CAFP conference brings 160 to Antigonish

By Chris McGregor

ANTIGONISH, NS-Elaine Robichaud is the 2008 winner of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals National Food Executive of the Year award.

A nearly 30-year veteran of the foodservice industry, Robichaud picked up the honour at the 34th CAFP National Conference in June.

More than 160 CAFP member delegates from across the country attended the four-day gathering held at St. Francis Xavier University.

Robichaud started her career in the foodservice industry in 1980 after accepting the position of resident cafeteria manager of St. Francis Xavier.

In New Brunswick, Robichaud held a number of positions in the healthcare sector, including patient services manager, sanitation services manager, and patient services manager at Saint John Regional Hospital.

She's also been the manager of food service at Sussex Health Centre before taking on the role of alliance food systems manager and customer support centre manager at Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation.

While Peter Lam remains CAFP president, several other changes were made to the board structure for 2008-09.

Maj. Carol Schell takes over as vice-president of membership, replacing Mark Harvey. Natalie Carrier moves into the role of vice-president of student development, taking over from Carmine Morelli.

David Savage adds the secretary role to his treasurer portfolio and Thomas Holzschuher moves into the national sponsorship seat.

Sixteen CAFP members were honoured at the conference with new or renewed Credentialed Food Executive designations, the CAFP's signature program.

New recipients are: Duane Horpinuk, Calgary branch, Angela Dufour, Halifax-Dartmouth, Keith Rogers, Halifax-Dartmouth, Mark Cator, Toronto, Carla Kelman, Toronto, Jamil Qamar, Toronto, and Jim Luu, Vancouver. 

Andrea Gillespie and Marie-Anne Nason had their CFE designations renewed and Brian Emmerton was made a CFE Fellow.

Alicia Garcia, chair of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Brescia College in London, Ontario, left with the CFE diamond award, joining just 17 of the current 127 CFE members who have achieved the highest CAFP honour.

Student CFE honours went to Marie Bartlett, Hayley Freeman, Andrea Melo and Claire Watts of the London branch, and Stephanie Cooper, a Toronto member.

Dietitian Andrea Gillespie, the CAFP's vice-president of marketing and communications, said the gathering provides a rare chance to network with people from varied foodservice industry professions across Canada.

"The conference is a good balance of social activities as well as education (and) and is an excellent opportunity to get re-energized," she said.

Student members are invited to the conference to make future contacts in the industry, and possibly, like Gillespie, to land a summer job.

It is not within the CAFP's mandate to get involved in government lobbying. It focuses instead on lifelong learning and professional development of its members.

Five years ago, the Toronto CAFP branch started up Field to Fork, a one-day program designed to introduce high school students to careers and opportunities in the foodservice industry.

Last year, 1,600 Grade 10 students took part in the session held at the Toronto Board of Trade.

"The goal is to take it nationwide," Gillespie said. "We want students to see that foodservice is not just being behind the till at McDonalds or Tim's."

The CAFP also funds bursaries through its student branches to get young people started in the culinary, supervisory, hospitality, managerial and dietetic sectors.

Calgary, Alberta is the home of the 2009 conference.