The department is scheduled to begin its second Citizen Police Academy on Thursday February 2nd.  The class is open to local residents at least 18 yeas of age with no criminal history.  Any interested applicants can access the Kent Police  website or contact Lt. Canfield for more information at 330.673.3221.

The Citizens Police Academy will involve eleven weekly classes. The first class will be held on Thursday February 2, 2012. Subsequent classes will be held each Thursday, and the graduation will be on April 19, 2012.

Each four hour class will be held at the Kent Police Department. Attendees will learn about criminal law, case law, court processes, parking and traffic enforcement, drunk and drugged driving enforcement, criminal investigations, use of force, crime prevention, and specialized police functions.

Attendees will also be afforded to experience officer “Ride-alongs” and police equipment. This is a rare opportunity for area residents to see the difference between television and the reality of police work.

Sometimes it’s you that’s changing –  you get married, have kids, grow old — all those are life changers that influence your perspective on things.  Other times the world changes around us and causes us to see things differently. Lately, the economy has done a lot of changing, mostly not for good, and out of necessity that’s forced us to look at things differently. 

I’ve always tended to describe the City organization with phrases like innovative, engaged, action-oriented, goal-directed, and any number of other adjectives that implied progress towards fulfilling the Kent community’s aspirations.   These words are all still true but as I’ve made done my speech-making tour at some of the local civic organizations I’ve noticed that I am tending to favor a slightly different set of words.  Words like resilient, dependable, and resourceful are coming up much more frequently than they used to.  I think it’s a sign of the times and an economy that has pushed us off center and into a less certain financial landscape.   

It turns out that resilience is indeed my new favorite word, and its the word I’m most proud of when it comes to describing Kent City employees and all the work they find ways to do under the duress of resource cuts. 

I find a strong resonance for what I see happening within the City organization with the way that Wikipedia defines resilience — “Resilience” is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity. This coping may result in the individual “bouncing back” to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of exposure to adversity to produce a “steeling effect” and function better than expected.

With all the positive things happening in Kent you’d think we’d be feeling pretty good about where we’re at financially — and by comparison with many of our neighboring cities, we are estatic — but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods.  In the last 25 years, there’s only been 3 years when City income taxes (which is the basis of all the good work that City employees are able to do) has decreased in size — those years were 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Ouch. 

However, I am optimistic (based on numbers not just hope alone) that 2011 is off to a much better start and we should see a reversal of this troubling trend.  Plus, all the construction going on around town has definitely given us a nice shot in the arm in temporary income tax revenues which should help us bridge over and into the next period of economic growth that we expect to follow from the new jobs being created in the downtown revitalization project and all the ancilliary job growth that should spur.

That’s our plan and we’re sticking to it, but unfortunately we got a curveball from the State of Ohio.  The biennial State budget is cutting about $750,000 of our revenues.  That’s an unexpected and ill-timed hit that has definitely taken the steam out of whatever gains we’ve been able to achieve through the plan that I desribed above.  But to quote myself, we’re resilient, and we’re committed to finding a way through these times and come out the other side stronger than ever as a community. 

Here’s an excerpt from a letter I wrote that accompanies the submission of our comprehensive annual financial report for 2010 that gives you a sense of how our financial strategies worked in 2010.

FACTORS AFFECTING FINANCIAL CONDITION

The information presented in the financial statements is best understood when it is considered from the broader perspective of the specific economic environment within which the City of Kent operates.

Local Economy

Despite continued strain in the region’s economy, the City of Kent was able to maintain favorable reserve balances and sustain City services at existing levels without any new or increased taxes or fees in 2010.   The City’s aggressive cost cutting over the last 5 years, combined with the revenue stabilization provided by Kent State University, enabled the City to continue to hold the line on its budget in 2010 and weather the financial storm better than most of the neighboring communities in Northeast Ohio.    

Kent State University is the City’s largest employer, accounting for 40.8% of total municipal income tax revenues.  Consequently, the City’s financial condition is heavily influenced by the financial performance of the University. As a public institution of higher education Kent State tends to not experience dramatic revenue swings, which buffers the City’s tax base from the more volatile highs and lows of private business cycles. 

2010 marked Kent State University’s Centennial year and with it came the highest recorded enrollment in the university’s 100-year history, securing Kent State’s position as the second largest public university in Ohio.  Kent State reported an 11.6% increase in enrollment for Spring 2010 and a 7.56 percent increase in enrollment for the Fall 2010. These enrollment figures include record levels of international students (up 25%) and graduate school enrollment. Kent State’s research funding reached record highs in 2010 ($26.8 million) and the University also reported record-breaking fundraising results (securing $39.9 million).  The University’s net assets increased 7.4% in 2010 and are trending upwards. 

To commemorate the university’s 2010 Centennial, Kent State commissioned a study to quantify the economic contribution of the University to the local economy.  The report noted that in total, the average annual contribution of Kent State and its alumni in Northeast Ohio is $1.9 billion. The region benefits from $292.4 million in added income each year due to the payroll of Kent State faculty and staff, and the university’s spending for supplies and services. Student off campus spending also contributes an additional $45.3 million to the greater Kent economy. 

 The University’s achievements in 2010 enabled Kent State to continue to fund faculty and staff raises.  These income increases helped to offset the recessionary effects evident in other sectors of the greater Kent economy.  Despite the University derived gains, income tax receipts (not including the Franklin and Brimfield JEDD agreements explained below) in 2010 came in below the prior year by 0.28%.  That is only the third time in 25 years that the City experienced a net loss in income tax and while the City’s single digit income tax drop is less precipitous than state and national declines, it remains a City concern and illustrates the depth of the troubles in the non-university sectors of the economy that have crippled some of Kent’s neighboring communities. 

While the City has not been immune to the broader economic downturn, it has witnessed some positive early indicators of an emerging economic recovery.  2010 marked yet another record year for Kent State income tax contributions and total City revenues began to rebound in the second half of 2010 following back to back years of decline to post a net increase of 4.6% for the last six months of the year.  Real income growth was lead by University-based sectors in 2010 but it was tempered by sluggishness in the traditional manufacturing and transportation sectors. 

Investments in Kent

In 2010 Kent State University began the largest capital re-investment program ($250 million) in the history of the University, completing renovations of Risman Plaza (Phase I), main campus library, Roe Green Performance Center, and select residence halls.  This level of investment will transform the campus and generate significant income taxes ($250,000 to $500,000/year) during the 2-3 year construction period.   

Elsewhere in the Kent community new construction values were trending in opposite directions in 2010. 
Single family residential construction hit record lows but interest in new multi-family properties were at all time highs with over 3,000 new units in the pipeline for construction over the next 1-3 years.  The proposed multi-family units will produce $50-$75 million in new investments with corresponding new construction related income taxes. 

Likewise, the commercial construction rebound that began in 2009 continued in 2010, accelerating Kent’s economic recovery. Over a dozen new businesses opened or expanded in Kent in 2010, including the ground breaking  for Phase III of the Downtown Phoenix Project ($10 million), grand opening of a new Sheetz store, Klaben Quick Lane Car Repair opening, the new Buzz Barber Shop, announcement of the new Record Courier headquarters to be built in Kent, Lucky Penny Farm and Creamery, Kent Yoga Center, Crooked River Canoe/Kayak Rental, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Montrose Mazda Auto Dealership and the Dancing Beta Sushi Restaurant. 

On the public side, the City continued to aggressively pursue Federal, State and Regional grant funds for infrastructure improvements with great success.   As a result, the City is repairing more bridges, streets and sidewalks than it has in decades.  Over the last 3 years the City was awarded (or was a partner in grant awards) amounting to over $40 million in stimulus/grant funds, which has enabled the City to leverage grant funds to City funds at an impressive 5:1 ratio. 

The Fairchild Avenue Bridge project construction was well underway by the end of 2010, with the new bridge superstructure constructed and the decking under construction.  The adjoining roadway approaches to the bridge had been realigned to match the location and elevation of the new bridge, and the hike and bike trail connections had been graded for paving in a later phase of the project.  The bulk of the remaining work relates to raising the adjacent railroad lines and building the new pedestrian/bike bridge.  The project remains on budget and on schedule for completion in 2012.

Investment was not limited to new construction in 2010; it also included the continued demolition of blighted and non-productive properties that will be replaced with new residential and commercial properties as appropriate.  For the residential properties, the City accessed Federal grant funds to take down three condemned structures and replace them affordable housing to help to stabilize distressed City neighborhoods.  The commercial properties were removed as part of the larger downtown revitalization effort and included City, University and privately funded site preparation efforts. 

Major Initiatives

Phases 1 and 2 of the Phoenix Project were completed and fully tenanted in downtown Kent by the end of 2009.  This popular project offers an eclectic mix of small, local retail and restaurants, and office space; including the first off campus University business enterprise, the Tannery, a professional marketing, advertising and media services company that is staffed by students.  Phase III, which includes the extension of Acorn Alley and the construction of another 50,000 square feet of office, retail and condominiums, began in late 2010 and is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2011. 

The success of the Phoenix Project reaffirmed the City and Kent State’s commitment to proceed with a mixed use redevelopment project that will include 56,000 square feet of new retail and restaurants, a 95 room hotel, a 15,000 square foot conference center, 75,000 square feet of office space, and 18 residential units strategically located at the edge of central business district and the expanded edge of the University campus in downtown Kent.  Two major corporate tenants, Davey Tree and Ametek Corporation, began lease negotiations in 2010 (finalized and signed in 2011) to occupy 60,000 square feet of office space and bring 100 to 150 professional jobs into downtown Kent in 2012 when the first phases of construction are expected to be complete.  During 2010 the City and University finalized land acquisition for the project, signed Development Agreements with the project partners, signed an Agreement with the Portage Area Regional Transit Agency (PARTA) for the new multi-modal facility, and completed the majority of the site demolition and mass grading.    

In 2010 the City continued to work with Franklin and Brimfield townships to recruit new businesses and expand business development opportunities within the JEDD boundaries. As a result of these partnerships, the City received $201,625 as its combined share of JEDD income taxes in 2010.

As part of the City’s neighborhood enrichment initiatives, the City and Kent State University agreed in 2010 to jointly fund a new Community-University Liaison position.  The purpose of the new position is to improve communications in the edge of campus neighborhoods and to facilitate new programs to improve the quality of life enjoyed by students and residents living in those neighborhoods. 

Long-term Financial Planning

During 2010, the City continued to update and implement the five-year capital improvement program that ensures the City’s ability to meet the infrastructure needs of the community in future years.  In addition to the capital plan, City Council continued to support strategic land acquisitions in 2010 that advanced critical economic development priorities.  City staff also continued to pursue efficiency and productivity improvements resulting in budget cuts and savings amounting to $400,000 in 2010. 

Cash Management Policies and Practices

The City’s investment policy is to manage and invest the public’s funds with regard to the following criteria:  Safety of principal is the foremost objective for the City. All investments are executed in a manner that seeks to ensure preservation of capital in the overall portfolio. Liquidity is the second objective, and the City’s investment portfolio maturities are structured in such a manner so as to meet all of its operating requirements that can be reasonably anticipated. Finally, the City’s investment portfolio is managed so as to achieve a competitive yield that is compatible with the risk and cash flow requirements of the portfolio. The Director of Budget and Finance is authorized by City Council to invest interim and active monies not in excess of $10 million.  Investments may be in certificates of deposit or repurchase agreements for a period not to exceed six months with an eligible institution designated as a depository in the State of Ohio.  While these are considered uncollateralized for financial reporting purposes, the institutions are required by state statute to maintain a collateral pool of assets whose carrying value exceeds their total public deposits by at least 5%.  Investments in excess of $10 million or beyond six months require the authorization of the City’s Treasury Investment Board.  The Treasury Investment Board is comprised of the City Manager, the Director of Budget and Finance and the Director of Law. The total interest earned during 2010 was $308,817.

The 5 year plan update identified the top priorities in 7 functional categories – Climate/Culture/Safety at Kent City Schools; Communications & Community Relations;   Curriculum/Programs; Facilities; Finance; Staff Development/Personnel; and Technology.  Each of the categories had 4 to 5 goals listed, e.g., broaden curriculum efforts to prepare students for a global economy, create learning environments that foster creativity, innovation and global competency. 

The Superintendent is looking to reconvene the planning team and I understand that he’s also partnering with Kent State University to complete some phone survey work to get more feedback from City residents.  The phone survey is set to start in October so as the school press release listed below says, “please don’t hang up.”

“Please don’t hang up!

Kent City Schools has partnered with Kent State University to get your feedback on how the Kent School District is doing, including the District’s progress with their strategic plan.  During the month of October, a random sample of households will receive a phone call from KSU’s Research and Evaluation Bureau, asking you to take part in a survey about Kent City Schools.  Survey calls will take place on weekdays between 4:30 p.m.  and 8:30 p.m., beginning October 4.  The survey should take less than 10 minutes, and remember, if you don’t speak up, your voice will not be heard, so please don’t hang up!

If you do not get a call and would still like to provide Kent City Schools with feedback, your comments and questions are welcome; please contact Superintendent Joe Giancola at (330) 676-7600 or ke_jgiancola@kentschools.net ”

1.  City Crack Seal Program
As part of the City Engineer’s Office annual street evaluation the City staff have come up with a list of streets that would benefit from an application of crack seal in joints and cracks.  Streets are actually a bit of an engineering marvel — they have to be rigid enough to support a loaded 18 wheeler but flexibile enough to go with the flow in the extreme weather conditions of mid-summer and mid-winter.  There’s a whole science behind asphalt mixology and knowing how much liquid asphalt to mix with rounded sand and coarse gravel and angular stones — commonly referred to as the stone matrix of the mix.  This is the kind of stuff that gets Civil Engineers excited but for the rest of us, we just want safe and smooth riding streets. 

It turns out that water is public enemy number one for streets.  It slithers into cracks and begins to wash away the fine sands in the mix, dilutes the oils and loosens the aggregate mix to the point where that critical balance between rigid and flexible pavement is thrown off.  Left unchecked, thats where potholes are born. 

The key then, is to plug the gaps and cracks — which is the what crack sealing is all about.  It’s a dose of prevention to keep pavement rocks and oils in proper balance.  Here’s the list of streets scheduled to receive crack seal in 2010: 

2.  County Seal Coat
Seal coat is another way to protect the asphalt surface from the elements.  It works much like crack sealing except it’s a full surface application rather than a targeted application.  Crack seal should not be confused with asphalt resurfacing — crack seal doesn’t really improve pavement structure or fix potholes — it just helps ensure a barrier to preserve what’s underneath.  It what’s underneath is bad, it’s not going to help much, but if what’s underneath still has decent integrity, then seal coat may add a couple more years of decent service life to that street. 

Here’ s the list of streets in Kent that the County’s contractor will be seal coating:

Location
Cuyahoga Street Between Major’s Lane and N. Mantua Street
Gale Drive Cul-de-Sac to North end of Bridge on Sunrise Blvd.
Garth Drive Silver Meadows Blvd. to East end of street.
Kevin Drive
Longmere Drive Middlebury Rd to Haymaker Parkway.
Oak Street, West Franklin Ave. to S. Water Street
Pleasant Avenue N. Mantua Street to East end of street
-Individual Locations (Wilson, Crain, Doramor, River)

In addition, if funding is available we hope to add the following to this year’s program:
-Additional sidewalk work on Sunrise Boulevard
-Additional sidewalk work on Crain Avenue

Keep in mind that the Parks folks are still tweaking the final design so these are NOT done yet but I figure that what they’ve got is probably pretty close to what you’re going to see on Admore Drive (on the West end of town behind Klaben Ford Auto Dealership)  — so lube up your ride and start practicing those Melloncollies, Sausage Grinds and McTwists because skateboard heaven is just around the corner.  Enjoy this sneak peak:

WHO: Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents with the cooperation of The Kent State University Dining Services, and The Vegiterranean Restaurant in Akron

WHAT: Vegan Iron Chef II Competition
-2nd Annual Vegan Iron Chef Competition
-Opening Event for the 4th Annual “Who’s Your Mama?” earth Day and Environmental Film Festival. www.whosyourmama.org

-Vegan Samples provided

WHERE: Kent State University, Student Center. 2nd Floor Dining Location.

WHEN: Sunday, April 18, 2-6pm.

COST: FREE!

CONTACT: 330-673-4970

www.whosyourmama.org for updates

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

COMPETITION INFO:

1. Competition will once again kick off The “Who’s Your Mama?” Earth Day and Environmental Film Festival. The purpose of the competition is to educate the public about the health benefits of a vegan diet, both personal and ecological.

2. Students from Kent State University and The University of Akron will prepare vegan dishes that highlight special dietary needs as well as provide an alternative to a meat based diet. The foods they create will be samples for the audience to taste. Appetizers, Salads and Desserts can all be featured. Several Purveyors will be invited to set up and offer samples of their vegan goods.

3. The Main Competition will be a 4 hour event, 2-6pm, with an Emcee and Speakers, 8 pro chefs, 6 teams of Student Chefs, a garde mange display, and 8 judges ( 4 each for students and pros).

-Student Chefs will create a Pasta Dish for Audience to Sample. Vegiterranean will provide pizza samples. Molly Aubuchon will provide samples as well.

-The Competing Chefs will be required to make An Entree using vegan ingredients.

-Gardein, a vegan meat substitute, will be featured. Scot to provide Gardein. A root vegetable will also be featured.

-Jeff St. Clair of WKSU has agreed to Emcee the event again.

-University of Akron and Kent State University competition will begin at 2pm.

-6 Teams of Students. 45 minutes to cook for Students. 2 Teams start at a time, 15 minutes apart.

-Separate judging for students and pros.

-Pro Chefs will begin at 3pm. 1 hour to cook and present 12 plates for the judges, 8 for the table of 8. 2 Teams at a time, 15 minutes apart.

THE CHEFS:

4. Chef Alford, Professor Emeritus of University of Akron, Mr. Tofu, Molly Aubuchon, A Vegiterranean Chef, Tim Costello from KSU, Tom Rindfleisch from Organic Energy in Chagrin Falls, and Ben Bebenroth of Spice of Life Catering and Sheila Rombach, macrobiotic chef, have agreed to participate as pro chefs.

5. CRITERIA FOR JUDGING:

Judging will be based on
1. Flavor
2. Presentation
3. Use of Locally Grown and/or Organic Food
4. Originality

Chefs will provide judges with any necessary details when they serve the meals.

6. THE JUDGES:

Gary Lockwood of Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Jackie Parsons of Kent State University Dining Services have agreed to be judges. Other Judges include Kathy Hammonds, yoga instructor and urban gardener, and one judge TBA.

7. THE PRIZES:

For prizes, Spice of Life Catering has agreed to offer another Farm to Plate Dinner for 2, as well as a Dinner for 4 package from The Vegiterranean.

8. FEATURED SPEAKER:

Julie Wandling Costell, a Health Minister who is opening a new Vegan Café in Akron, Ms. Julie’s Kitchen.

THANK YOU TO Kent State University Dining Services, The Vegiterranean Restaurant, Kent Natural Foods Cooperative, Spice of Life Catering, Akron Life and Leisure Magazine, EcoWatch Magazine, Weekly Farms, Bellecino’s Restaurant, and The Kent Environmental Council for supporting this event.

CHEF BIOS:

RICHARD ALFORD/CCE

Associate Professor Emeritus
Education:
Associate degree Restaurant Management, University of Akron. BS Technical Education, University Akron. MS Technical Education, University of Akron.

Chef Alford has taught culinary arts for 29 years at the collegiate and high school levels. He is a certified executive chef and culinary educator by the American Culinary Federation. Holds certification as Lead Judge by National Ice Carving Association. Awarded chef of the year twice by the Akron Canton Chefs and Cooks Association and nominated for regional chef of the year. Received President Award from NICA, numerous ice competition medals and nominated for Ice Carving Hall of fame.

Coached the U of A Ice team to four national, many local and regional championships. He has conducted fruit and vegetable sculpture seminars and events from Canada to Brazil and Paris to California. Inducted into the National Ice Carving Association Hall of Fame in 2008.

MR. AND MRS. TOFU
Chef’s Bio
Mr. and Mrs. Tofu are vegan caterers and the authors of the award-winning blog “What The Hell Does A Vegan Eat Anyway?” (http://veganmenu.blogspot.com)

For the past seven years they have chronicled their nightly meals in their blog that VegNews awarded for “Best Gourmand Blog” (2006), and a “VegBloggy” for top Vegan blog (2008), for their “jaw-dropping photos” and “five-star restaurant fare.”

VegNews said, “If you’d never heard the word vegan before and the first blog you ever saw was this one, you’d imagine that every vegan on the planet graduated with honors from some well-respected culinary academy.”

MOLLY KAY AUBUCHON
Bio
Molly Aubuchon is an In Home Childcare Provider in Kent. She started her business nearly three years ago to earn a living and stay home with her two small children, Emma now six and Samuel now 4 years old. Before children she graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Finance and a Minor in Craft. She worked as a Branch Office Administrator for Edward Jones until Emma came along. Aside from the daycare business she creates vegan sweets and treats from her home. Specialty Sweets by Molly has been baking vegan treats for a little more than a year.

Molly’s interest in vegetarian cuisine began in the very beginning. Her parents, David and Linda Aubuchon, raised all three of their children vegetarian from birth. About ten years ago Molly decided to take the plunge into the Vegan diet and eliminate dairy and eggs from her diet. She began to feel the importance of food and how it affects our bodies. Determined to satisfy her nagging sweet tooth she spent time in her kitchen experimenting with vegan sweets trying to imitate a healthier substitute to her favorites of the past. She would share her creations with family and friends who eventually encouraged her to try to market them. With that, Specialty Sweets by Molly was born. Currently she makes cakes, cookies, pies and muffins for close friends and family. She pays special attention to use ingredients that help promote a healthy lifestyle with a satisfying sweetness.

Molly can be reached by email at mollykay7@sbcglobal.net.

EXECUTIVE CHEF TIM COSTELLO
BIO
Schwebel Room Executive Chef Tim Costello, a 1996 graduate of theCulinary Institute of America, has been cooking for almost 30 years.  After graduating from Central-Hower High School in 1974 and then spending six years as a minor league baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Chef Costello was drawn into the culinary world when he walked by the Tangiers Restaurant, Akron, Ohio in 1981 and landed his first job as a prep cook. Tim’s experience takes him around the world, having worked at companies such as Gate Gourmet, Memphis, TN, (1999-2005) Account Chef for British Airways, London, England, Continental Airlines, “Congress of Chefs”, Houston, TX, the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, New York City (1997-1998) and most recently Amtrak, Wilmington, DE (2005-2009) where he served as Corporate Executive Chef for all of Amtrak’s food and beverage services.

During his time with Gate Gourmet which consisted of developing menus for the airlines, Chef Tim had the honor to have his Swiss Air “First Class” menus featured at a luncheon in New York City at the world renowned Carnegie Hall. While working at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996 Chef Tim had the pleasure of working the Elton John AIDS Benefit and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame dinners.  At Amtrak, Chef Costello was instrumental in developing Amtrak’s “Culinary Advisory Team” with renowned Chefs Tom Douglas of Seattle, WA, owner of the Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Serious Pie and the Palace Kitchen and Michel Richard “James Beard Chef of the Year 2007” of the Citronelle restaurant located in Washington, DC.

Most recently in February 2009 while at Amtrak, Chef Tim developed and designed the onboard menus for President Obama’s Whistle Stop Tour leading up to his inauguration. Chef Tim is pleased to be back in the area and is happy to be a part of the Kent State University community and campus.

Sheila Rombach
Bio
Sheila Rombach is a macrobiotic chef with 23 years experience. Most of her training was done with Bob Carr and Francois Roland of the East West Center of Cleveland. She was the macro chef for both The Mustard Seed and The Cleveland Food Co-op before she began raising her 3 children in 1990. She currently works as an Herb and  supplement Buyer for Kent Natural Foods Cooperative.

She believes that mindful application of yin and yang principles are essential in creating a satisfying and healthful vegan meal.

Tom Rindfleisch:
Resume:  Currently Employed at Organic Energy Restaurant in Solon.

EDUCATION
Orange Schools, 1- 12
Boston University, 2yrs/Ohio State Univ., 3yrs
French Culinary Institute, 1 year
Bon Appetit Mgmt Co, Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleve.,OH, Exec. Chef
BioMedical Research Building,8/20/06-5/9/07, Multiple Full service cafeteria dining, Lunch and Breakfast. Responsible for several Retail Programs Supervised staff of 15. Installed all BAMCO sustainable protocols. Responsible for all administrative accounting, purchasing

EMPLOYMENT
Austin’s WoodFire Grille, Brecksville, OH, Chef/Kitchen
Manager,purchasing agent, 10/21/02-06/30/06. American Steakhouse theme featuring Mesquite wood fueled grill, predominately Beef, interesting Seafood inclusions. Volume steadying to 28k weekly after initial opening of several months at 35-40k. Borrowed many procedures and recipes from original store Developing systems and protocol Training mostly inexperienced staff Offering Guidelines, Strategies and documentation for all processes. Opened new store in Twinsburg Dec. 05

Buon Appetito, Bainbridge Twp., Ohio, Chef , 4/9/01-10/20/02. Elegant, free standing restaurant, recently opened, specializing in fine Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. Small, high volume kitchen demanding economy of space, purchasing and merchandizing. Work closely with Chef/Owner.

Hilton Cleveland South, Independence, Ohio, Executive Sous Chef, 11/27/00-4/6/01 In charge of food production for high volume catering department(4 mill.$) and franchise restaurant,Shula’s2(3.5mill.$), food and labor costs, training and evaluation of kitchen staff Boca Restaurant and Banquet Facility (at the Embassy Suites Hotel) Beachwood, Ohio, Banquet Chef, 9/95-11/26/00 Directing and coordinating food preparation, food and labor costs, training and evaluation of cooks ($2.5mill. annual revenue)Banquets to 450pp

Western Reserve Pastry, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Executive Chef, 1995 Stock and equip retail space for restaurant and catering production. Create menus and protocol Train and manage production staff.

Joey’s/Leonetti’s Restaurants, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Executive Chef, 1990-95  Manage production and training for family style restaurant, Design menus and protocol for upscale Italian restaurant, Train and manage staff of twelve

Luciano’s Ristorante, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Asst. Chef, 1988-90  Studied under master chef Assisted in all phases of restaurant operation

References: Available upon request

CHEF BEN BEBENROTH:
Education:
Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina
Top ten in culinary class of 2004
Taste Down Under winner, J&W national school competition

Career Highlights:
SOS Dinner Pre-party: Exclusive Chefs’ Pig Roast at Michael Symon’s house, 2008 & 2009
Featured Chef, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Natural History of Food Series
The Natural History of Onions Dinner, 2009
The Natural History of Asparagus Dinner, 2008
Ambassador’s Dinner for Peter Baxter, Washington D.C., 2005
Featured Demo Chef, New York City Food & Wine Show, 2005

Boards & Committees:
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association – Steering Committee for Topography Benefit
Old Trail School Local Food Advisory Panel
Bioneers Conference Advisory Panel
CBC Magazine Health & Wellness Roundtable
Cleveland Burning River Fest Advisory Panel 

Culinary Mentors:
Parker Bosely, Parkers American Bistro – Ohio City, Ohio
Jeff Gibbs, Charleston Chops – Charleston, South Carolina
Ben Famborough, Sans Souci – Cleveland, Ohio

Cheers!

The Kent Regional Business Alliance (KRBA) is our resident small business advisor, facilitator, professor, instigator, whatever-needs-to-be-doner, all  in the name of helping small businesses get started and finish first.  KRBA is in it for the long haul with new businesses; they’re like the BFF that is always there for small business owners with a shoulder,  a strong back and sleeves rolled up ready to dig whatever needs to be dug. 

KRBA was recently honored by the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce for their remarkable success rate — which is measured by the success of the businesses that they assist.  In the world of start-ups the numbers can be ugly.  Most small businesses don’t survive that first 5 year milestone — unless they went through the KRBA.  KRBA’s business success rate far exceeds industry averages and it’s a credit to the solid advice they give.  They speak in plain English and if they see holes in your business plan they’ll tell you straight-up, and then they’ll get busy trying to help you fill them before you get your business over-extended and in trouble. 

If you’re a small business dreamer KRBA is a local organization that you need to get to know.  And here’s a great chance to do that: 

PRESS RELEASE:   For immediate release

FROM: Kent Regional Business Alliance, 211 East Summit Street, Kent, Ohio 44240

CONTACT:  Marie Cassidy, Director KRBA   Phone:  330-474-3595

KRBA SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR SERIES

KRBA updates small businesses on building credit and alternative financing in today’s economic climate

KENT – The Kent Regional Business Alliance (KRBA) will host a financing workshop as part of an ongoing series of planned training seminars for area businesses on Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, followed by a networking session from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.  The event will take place at the NEOUCOMM Conference Center in Rootstown, Ohio.

Experts from Cleveland Small Business Administration, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Portage County’s Family and Community Services Inc., the University of Akron Small Business Legal Clinic, the Kent State University Ohio Employee Ownership Center, Cascade Financial Group, the Interface Financial Group and Tax and Financial Strategies are among the presenters that will offer valuable tips and guidance on how to build business credit and how to assess the pros and cons of a variety of small business financing options, including factoring (using purchase orders to secure financing), government–backed loan programs (including updates on SBA loans), seeking investors and borrowing from friends and family. Small business owners will also share their honest experiences with diverse financing and business planning in the current lending climate.

KRBA sponsors these workshops to provide assistance to small business as part of its State and SBA sponsored Small Business Development Center program. (SBDC)

The $25.00 registration fee includes all conference materials, light refreshments and business networking.

For more information, and to register, visit the KRBA website at http://www.krba.biz/ or call KRBA offices at 330-474-3595. 

The hands on training supports the collaborative mission of the State of Ohio Department of Development, SBA and KRBA to assist existing business owners and entrepreneurs in discovering the resources available to maintain and expand their business, particularly in these unprecedented capital markets. 

Space is limited for this event, so early registration is encouraged.