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Shelly Duran, General Manager
As the General Manager of Sodexo Education Services at Missouri State University I have the extreme pleasure of setting the tone for our team here on campus. Our mission is Spirit of Service and Hospitality and we work diligently to insure that our partnership with Missouri State is one for life. Partnership is not a term we use lightly we know that in order to cultivate a true partnership with Missouri State we must:
Currently manage 3 dining centers, 4 retail operations, Catering and Greenwood Lab School. I have had the pleasure of being on the Missouri State campus for the past 12 years. I have been with Sodexo for 24 years Education: Bachelor’s of Science from Mesa State College in Grand Junction Colorado I take great pleasure in the fact that I can come to work every single day and love what I do and the main reason for this is the people that I get to work with every single day. This is not only my immediate staff…but all of the faculty and staff and most of all the students…It's been a long time since I was 20 years old…but working with and being around our students everyday helps me to keep feeling like I'm still one of them! My main mission in life is to give my dogs the greatest life that any 4 legged creatures has had the pleasure of knowing…
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Tony Hein, Director of Operations
As Director Of Operations my role is to oversee the day to day operation of all of our dining centers as well as our retail units. I utilize my 25 plus years of experience in the food service industry to help me do this daily. I have had the pleasure of being with Sodexo at Missouri State University for the last 7 years and hope to be here many more! In my 7 years here I have been the manager of Blair Shannon, Garst, Cafe Ala Carte and Boomers and in the last two years I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as the Director of Operations. When I am away from work I love to spend time on the lake fishing and waterskiing with my wife and my two beautiful daughters. If it is too cold for that I like to hunt, read and also enjoy woodworking. I have a Bachelors Of Science degree in finance. |
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Vlada Buck, Zone Marketing Director
I have been the Marketing Manager at Missouri State for over 3 years now. I am thrilled to be part of this team and provide marketing support for all the dining centers, catering, and retail locations on campus. I am also responsible for overseeing all of the marketing efforts at 5 other large Sodexo Accounts in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. I have been fortunate to work for Sodexo Campus Services for the last eleven years. It feels like it has been even longer than that at times because I started as a student employee in the Catering Department at Central Missouri State University while working on a Bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. After spending four years there and completing my degree, I had an opportunity to stay on that campus for a few months in a new role as a Food Service Manager. I enjoyed the job and was very grateful for the extensive training that I received; however, I wanted to get back to catering. After careful consideration, I accepted a position of Catering Manager at Western Illinois University. I spent three years managing the catering department there while pursuing a Master's Degree in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Upon completing the coursework I felt that I was ready to combine my marketing knowledge with the extensive food service experience. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, playing various sports and spending time with family and friends. |
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Teri Harris, Director of CateringMy name is Teri Harris and I am the Catering Director for Sodexo at Missouri State University. I am also responsible for the running of the Union Club. I came to Springfield and Missouri State nine years ago from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. During my 13 years in Warrensburg I held a variety of positions, Administrative Assistant to The Director of Family Housing, Administrative Assistant in the International Center, Event Coordinator for the Student Union, and Catering Associate for Marriott Corporation. I also received a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Central Missouri in Hotel/Restaurant Management. I have been on this campus nine years and with Sodexho for eleven years.
The Catering Department is committed to making all of your events a success. We have had the opportunity to cater meals for as small a group as two people all the way up to 1200. I consider myself lucky to work with the wonderful team of full time and part time student staff, that are dedicated to delivering a fantastic product in an efficient manner to our clients on and off campus.
Nine years ago when I first came to Springfield I was very homesick and thought I would never be able to feel as comfortable as I was in Warrensburg. Now I can’t imagine being anywhere but this great institution in our wonderful, beautiful city. I have had a change in heart due to the warm and caring people I get to work beside at Missouri State. It is my goal for our department to partner with the University in every way possible and for us to be part of the Missouri State Family.
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my children and grandchildren. I am lucky to have three beautiful daughters and three wonderful granddaughters who all live in Springfield. I stay busy with church activities and I am crazy about going to the movies. I love to read and have a large collection of recipe books. I am also an animal lover and I share my home with a toy poodle, Jack, and Yorkie named Cutie Pie. |
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Matt Buck, Catering ManagerI have worked for Sodexo for the last five years, two and a half of which have been as the Catering Manager. Every job I have ever had has been in the Hospitality and Restaurant Industry. I have cooked, washed dishes, served tables, worked night audit at a hotel, and had a very interesting internship at The Sagamore, a resort, in Bolton Landing, New York. One of my favorite aspects of my job is the fact that every day is different. We are constantly coming up with new menu ideas, meeting new people, and catering events at interesting locations. One thing is for sure, catering never gets boring!
When I am not at work I enjoy spending time with my friends, experiencing the great local cuisine Springfield has to offer, traveling, golfing, watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, and watching University of Illinois basketball. |
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Wade Parker, Resident Dining Manager - Blair-Shannon Dining Center
What’s to know about Wade? Well let’s see I’m 37, I saw Starwars in the theater when it first came out, I am a Geek / Nerd, I know most comic book trivia pre 1995, I have played almost every MMORPG that has been released (although this one is getting hard to keep up with), I have a very eclectic taste in music I can listen to Les Claypool followed by Hank Williams Sr., and I am restoring / rebuilding a 1971 Chevy short bed truck into a hot rod sleeper.
Now that that’s out of the way I started working in food service during College, Bio major Art Minor, and I found I was doing a good job and making decent money so I just stuck with it. I started out washing dishes and mopping floors and moved up from there, some of the jobs I have done are supervisor, assistant residential manager, residential manager, catering manager, retail manager, assistant director and food service director, as well as owning my own restaurant for a short time so I have see many aspects of our business and I like to use that experience for your benefit. I love working in our industry for many reasons, I think it keeps you young and your mind active, I love to see the reactions of our customers when we get it right, and I just love to produce good food, in general I guess you could say I am a “Foodie” trying to stay up on the latest trends and I like to try to broaden people perception of food.
I would like to end with letting you know, and mean this sincerely, I am here to help you enjoy your dining experience, I know when we serve 1800 meals for lunch I am not going to get it perfect for everyone but if there is something I can do to help with yours stop me during the meal and I’ll be happy to do what I can to make it a better one.
Peace and ………LEEEROOOOYYY JENKINS!!!!!! |
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Nicole Young, Resident Dining Chef-Manager - Blair-Shannon Dining CenterNicole Young is a classically trained chef. She went to culinary school for two and a half years. She has worked at Hickory Hills country club here in town as we as a few catering businesses in Branson. She decided to become a chef because she wanted to learn to cook better than her mother, and admits that she still thinks her moms a better cook. She loves food, loves new ideas, loves a challenge and loves interacting with students.
She also likes dark chocolate, long walks on the beach, and expensive sports cars.... :) j/k |
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Julie Licis, Resident Dining Manager- Garst Dining Center
Wow! How time flies. This year is the beginning of my third year as the Resident Dining Manager of Garst Dining Center and Café Ala Carte, and it has become home. I will have been with Sodexo for five years in January, beginning with a couple of years in Catering with the lovely Ms. Harris. I started in the food industry at the age of 15, working for Mr. Swiss. I have come up through the ranks, being a short order taker, waitress, bartender and working my way into management in both the private restaurant business and the hotel industry. I also worked for the Springfield Police Department for 11 years in a variety of positions, the last being intelligence research.
I moved to Springfield from the metropolis of Salem, Missouri, at the age of 17 with a full scholarship in Speech and Theatre at then Southwest Missouri State University. I was a student worker at Taylor Health Center for 3 ½ years. I’ve always loved this environment and felt like I was “coming home” when I came on board with Sodexo at this campus. I made the silly mistake of getting married instead of finishing my degree, however, I have been a blues singer in this area for years and may get back into theatre soon. It is my passion and my dream.
I have two children Whitney, age 22, who is attending Drury College on a dean’s scholarship in Pre-Med. Yes, I’m going to have the pool house out back when she obtains her goal of being an anesthesiologist. Andrew, age 18, is attending his first semester at OTC. He is very unique as he is autistic, but very smart. Beginning college has been a huge challenge for him, but after a few minor set backs, looks like he is going to complete his first semester with a 3.0. I am so very proud of both of them, can you tell?
A few of the things that drive me the most in my position at Garst is customer service and diversity. I have employees from Employment Solutions of Springfield and the BASE program at Greenwood. Garst Dining Center won the Employer of the Year Award in Springfield from Employment Solutions last year. I have also had the pleasure of seeing one of my employees with disabilities soar in confidence and begin taking classes at OTC. We also employ many international students from many countries. They tell me I am famous in India and China and are told to come and find me for a job when they get to campus. Garst Dining Center also won an award for Customer Service from Sodexo this year based on the student surveys.
Aside from that, I love to garden and can tell you any plant that will grow in the shade (I have a lot of shade). It keeps me busy from early spring to fall. My domestic partner, Maury, absolutely loves digging holes for more plants, not really, but he does it. He’s beginning to get into it and gets a little excited when something takes off and blooms. I have two puppies Heddy May (a Yorkipoo) and Daisy (a Chihuahua). They are like water and oil. We also have a new addition a crazy, and I mean crazy cat. ChiChi. Yes, I stay busy. |
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Pete Tracy, Executive Chef, Garst Dining Center/ CateringI am in charge of all food production at Garst dining center which includes all the line production as well as catering production. I have been with Sodexo now for about four years, and I have been in the food service business for fifteen years. Cooking has been my passion, I got in to it at age 15 because it is the only job where you can always get a meal. I actually went to school at Missouri State from 1995-1997 considering a Wildlife degree. After finding out about the pay scale and the job market I decided that I should just stick to what I do best and keep cooking. I received all my certifications at O.T.C. for a Hospitality Management Degree. During this time I continued my career in the restaurant business cooking in everything from bars and family restaurant to fine dining and country clubs. I made it a point to learn everything I could from everyone I worked with and constantly try to improve my own skills. I enjoy the creative license you get with cooking, and the fact that you get to make food art. In my free time I like the outdoors, and tinkering with engines. |
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Mary Ann Gann, Retail Manager, Grill 155/Boomer's/Kentwood DiningI am currently overseeing two retail units and Kentwood dining hall. I have been with Sodexo for six years, and worked in the food service industry for 34 years. I enjoy working with students on a daily basis. I am a mother of four with two daughters in college, one son overseas in the US Army and one son here in Springfield. I have two grandchildren, a granddaughter who is 2 years old and a grandson who is 4 months old who I love spending time with. I love to cook and try new things in the kitchen. My hobbies also include reading, camping, and volunteering on passenger trains. |
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Jeanne Henderson, Administrative Assistant
I have 20 years of experience working on campus in the dining services office with nine of those years being with Sodexo. My responsibilities include: meal plan sales, accounts payable, payroll and related issues, and customer information. I have a Bachelor's degree from Missouri State University in Business Management. My favorite part of the job is meeting new students every year at SOAR and having a variety of duties that keep my job interesting. My hobbies include spending time with family, cooking and reading. |
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Rita Davis, Administrative Assistant
I began my food service career here at Missouri State in January 1972 as a Catering Hostess. In 1973, when companies changed, I was offered an office position, where I have been for 32 years thru 7 different companies; with Sodexo since 1996. My main job is handling Accounts Receivables; plus help with selling meal plans and general office duties. In my spare time I like to browse flea markets and auctions. |