David George
Syracuse,NY
Summary
EXPERIENCED DIRECTOR OF FOOD SERVICES WITH A FOCUS ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY AND SATISFACTION WHILE PRODUCING BOTTOM-LINE RESULTS Effective and determined leader with 30+ years of experience with increasing levels of responsibility focusing on planning, budgeting, managing, and directing large department with operating budget of 65M. Demonstrated ability to organize, coach and lead staff in service of food and beverage, at a large private institution. Hands-on experience with: Catering Concessions Vending Commissary Residential Dining Retail Convenience Stores Restaurant
Overview
40
40
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
INDEPENDENT
INSURANCE AGENT
08.2017 - Current
- Modeled strong customer service skills and helped hundreds of clients with life and health insurance needs
- Developed quality professional relationships while building a client base
- Maintained business records utilizing Microsoft Office, marketed business and analyzed sales volume
- Met with prospective customers and business owners in their homes
- Businesses and other settings
- Successfully completed Medicare annual courses and completed certifications for 4 carriers.
Director
University Food Services
01.1995 - 01.2017
- Directed, developed strategies, coordinated, and managed all functions with an annual operating budget of $65M, serving approximately 3.4 million meals per year
- Responsible for operating budget of 38 food service locations including Residential Dining, Student Center Dining and Catering, Food Courts, Retail Operations, Carrier Dome Food Operations, Vending Operations, Commissary Operations, Campus Catering, Campus Groceries, and the Goldstein Alumni & Faculty Center
- Managed team of 57 exempt staff, 12 clerical staff, 330 bargaining unit FTE’s and 2,400 casual employees
- Successfully completed HACCP course and operated central production/cook chill facility which has HACCP plan on file with Onondaga County Health Department
- The facility was used as a demonstration location by Onondaga County Health Department as a training location for inspectors
- Held semi-annual training programs for full time staff, sent staff to participate in NACUFS conferences and Institutes, certified cooked staffing in the ServSafe food protection course
- Provided on-site training in safety, HACCP, customer service and brand delivery, maintaining quality of service and reducing turnover
- Initiated committee with unit managers, Student Association and FS senior management team, committee provided feedback on operations and assisted with future menu enhancements and facility renovations
- Opened convenience store and 2 new cafés, including a Starbucks, growing sales by 750k
- Engaged the customer with several formats to bring out customer feedback including traditional methods as well as new methods involving social media like Facebook and mobile survey app
- Set up focus groups with residence hall council to gather feedback on menu and adjusted the menu based on the feedback received which increased customer satisfaction
- Researched beverage trends, added new products in vending machines, increasing annual sales by 3%
- Renovated existing dining center adding new action stations and seating resulting in our ability to handle increase in population on west side of campus
- Reduced controllable expenses by 500k annually allowing department to contribute savings to bottom-line to assist funding for other priorities at the university
- Focused on waste reduction and began to track waste at all locations developing a baseline for comparison resulting in a reduction of pre-consumer waste reducing product costs
- Reviewed and analyzed department budget, adjusting operating expenses to decrease costs by 50k
- Opened 8 new campus cafes over the years bringing our services closer to the customer base in the academic buildings on campus
- Served as Regional Conference Chair for NACUFS Northeast Region
Assistant Director
01.1991 - 01.1995
- Directed daily operations of 1 food court and 2 student centers
- Developed, implemented and monitored operating budget of $5 million
- Coordinated and managed exempt staff of 14
- Represented department for bargaining unit meetings and grievances
- Consolidated board operations from 6 locations to 5 maximizing operational efficiencies
- Renovated traditional board location and converted it to nationally branded food court increasing customer satisfaction by offering recognized products and brands to campus population
- Created a new food court concept with 8 locations, generating 1.8M in additional revenue for department
- Chaired committee to coordinate all food and beverage at 1992 NACUFS NE Regional conference held at Syracuse University, receiving accolades from peers and industry members
- Planned and researched menu items for all meals and breaks during successful 3 ½ day conference
- Worked with cooking staff to create and produce several new menu items for main banquet serving 450 conference attendees
- Surveyed customers to obtain feedback on hours of operations and menu offerings, assisting us with modifications to improve customer satisfaction
- Identified areas for improvement to retail food court layouts by surveying customers and using feedback to increase efficiencies in product delivery and customer flow, reducing wait times during peak hours
- Restructured operations by reducing labor hours, making menu adjustments and operational efficiencies increasing profitability by 250k
- Worked with student radio station to develop advertising promotions for campus delivery service increasing sales by 5% from prior year.
Complex Manager
Schine Student Center
01.1988 - 01.1991
Senior Food & Beverage Manager
Syracuse University Dining Services
01.1985 - 01.1988
Service Supervisor
Syracuse University Dining Services
01.1983 - 01.1985
Education
Bachelor of Science - Dietetics Management
Syracuse University, Human Development
Syracuse, NYB.A. - Psychology
Syracuse University, College of Arts and Sciences
Skills
- Manage Budgets
- Cooking Procedures
- Food Service Team Development
- Contractual Compliance
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Sales Activities
- Time Management
- Regulatory and Legal Compliance
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Strategic Planning
- Judgment and Decision-Making
- Active Listening
Certification
ServSafe - Food Protection Manager
Timeline
INDEPENDENT
INSURANCE AGENT
08.2017 - Current
Director
University Food Services
01.1995 - 01.2017
Assistant Director
01.1991 - 01.1995
Complex Manager
Schine Student Center
01.1988 - 01.1991
Senior Food & Beverage Manager
Syracuse University Dining Services
01.1985 - 01.1988
Service Supervisor
Syracuse University Dining Services
01.1983 - 01.1985
Bachelor of Science - Dietetics Management
Syracuse University, Human Development
B.A. - Psychology
Syracuse University, College of Arts and Sciences
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