Shirelle Boyd
Chef for Bon Appétit Management Company- Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

Giving back to the community is a firm belief and practice for Shirelle Boyd, chef at BRB Café at Case Western Reserve University. Recently she took time out of her busy schedule to share her culinary knowledge and passion with young children at the local library. This special story time event was organized by the Shaker Family Center, a non-profit organization providing programs, resources and opportunities to families with young children.

Shirelle brings this same sense of public service and dedication to Case Western Reserve University’s BRB Café. Students enjoy her thoughtfully prepared delicious meals and her warm, welcoming smile. This exuberance stems from Shirelle’s belief that every day is an opportunity for her to make a difference.

“Coming to Bon Appétit gave me a purpose in relation to food,” says Shirelle. “After I joined the company, I learned about all sustainability programs and issues. It makes me feel good about what I’m doing. Also, I love cooking from scratch and being able to take everything I learned in culinary school and letting my creativity flow in the workplace.”

“Shirelle is by far the hardest working chef I have managed. She is creative, funny, and works daily to achieve the ‘best in class’ status,” says Richard Hunn, general manager at Tomlinson and BRB Cafés. “Shirelle is a great asset to Bon Appétit, and I am lucky that I get to work with her every day. Her constant enthusiasm toward her work will take her far.”

John Rubine
Sales associate, FLIK International
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas
Austin, TX

John is a born salesman, providing great service to customers and associates alike. He always hits the ground running with attention to detail and a “can-do” attitude. He never fails to have a smile or a good word for customers. John often fills in at the coffee bar and on the days he fills in, revenues are higher - attributable to John’s incredible work ethic and commitment to service.

During a very busy commencement weekend, the FLIK team was short a Barista; luckily, John stepped in and volunteered to work any shift in any department that needed help.

“The fact that he was genuinely willing to go the extra mile and work any shift in any department struck a chord with me,” said Daniel Curtis, assistant director of food and beverage at AT&T. “We are very proud to have him as part of our team, and look forward to seeing his continued success and growth with the company.”

Guadalupe Garcia
Dishwasher for Morrison
Women’s Hospital at Renaissance
Edinburg, TX

One weekend afternoon, a frantic customer came into the café wanting to speak to a supervisor. The man came to ask if the kitchen staff had come across his wife’s wedding ring which he felt could have been left on her dinner tray. Guadalupe overheard their conversation and was quickly willing to help. She said she did not recall seeing the ring, but would go through the trash to look for it. The man responded that there was no need to do that and not to worry about it, but she continued anyway. Guadalupe took it upon herself to go through not one; not two; but four trash cans to look for the ring! The supervisor had asked her to stop looking for it after the second bag, but she asked him if she could proceed.

After searching through all the bags- she found the ring! The patient cried tears of joy when she got her ring back. She felt truly grateful and amazing that someone would go through such lengths for a stranger. The man offered her a reward which Guadalupe refused to take. “It was just the right thing to do,” she said.

Tamara Santora
Director of Dining Services for Chartwells K-12
Great Lakes Region
Coldwater Community Schools, Michigan

Last quarter, Tamara Santora received an email from a clinical dietitian in the community.  The dietitian was inquiring about the special care that our Chartwells team at Coldwater Schools could provided to one of the students. This particular student has a severe disorder which requires a highly specialized diet, constant monitoring and daily changes to the menu. 

Tamara immediately jumped on board to help and worked closely with the clinical dietitian to develop a menu to accommodate the student.  For additional support, Tamara called in Mindy Grant, RD and regional dietitian for Chartwells, to assist in developing a customized meal plan. Beth Yearling, Chartwells associate, made sure that the student received his special meal and recorded what he received every day.  In addition, Mindy created a meal plan for the student to have over the summer while school was not in session. 

Thanks to the care and commitment displayed for this student, the family’s concerns for their child were eased while working with the Chartwells team.  This tremendous team effort was coordinated with the Tamara’s leadership. She has been with us for almost 20 years!

Rafael De Trinidad
Executive chef for Eurest/Thompson Hospitality at Agilent Technology
Santa Rosa, CA

In 2001, before joining Eurest/Thompson Hospitality at Agilent Technology, Chef Rafael began his career with Bon Appétit Management Co. at the Agilent Rohnert Park Campus working as a prep cook. He was soon promoted to the position of sous chef, under the guidance of Executive Chef Eddie Jarrell, and is an executive chef today.

A native of San Francisco, one of twelve children born from Nicaraguan parents, Rafael graduated from City College of San Francisco and attended the Hotel and Restaurant program at the Culinary Institute of America in Saint Helena.

Rafael has been a tremendous support to Eurest/Thompson/Agilent partnership. Each month, he diligently implements cultural menu initiatives and cultural programs in the unit. He is also an active board member of Nicaraguan Foundation which operates a food and nutrition program assisting orphanages and families in need of food. 

Rafael was named Thompson Hospitality’s Western Division 2008 Agent of the Year - Congratulations!