible Monterey Bay” Disciples d’ Escoffier International Inductees 2015 Dame Arlene Mead Inducted into the Disciples d’ Escoffier International Dame Sharon Van Meter Inducted into the Disciples d’ Escoffier International Sharon is also the new President of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association. Dame Laura McIntosh -"Keep It Fresh" Bringing It Home continues to air Nationally on PBS throughout the country reaching viewers in over 46 states. Recently, the shows can now be seen on the Create Networks along with it¹s PBS airings. Laura McIntosh continues to scour the country for innovative and sustainable farming practices and pairs the bounty with culinary chef¹s spanning the globe. Laura while on her quest for ³fresh² Continues to judge food events and Host Sacramento¹s 3rd annual Farm to Fork event. Partnering with one of the most note worthy connoisseurs of Food and Wine, Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers in Sacramento, Laura leaves no stone left unturned on her quest for all things Fresh. Dame Sarah Wood Sarah Wood, editor and publisher of Edible Monterey Bay reports the magazine won two 2015 Eddy Awards this past May in New Orleans. Just 22 Eddys are awarded each year to magazines in the family of more than 80 Edibles published across North America.

The award she was most proud of was for Best Special Issue, for the magazine's Summer 2014 edition, which focused on the topic of water.

“Without water, the sustainability of food is a moot point: we are howling into the wind,” wrote judge Ethne Clarke of EMB’s special "Water Issue." Clarke is the award-winning author of The Art of the Kitchen Garden and former editor of Organic Gardening magazine.

“The success of this edition is consistent and timeless; it sets out the problems without scaring the bejeezus out of the reader, while offering up the people at the sharp end who encourage, offering a message of hope by revealing local options of what we can do and should do to make a difference on

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an issue that impacts the entire planet. Edible Monterey Bay’s Water engages, enlightens and informs in a beautifully presented package,” she added.

EMB also won an Eddy Award for best use of seasonal recipes in an article on shelling beans, with judge Elissa Altman calling the story by Jamie Collins, “Informative, timely, seasonal, local, and directly connected to the Edible ethos. Wonderful article that I have already printed out and taped to the inside of my garden shed door.” And judge Virginia Willis praised the “encyclopedic information and beautiful drawings.”

A superstar panel of 57 judges was assembled to review the more than 1000 submissions for the awards. They included author Barry Estabrook; Food & Wine magazine editor Dana Corwin; Food52 co-founder Amanda Hesser; chef/author Deborah Madison; professor Marion Nestle; and Beekman Boys Brent Ridge and Jose Kilmer-Purcell. EMB was also nominated in the categories of environmental reporting and best cover.

Nashville Submitted by Merijoy Lantz Rucker The Nashville chapter is now 1 year old! We began our chapter with a large number of new members spearheaded by our founding chapter President, Nancy Knoepfel. We spent the summer and fall of last year establishing committees, working on our fund raising ideas and generally spending time getting to know one another. We held our holiday event at Opryland in January which was a lovely, relaxed time with great wine and wonderful appetizers. This was totally donated by fellow Dame Laurie Potts and was fantastic. As spring arrived, we began to focus on our mission statement and what we felt we could accomplish this year. Dame Sylvia Ganier hosted a beautiful event at her farm with guest of honor, Natalie Dupree. She spoke about what it means to be a member of this organization as well as some great, funny memories of her career. Other successful events were held at Lockeland Table, courtesy of Cara Graham and another fun, educational evening at City Winery. We established a great raffle system which has proven to be very successful and popular and also has raised a nice amount of money for our membership. In August, we held our officer election and general membership meeting at the Nashville Farmers Market hosted by Dame Tasha Kennard. One important thing that our membership voted to do was to offer a leave of absence for our members. This allows any member to maintain their membership but have a break, if needed. In September we held our first serious fund raiser with silent auction, Spice It Up! Our fellow dame, Maneet Chauhan, opened her restaurant for us and due to the efforts of Dame Anne Byrn, we had Carla Hall join us for an evening of delicious Indian food and chats with both Carla and Mannet during passed hors d’oeurves and later during a multi coursed dinner. The following weekend, Dame Sylvia Ganier hosted a fireside chat with several authors in town for the Southern Book festival. Our focus now is to continue to establish strong committees with mentors and focus on where we actually are headed.

New York Chapter Submitted by Linda Lawry OFFICERS FOR 2016: President: Linda Lawry Vice President: Nancy Jessup Secretary: Joan Brower Treasurer: Cathy Fazzolari

Immediate Past President: Margaret Happel-Perry

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THE NUMBER OF NEW YORK CHAPTER MEMBERS: 160 WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NEW YORK: Scholarships: Twenty-four very deserving students received over $72,000 in scholarships this year. All winners will also have the opportunity to participate in our mentoring program, where Dames support them in their fields of interest for a year. We held the Scholarship reception at the International Culinary Center to celebrate the winners. It was a delightful event, and we were all very proud. Just a few of the many programs and events of the NY Chapter in 2015: One of our great Salon interview evenings was held in March at the home of Dame Ariane Daguin. She is the founder and owner of D’Artagnan food, a primer provider of foie gras and other specialty foods. She offered us her life story and some of her amazing foods. It was both enlightening and delicious. In June we gave reception for Dames from around the country who were in New York for the Fancy Food Show. It was held at the very hip wine bar, Corkbuzz, in Chelsea – a great opportunity for us to meet Dames from other chapters. Coming up: “The Next Big Bite”, a major program, will be offered in October by an amazing panel of food experts. The panel includes writers and chefs Rozanne Gold, Amanda Hesser, Mimi Sheraton, Amanda Cohen and Professor Marion Nestle. They will give us their predictions on what food trends will emerge in 2016. In November we will have an 80th birthday celebration for the great Jacques Pépin at the test kitchen of Good Housekeeping Magazine.

North Carolina

Northeast Chapter Submitted by Nancy Matheson-Burns OFFICERS FOR THE COMING YEAR 2015 – 2016

• Sarah Kline, President • Susie Brown, 1st Vice President • Lisa Kamer, 2nd Vice President • Florence Bush, Treasurer • Victoria Taylor, Secretary • Nancy Matheson Burns, Director Membership

New members inducted - 30 (for a total of 105 members)

Chapter Activities, 2014-2015 This was a year of partnering and collaboration! Northeast Chapter Dames worked closely together on dozens of events including partnerships with Dames from other chapters! We had a busy year filled with every one of our Northeast Dames participating/sponsoring/mentoring through instructional and or charitable events connected with culinary education /agriculture activities and dozens of Farm to Fork dinners that were served in collaboration. The social media efforts built on our website, Face Book page, and Pinterest page keep us informed of member activities and accomplishments; and have continued to be a catalyst for keeping informed of the many farming and culinary activities going on in the busy lives of our Northeast Dames. We take it to the

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next step by focusing special attention on what our Northeast Dames are involved with and support participation and promotion. We also post intern, mentor, networking, and job opportunities. Standing Room Only crowd attending our chapter event this spring Strategy To Shelf: An Insider’s View On Bringing Food Products To Market held at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), in collaboration with two other food organizations, Dame Lauren Abba The Food Loft and Dame Carol Coutrier Massachusetts Specialty Foods Association, this event was presented by a panel of Northeast Dames including: Dame Bonnie Shershow, Founder, Bonnie’s Jams; Dame Lisa Sutton, Founder, Kitchen Local; Dame Trish Karter, Founder, Dancing Deer; and Brian Levin Buyer & Local Forager, Hingham Whole Foods Market. Dame Carol Coutrier, President of the Massachusetts Specialty Food Association, moderated the panel, followed by a lively question and answer period. The energy, learnings, and social connections from this evening provided a great prototype for future chapter events!

Dame Karen Cook was selected for the 2015 Marketer of the Year Award by the North American Agricultural Marketing Officials. Karen and her family own and operate the 145 acre Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury MA. NEW BOOKS launched this year by the Northeast Chapter members included Dame Joanne Chang -Baking with Less Sugar , Dame Maria Speck -Simply Ancient Grains, Dame Dorie Greenspan -Baking Chez Moi,, Dame Ellen Ecker Ogdon- The Vermont Country Store Cookbook, , Dame Tracey Medeiros -Vermont Farm to Table, and Dame Carolyn Greico, Stay tuned for new books on tap for next year including those from Dame Ana Ortins, Dame Dorie Greenspan. NEW MAGAZINE launches this year included Dame Lisa Dombek’s, Zest Maine; a quarterly magazine new this year, bills itself as an informed, inquisitive, sometimes edgy foray into a more authentic presentation of featured chef interviews and recipes of Maine. This spring Dame Cait Reagan , launched Edible Seacoast Magazine ; a culinary publication , offering insightful features and stunning photography are a true celebration of farms, fisheries, talented chefs, dedicated winemakers, brewers, cheesemakers, home cooks, sugarmakers, bakers, backyard gardeners, and beekeepers.

Dame Jamie Cruz of Springdell Farm was appointed to the American Farm Bureau Federation National Young Farmer & Rancher Committee! Members of the committee study farm and food policy issues, and participate in leadership training exercises

Presenting at the Summer Fancy Food show this year in NY were Dame Bonnie Shershaw, Dame Lisa Kamer, Dame Sue Faria, Dame Phyllis LeBlanc, Dame Lisa Gouveia, Dame Victoria Taylor (Sophie Award Winner ), and Cal Hancock (15 time Sophie Award Winner ) , Liz Pool , and Heather Amaral of Zesty Cookie. On Sunday evening Northeast Chapter Dames joined the LDEI New York Chapter Dames for a special reception! Dame Stephanie Skinner Culture Magazine: The word on cheese hosted a popular Cheese Symposium in Cambridge and a Let’s Talk About Cheese EVENT in Boston this fall. The expert-led classes covered a range of cheese-focused topics, from “Old vs. New World Cheese” and “Cheese 101″ to a “Vertical Sampling of Gruyère” which was attended and supported by several Northeast Dames. The Heirloom Harvest Project Barn Dinner presented an exquisite multi-course dinner in a real working barn at Meadow's Mirth Farm led Dame Denise Mallett , attended and supported by several Northeast Dames Dame Lisa Sutton/ Kitchen/Local and Dame Krisztina/ The Wooden Spoon hosted a fun night out where attendees learned hands on- how to make quick and easy desserts. Dame Beth Casani hosted the Mass Lobsterman’s Conference on Cape Cod joined by Dame Julianna Knoettner, Northeast Oceans.

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This fall Dame Jenny Johnson launched Champy; an exquisite sparkling wine blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns launched a new series of culinary classes for her staff conducted by cooking instructor Dame Carolyn Greico, Carolyn’s Farm Kitchen. Carolyn comes to the Dole & Bailey test kitchens after hours and teaches cooking techniques/methods to the butchers, truck drivers, shipping and warehouse crew. Together they create and dine on meals while team building and gaining a better understanding of how their food is used by chefs.

Several Northeast Dames presented or attended this year’s Nantucket Wine Festival and James Beard Dinner hosted by Dame Nancy Bean and Dame Mary Hallaran, with Dame Jenny Johnson, Dame, Dame Phyllis LeBlanc, Dame Julianna Knoettner, Dame Lilianna Dougan, Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns, Dame Victoria Taylor, Dame Lisa Gouveia. Dole & Bailey traveling Road Shows were held in MA, NH, ME, VT, and NY this year. Northeast Dames who presented or attended included Dame Lisa Webster, Dame Catherine Frost, Dame Victoria Taylor, Dame Lisa Gouveia, Dame Aileen Darragh, Dame Lilianna Dougan, Dame Laura Grabski, Dame Karen Daeske, Dame Barbara Lauterbach, Dame Shirley Richardson, Dame Lisa Webster, Dame Keira Farmer, Dame Julianna Knoettner, Dame Lynn Sgammato, Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns, Dame Aileen Darragh, Dame Shannon Ames, Dame Jen Keegan, and Dame Deborah Woodward. Dame Lisa Webster, of North Star Sheep Farm, and Dame Catherine Frost, of Folio Marketing/Creative hosted Outstanding in the Field. In 15 years OITF events have made ten coast-to-coast tours of North America, visited 45 of the United States and nine countries creating dinner events that celebrate the farmer. More Farm to Table Dinners were hosted by Dame Lisa Colby at Colby Farm, Dame Carolyn Grieco at Appleton Farm , Dame LuAnne Bonanno at Pleasant Valley Farm, Dame Karen Cook at Cider Hill Farm, Dame Kelly Small at Smolak Farm, and Dame Jennifer Fecteau at Thistle Pig, This spring acclaimed chef Jason Bond at BONDIR prepared a sold out four-course dinner, inspired by Dame Maria Speck. The prix fix dinner included a signed copy of SIMPLY ANCIENT GRAINS. Several Northeast Dames where at the dinner to support Maria. Dame Virginia Willis partnered with Dame Marilee, Spanigan, Weathersfield Inn for cooking class/dinner/stay at the Inn program joined by Dame Lisa Sutton. Many Northeast Dames attended or presented at The Historic Topsfield Fair this fall– established in 1818 to promote and improve the agricultural interests of farmers- The list includes Dame Carolyn Grieco, Dame, Lisa Colby, Dame Kelly Small, Dame LuAnne Bonanno, Dame Laura Grabski, Dame Karen Cook, Dame Anna Pulcinski, Dame Elizabeth Mulholland, Dame Kindra Clineff, Dame Mary Bandereck, and Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns.

Dame Susie Brown hosted cooking classes, wine/craft beer pairings and seasonal and ethnic themed dinners and conversations at her very busy kitchen/classrooms at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Special events, fund raising and educational projects included Kickstarter project Fish and Men ~ a provocative talk about sustainable seafood sponsored by Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns, Northeast Oceans. James Beard Award Nominees Dame Dorie Greenspan and Dame Joanne Chang for an intimate conversation – Baker to Baker. Chang’s Baking with Less Sugar and Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi. The books were presented for sale at the reception where the authors conversed with guests and signed book copies upon request. In addition, attendees sampled recipes from both cookbooks. This past summer, cookbook author Dame Virginia Willis and Chef Brian Poe were on

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hand to talk about their southern roots and influences on their cooking and a grand tasting hosted by the culinary team at Dole & Bailey. Dame Virginia Willis’ book Southern Cookin Y’all was presented for sale at the reception. All these events were supported and sponsored by several of our Northeast Dames including Dame Jenny Johnson, Dame Nancy Matheson-Burns, Dame Aileen Darragh, Dame Lisa Webster, Dame Keira Farmer, Dame Shirley Richardson, Dame Maria Speck, Dame Elizabeth Riley, Dame Joanna Boyhoy, Dame Lisa Sutton, , Dame Lisa Kamer, Dame Lilianna Dougan, Dame Victoria Taylor, Dame Lisa Gouveia, Dame Sarah Kline, Dame Carol Coutrier, Dame Constance Walk, Dame Carolyn Grieco, Dame Julianna Knoettner, Dame Lynn Sgamatto. The Northeast Chapter’s annual all member event will be held on November 5 in Boston. lots of beautiful local food along with, live music, gorgeous art gallery, and lots of fun!, Attendees will browse the BCAE gallery while tasting Tapas-style samples and sip premium beers and wines from the members including a special 6th year Birthday toast! Each member attendee will receive a custom Northeast Les Dames d’Escoffier blue and white bag filled with Dame member goodies and a gift boxed bottle opener. New members receive a bottle of Wine courtesy of NANTUCKET WINES ; Dame Nancy Bean and Dame Mary Halahan.

Our greatest philanthropic efforts this year have been through the education and service to each other and the communities that we touch. The women of the NORTHEAST CHAPTER are a vibrant and powerful resource to each other and their communities!

Palm Springs Chapter Submitted by Pam Bieri Board of Directors 2015-16 President, Pamela Bieri Vice President, Mary Clare Mulhall Secretary, Barbara Lowell Treasurer, Nancy Cohee Immediate Past President, Lisa Wherry Total Number of Members: 27 Chapter Activities 2014-15 Global Initiative: During the previous (2014) summer, we held a Dine Out/Movie Night at Piazza Trilussa before going to see the movie, “One Hundred Foot Journey.” Community Awareness: Last October, we participated in the first annual “Taste of Palm Springs,” an international cultural expo at Colony 29, promoting our upcoming fundraisers. In March, at the Palm Desert Food + Wine Festival, we staffed a table with LDEI literature and events, while some members volunteered with the chefs. This marks our fifth year of involvement with this event. Fundraising: Our goal was to raise $10,000+ this 2014-2015 year and we achieved nearly twice that. We were able to create a larger fundraising event this past year due to an increase of active members. An event committee was formed early on. We held our first ever Holiday Gift Bazaar fundraiser in November at the Mary Pickford Theatre that netted $1,572.96. In January, our third annual Culinary Yard Sale was another success with a net of $1,089.80. Our most profitable major fundraiser to date was “L’Affaire Chocolat-A Lunch in the Garden” held at La Spiga Ristorante in February with a live auction which generated $14,655.23.

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Our fourth annual Farm Tour, held in April near Earth Day, visited several farms, Burrtec Composting site, and the Coachella Valley Water District. The event netted $794.96 The above mentioned fundraisers along with other miscellaneous raffles and donations raised a total of $18,112.85. Green Tables: We weren’t active last year in Green Tables initiatives at local schools, but with our successful fundraising, we plan on participating with schools this coming year. We are actively pursuing a couple of programs. Green Tables benefits from and complements our annual April Farm Tours of the east Coachella Valley. Scholarships Awarded: This past year, our chapter continued support of three scholarship recipients for a total of $6,000. Cassandra Harper, a biology/nutrition major, attends San Jose State University. Lindsay Jordan is attending the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. Victoria Bowman is a culinary student at College of the Desert, who plans on attending Johnson & Wales. New & Returning Members: We inducted four new members -- Ellen Spencer, Kathleen Bennett, Jennifer Towne and Kelly McFall. Former member Sue Rappaport returned.

Philadelphia Chapter Submitted by Barbara Samson Board of Directors 2015-2016 President – Barbara Samson 1st Vice President – Natanya DiBona 2nd Vice President – Christina Sygnecki Corresponding Secretary – Lynn Logg Recording Secretary – Stormy Lundy Director Green Tables – Janet Chrzan Immediate Past President - Kathy Gold Number of Chapter Members – 67 Chapter Activities 2014-2015 1st Annual Culinary Flea Market and fundraiser held in Haddonfield New Jersey raised $400 for scholarships, organized by Dame Adrienne Abramson 30th Anniversary Gala at Moonstruck, owned by Dame Claire Dilullo , attended by 83 guests, including four of the sixteen founding members - Dames Claire Boasi, Suzanne Foo, Aliza Green, and Kathleen Mulhern. LDEI Founder Carol Brock and past LDEI President Beth Allen also attended. Event was chaired by Dame Dottie Koteski and raised $3800 for the Julie Dannenbaum Endowment. Painting with a Twist event raised $1080 for scholarships, organized by Dame Nancy Miller Viewing of FED UP – Movie viewing and discussion at Drexel University, organized by Dame Lynn Buono Valentine’s Fundraiser held at Scarlett Alley raised $200 for scholarships, organized by Barbara Samson GCI Welcome Tea for visiting Chicago Dame, Anupy Single in support of her cooking demonstration and cookbook signing at the Free Library of Philadelphia Culinary Literacy Center, organized by Dame Kathy Gold Balsamic Tasting for chapter members, organized by Dames Kathy Gold and Kimberly Graziano Heritage Winery Music and Wine under the Stars Event raised $235 for scholarships, organized by Dame Nina Sygnecki Awarded $2000 scholarship to C-CAP student Aelyn Estevez to attend Community College of Philadelphia to study Culinary Arts (baking and pastry) for an Associate’s Degree.

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Inducted 7 new Dame Members – Maryann Baldassare, Donna Barnett, Barbara Coia, Lila Colello, Erika Jurden, Lee Smith, Deb Streeter-Davitt. Welcomed two dual members – Dame Anupy Single – Chicago, Dame Judy Rusignuolo – D.C. Welcomed returning member – Dame Jennifer Lindner

Phoenix Chapter Submitted by Charleen Badman President: Charleen Badman Vice President: Candy Lesher Secretary: Tracy Dempsey Treasurer: Judith Baigent-King Past President: Nikki Buchanan Members: 30 Chapter Activities 2014-2015 Membership voted approval on updated bylaws and new standing rules Held our annual fundraiser, called Afternoon at the Farm on the grounds of Dame Pat Christofolo’s Farm at South Mountain. Three highly decorated chefs along with Dames Charleen Badman, Tracy Dempsey, Eugenia Theodosopoulos, and Helen Yung prepared lunch for guest. Dame Kim Haasarud prepared cocktails, Dame Amy Binkley taught a wine class and Dame Kelly Bostock’s wines were served for the lunch. Other committee members and participates included Dames Candy Lesher, Gwen Walters, Nikki Buchanan, Terri Nacke, Sharon Salomon, Marianne Belardi, Donna Nordin and the family of Barbara Colleary. Dames not able to participate or attend the event purchased tickets for the fundraiser. Phoenix Chapter submitted Charity Buzz auction items; Cocktails in Phoenix, Savor the Southwest, and Rabbit Island Brunch Board and new officer elections took place January 2015. The chapter added 2 Board of Director positions held by Dames Pat Christofolo and Janis Normoyle. Donated $3,000 to Native Seed Search. They are a nonprofit conservation organization located in Tucson, Arizona founded in 1983. Donated $1,000 to C-CAP Arizona for a scholarship for a female student. Recipient was Miklala Steinbroner who is now currently attending Arizona Culinary Institute. Added 1 new member; Katherine Smith, a charter member from the Chicago chapter. The board elected to not increase membership at this time to work on unifying the current membership. Educational programs for Dames included a demo and tasting at the Tucson Book Festival by Gabrielle Hamilton, a luncheon prepared by C-CAP students and wine tour of southern Arizona.

Portland

St. Louis Chapter Submitted by Cecily Hoffius 2016 Incoming Board of Directors President – Cecily Hoffius First Vice President - Holly Cunningham Second Vice President - Carol Lynn Ziemann

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Treasurer- Priscilla Ward Secretary - Rosalie Beckerle Members Liaison - Beth Heidrich Past President - Judith Bellos Total membership for 2016 - 45 members GREEN TABLES: We continue to participate in the Earth Dance Farm community outreach program which trains Ferguson, MO residents, children and adults, to grow, garden and cook, fresh vegetables and summer fruits. LDEI members participate by developing recipes for foods grown on the farm. Members also prepared and presented the fresh vegetables and fruits at three open house events held at the farm. We will also participate in their "pie parade event" by baking approximately 30 pies from scratch, using products from the farm and working with children from the Ferguson Florissant School District. The pies are then “paraded” at their Farmer’s Formal. SCHOLARSHIPS: One $5,000 scholarship was awarded to a young student attending St. Louis University dietetic and culinary program. A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to a young woman attending the internship program at EarthDance Farms. $2,000 awarded to help 4 Dames attend conference. FUNDRAISING: Year to date we have raised $5,000, directed to our Scholarship Program. We expect to raise a total of $9,000 by the year end. Completing our 2015 efforts will be the Craft Cocktail Fundraiser. Eleven local and national distillers will donate the spirits for this event. Several STL Dames will donate plenty of food and hors d' oeuvres. The event will take place at the donated catering facility of a STL Dame. GLOBAL CULINARY INITIATIVE: We will kick-off 2016 with a public event dinner as part of our Global Culinary Initiative where we hope to raise $5,000. It will be themed to the Sacred Foods of India. MEMBERSHIP: We inducted five outstanding new members this year. We have made several changes in our efforts to find outstanding candidates and feel we are continuing to build a strong and active Chapter. PROGRAMS: We enjoyed many interesting programs this year all of which we opened to the public. Our new year will find us touring a major bee keeping facility where one of our own StL Dames, who is an avid bee keeper, along with others will speak and instruct us in the world of bees. Also this year we will repeat the Heritage Pot Luck Dinner. Members will bring a dish representing their own family traditions or ethnic background. Very fun and interesting.

Sacramento

San Antonio Chapter Submitted by Blanca Aldaco Our Chapter Meeting Format:

• Welcome and Call to Order • Approval of Minutes • Officer Reports:

o Membership o Programs o Treasurer o Corresponding

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o Secretary o Archivist

Standing Committee Reports: o Scholarships o Green Tables o Old Business o New Business o Ideas / Suggestions o Adjournment

Big Fundraisers: Meals on Reels, February 26, 2015 Plate Changer (Aspirations Grant), September 30, 2015 Small Fundraisers: Charity Buzz Online Fundraiser Big Give SA Online Fundraiser January - Bi-Annual Meeting at Dame Blanca Aldaco’s Residence Covered results of Charity Buzz Online fundraiser Presented Brock Circle information Discussed Grande Dame Nomination Met with Meals on Reels Committees February Meeting at Dame June Hayes’ Residence Mailed Application forms for new membership Discussed upcoming Big Give SA online fundraiser Acknowledged several Dames with recent Accolades/Achievements Nominated Pat Mozerksy for Grande Dame March Meeting at Dame Diana Barrios Trevino’s Residence Received Applications for Membership Announced Susan Johnson and Lauren Browning as Plate Changers Chairs Announced Julie La Barba and Kristin Groos Richmond as speakers for Plate Changer April Meeting at Dame Kathy Rule’s Residence Archivist announced updating Mentor List project Report on Girl Scout Event at CIA – fabulous Scholarship Assistance Interest by Conrad Hilton SA Campus Green Tables working on Gardens for Respite Care Shelter Discussed upcoming Plate Changer luncheon May Meeting at Dame Kathy Gottsacker’s Residence Announced Board of Director Openings for President, Vice President of Membership, and Corresponding Secretary Budget Approval June Bi-Annual Meeting at Dame Blanca Aldaco’s Residence Website needs update Archivist shared “flashes from the past” of archive discoveries Two Members requested in-active status August Meeting at Aldaco’s Restaurant-Dominion LDEI President Lori Willis visited the SA Chapter Questions on Foundation Grants

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Update on Website, suggestion of Web Committee and PR Committee September Meeting, New Member and Office Induction at Jacala’s Restaurant Discussed upcoming Plate Changer Luncheon Fundraiser October Meeting at Dame Kim Mauldin’s Model Home “Open House” Update on Charleston LDEI Conference Reported financials on Plate Changer Luncheon Fundraiser Chose book for Word of Mouth – “Voracious” Czech Cooking School offering 1 to 3 month cooking school programs Discussed upcoming Charity Buzz online fundraiser

San Diego Chapter Submitted by Carol Blomstrom Board of Directors 2015-2016 President: Karen Contreras 1st Vice President: Teresa Palzkill 2nd Vice President: Vacant 3rd Vice President: Kate McDevitt Treasurer: Brenda Hollis Secretary” Vacant Immediate Past President: Carol Blomstrom Total number of members 2014-2015 – 28 Chapter Activities 2014-2015 The board has been actively pursuing worthy recipients for our hard-earned funds. A review of the donations that we have made this year is: 1. Donated classroom equipment to the new Children’s Museum new series of cooking classes entitled “Eat Better Art”. 2. Donated a large wooden table to Olivewood Garden that they want to use for events that they hold through out the year. 3. For the fourth year we sponsored two buses to bring low-income elementary students to the San Diego County Fair’s “Plant Grow Eat” agricultural education program. 4. Donated money in Katie Rosenblat’s (deceased member) name to Scrumptious Schoolyard in Cardiff. 5. Donated garden supplies and equipment to the four winners of the Edible San Diego Magazine’s School Garden Winners. 32 schools entered the contest. The winners are Paul Ecke Central, Birney Elementary, Silvergate Elementary, and Ocean Knoll Farm. 6. We found a worthy recipient where the scholarship will make a difference in her life. Our recipient is Jasmine Jackson who is a student in the culinary program at the Art Institute. There are two types of events each month. The first type is a “Meet-Up.” A different site is picked that has a happy hour and plenty of free parking near-by. Anyone can show up and buy food or drink or just visit. We have had “Meet-Up’s at the following locations: 1. Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town 2. Bali Hai on Shelter Island 3. Concert in the Park in Coronado 4. Tapatini at Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, downtown San Diego 5. Barefoot Bar at Paradise Point, Pacific Beach 6. Apollonia Greek Restaurant in Costa Verde Shopping Center, University City 7. Beaumont’s Eatery in Birdrock La Jolla 8. Solare in Liberty Station 9. Roppongi in La Jolla 10. Sea & Smoke in Del Mar

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11. Solace and the Moonlight Lounge in Cardiff 12. Croce’s Park West in Hillcrest The second type of event is a diversity of tours, classes, or dinners. We had the following events this year: 1. Potluck Dinner/Wine at the Concert in the Park in Coronado 2. We attended the Polo Matches at the Del Mar Polo Grounds. We sat in the VIP section and were served a fabulous variety of food catered by Dame Dawn Parks owner of The Wild Thyme Catering Company. 3. Our annual membership meeting was scheduled for the Art Institute but moved to Tidal which is managed by Executive Chef Dame Amy Dibiase 4. A Sushi Making Class taught by Dame Mineko Moreno at Festivities Catering. A toast was made to the memory of Katie Rosenblatt. 5. Our Holiday Party was held at Dame Marie Kelley’s home. Members brought a dish that had a holiday traditional family history and shared stories about the history. 6. We toured White Labs which is the largest manufacturer of yeast that is used in beer making, wine making, and baking. It is very complicated and extremely impressive. Beside the big breweries and craft breweries, they sell to home brewers. 7. A Croissant Making class was taught by Joanne Sherif at her restaurant, Cardamom Bakery. 8. Dame Karen Contreras, owner of Urban Plantation, taught how to plant and maintain a potted herb garden. We ended up with a large planter with about six herbs and 4 different edible flowers fitting in. 9. The owner’s of the Cheese Store of San Diego taught a wonderful class featuring mixed milk cheese from Tomales Farmstead Creamery. There were six seasonal cheeses with tastes. 10. New Member Cocktail Party and Potluck that was held at Teddie Lewis’s home. Twenty seven people attended and since we all love food and cooking, the potluck was phenomenal. 11. We held a High Tea and Tea Class at the Tea Gallerie. Maria Harrison, the owner, hosted an amazing educational program about the different teas and their health benefits. Brenda Hollis prepared the food of High Teas in England, a variety of scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets. It was delightful. 12. Our annual membership meeting was held again at Tidal which is managed by Executive Chef previous Dame Amy Dibiase

San Francisco Chapter Submitted by Sue Huffman-Robison Board of Directors 2014-2015 Co-Presidents: Amy Hoopes and Tanya Holland Vice President: Helen Roberts Secretary: Sue Huffman Robison Co-Treasurers: Janet Griggs and Mary Gassen Potage Editor: Fran Gage Member-at-Large: Jerry DiVecchio Co-Program Chairs: Kathleen Hill and Eileen Spitalny Non-Board Officers: Green Tables Liaison: Ann Evans Global Culinary Initiative Liaison: Sandy Hu Number of Chapter Members: 102 Chapter Activities: 2014 January: Annual Potluck held at Ketchum's PR Headquarters in San Francisco. Potluck Committee, headed by Dame Fran Gage, is storing all the recipes digitally. March: Dame Janet Fletcher presented a Beer and Cheese program at

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Dame Janet Griggs's Taste Catering facility; followed by soup and salad compliments of Taste. May: A number of Dames were involved in the MFK Fisher event which hopes to make Mary Frances's last home a historical site. Headed by Jerry DiVecchio, others contributing were Tanya Holland, Janet Griggs, Kathleen Hill and Carolyn Wente who was honored at the affair. July: Visit to Dame Mary Gassen's Noe Valley Bakery where Dames were taken behind the scenes before Mary discussed the financial end of the bakery business. August: Dame Georgeanne Brennan spearheaded a visit to the Wolfskill USDA Germplasm Repository in Winters, a Green Table event. This Fig Varietal Tasting and tour of the property was followed by a fig-centric lunch in Winters. September: LDE SF's annual induction took place at Wente Vineyards in Livermore CA. Three new members were inducted: Cindy Daniels of Healdsburg CA's The Shed, Lane Giguiere of Matchbook Winery and cookbook author Andrea Ngyen. Dame Margo True presented the 2014 Karola award of ________ to Jessica _________, a _______. October: Two upcoming events this month include a visit to McEvoy Ranch and the chapter's 25th Anniversary celebration at Cakebread Cellars in Napa, hosted by Grande Dame Dolores Cakebread. In the works: New Scholarships: Dame Tanya Holland is heading a committee to create fund-development ideas for other scholarships including culinary and wine from the chapter. Committee members include Dames Linda Carucci, Roberta Klugman, Margo True, Lisa Klinck-Shea and Sue Huffman Robison.

Seattle Chapter Submitted by Katherine Kehrli Board of Directors 2015/16

President: Cynthia Nims Vice President: Jamie Peha Secretary: Julie Hearne Treasurer: Rebecca Murphy

International Liaison: Nicole Aloni Fundraising Chair: Anne Nisbet Scholarship Chair: Deba Wegner General Member: Lisa Nakamura General Member: Dawn Smith Number of Members: 73

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2014/15 Recap Fundraising, Grants and Contributions Our bi-annual auction takes place November 12, 2015. Seattle chapter joined continued their commitment to The Brock Circle. The chapter continued partnership with Dame Jamie Peha owned and operated Seattle Wine and Food Experience. We are the sole non-profit beneficiary of this signature food and wine event and received a 50% larger check this year, $15,000. The Green Tables committee held a fundraiser via its Summer Supper and Farm Tour in Skagit Valley while a history making wind storm ensued. Despite the lack of electricity the 8 Dame volunteers conducted three private farm tours then delivered an exquisite multi-course farm-to-table dinner for 31 guests. The proceeds of which go to assist in the awarding of our Green Tables grants each year. This year’s grants totaled $16,182 dollars spread amongst 8 very deserving organizations. Scholarship The chapter managed 6 endowments which combined spun off enough funds to award 14 deserving women with scholarships. Our endowments are currently worth a little over half a million dollars. These endowments are located at the following schools and programs: Washington State University Hospitality Management Program in honor of Seattle Dame Gretchen Mathers, Washington State University - Viticulture, South Seattle Community College’s Northwest Wine Academy-Wine Technology, South Seattle Community College Culinary Arts, Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central College and Renton Technical College. Membership A nearly three year process culminated in the addition of 5 stellar new members to our chapter this spring. Each member self-applied for consideration to membership via our online application and requested letters of support from our chapter members. 11 candidates applied for consideration, when measured against the chapter membership criteria this was whittled down to 8 candidates for our voting meeting. During the voting meeting 5 candidates received the necessary majority vote to then be extended an invitation to membership. All five enthusiastically accepted, were matched with a Seattle Dame member, joined a key committee and participated in a casual and intimate meet-and-greet to get to know a few members prior to attending their first program meeting. All five of these new Dames showed their enthusiasm for membership by attending the first Board meeting following their offer to membership. The committee has worked tirelessly to honor a totally revamped process that seems well on its way to delivering engaged, committed and highly credentialed candidates. A big shout out to Monique Barbeau, Kristi Drake and Diana Dillard for their incredible work this year. Green Tables In addition to our Summer Supper fundraiser mentioned above. The Green Tables committee provided the framework and vittles for a Local Food Initiative themed program held at Seattle Tilth and featuring a panel discussion with representatives from Macrina Bakery (Dame Leslie Mackie), Oxbow Farm, King County Local Food Initiative and Seattle Tilth. Global Culinary Initiative Is working on a Sephardic dinner event to be held early 2016. Community Outreach Our community outreach chair, Sue McCown organized two annual events for our chapter. The first was for FareStart and the second for Jubilee Women's Center. FareStart is a nationally recognized program that seeks to move people out of homelessness through culinary training. To show our support for this program we participated in one of their monthly Guest Chef nights. The entire evening was orchestrated by Dame Chefs and volunteers who managed every detail of that night's menu as well as all the front of the house servicing requirements. The evening raised enough money to fund one student through the complete training program. Jubilee Women's Center was an annual potluck with Dames providing a delicious meal

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along with lovely conversation to get to know one another. All who participated in either event found the activites rewarding and inspiring. Seattle Chapter 25th Anniversary, December 2014 President Katherine Kehrli and Vice President Cynthia Nims, along with a cracker jack committee and countless donors and industry volunteers, pulled off a stellar celebration on the campus of Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central College. The event was a true celebration of the past 25 years while at the same time giving a nod to the future and inviting partnerships for the years ahead. The day was proclaimed by the Seattle City Mayor as Les Dames d’Escoffier Day. The guest list included media, dignitaries, past scholarship recipients and of course our chapter Dames. The food was exquisite lead by chef, instructor and Dame Kären Jurgensen who recruited some of her students to execute a truly exquisite evening of food and service. Over 200 members and guests attended this milestone occasion. Chapter Organization LDES staff, executive director Dame Bev Gruber officially retired at our September AGM. In addition to a lovely vase from artisan glass maker, Kusak Glass she received a personal card from nearly every Seattle Dame thanking her for her dedication and commitment to the chapter. This dedication is not changing, she will continue to serve as our Scholarship Mentoring. We launched a brand new website, www.lesdamesseattle.com, leveraging a CRM based tool created by Wild Apricot. (The brainchild of Dame Beverly Gruber.) The new site while not perfect in every feature seems to be providing us with a much stronger framework for conducting our business and managing our operations. We look forward to continuing our progress in the development of the site over the next year. Our bookkeeper/data manager and auction administrator – Dame Kyle Fulwiler – has had an unbelievably busy year. We would be hard pressed to operate with near as much efficiency without her incredible service. We highly recommend this type of support to other chapters considering the addition of paid staff to streamline chapter operations.

Washington, DC Chapter Submitted by Ann Stratte 2015-16 Officers President Ann Stratte 1st VP Membership Claire Gill 2nd VP Fundraising Susan James 2nd VP Programs Eileen Dykes Comm. Secretary Polly Wiedmaier Recording Secretary Kari Barrett Treasurer Marie Ostrosky Immediate Past President Drew Faulkner Number of Chapter Members: 136 Fundraisers: “2nd Annual Craft Spirit of Poe” A fantastic evening bringing together the top bartenders in Washington, D. C.; each creating a “Poe inspired” Cocktail and competeing to win the grand prize. This has succeeded in raising money for scholarships and increasing the awareness of our organization to the millenials. (October) “Culinary Women In Words” Our inaugural book signing party, featuring seventeen of our Dame authors and their books. Held at a chic Georgetown hair salon, guests sipped on some bubbly, enjoyed food prepared by authors from their recipes, while purchasing books for themselves and for holiday gifts. (December)

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“Rhone Rangers Dinner” The 2nd Annual collaboration between LDE_DC and the Rhone Rangers raising money specifically earmarked to benefit young women pursuing careers in the wine industry. (June) Educational Programs: Our chapter does an extraordianry job of putting together a very full schedule of educational and fun public events each year. 2015-16 was no exception. Though not designed to make money, the program committee makes sure they are profitable with proceeds going to our philanthropic programs. A few of the programs we aponsored last year include: Gastro Walking Tour, Phillipine Cusine, National Geo-Global Kitchen, Mama Rouge; Southeast Asian Brunch, Premium Tea and Chocolate Pairing.and the Sacred Foods of Israel Scholarships: Our chapter granted two schoalrships this year: $10,000 to Ashleigh Pearson, pastry chef at Brasserie Beck Kentlands, having worked her way up in the Robert Wiedmaier Restaurant group since being hired as a pastry cook and “extra pair of hands” in 2012. She is determined to continue her education by earning a pastry diploma at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and has been accepted for a 9-month pastry course, beginning January 2016$2000 to Stephanie Holliman is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She moved to Washington to work in policy and has held a series of jobs in that area. She has decided to commit herself to a culinary career, and has been accepted in a foundational culinary arts program at L’Academie de Cuisine, with six months of classroom instruction followed by a six-months of internship. Washington D.C. also made the decision to become a member of the Brock Circle this year and paid the $10,000 in one lump sum. As a chapter, we look forward to seeing all of you next year at the LDEI Conference to be held at the Wagington, D.C. Fairmont Hotel October 28-30, 2016.

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