Les Dames d’Escoffier
Chicago Chapter 2011 Annual Report

Board of Directors:
Officers:
President: Sharon Olson
Vice President: Meme Hopmayer
Secretary: Jennifer Lamplough
Treasurer: Linda Avery
Past President: Nancy Brussat

Board Members:
Keli Fayard
Eleanor Hanson
Veronica Hastings
Susan Lamb Parenti
Lisa Piasecki Rosskamm
Jean True

Committee Chairs:
Programs: Veronica Hastings
Membership: Meme Hopmayer
Newsletter: Joan Reardon, Eleanor Hanson, Nancy Brussat
Scholarship: Gretchen Heid Homan
Green Tables: Jean True
Nominating: Jeanmarie Brownson
Mentorship: Keli Fayard
Website: Linda Avery
Communications: Lisa Piasecki Rosskamm
Fund Raising: Susan Lamb Parenti and Keli Fayard

Total Number of Members 2011: 103

2011-12 Delegates:
Linda Avery
Patty Erd
Veronica Hastings
Shannon Kinsella
Sharon Olson

Chapter Activities, 2010-2011:

Educational and networking events including lunches and dinners were held throughout the year. Notable among our programs for the past year were:
• Do More with Maple at Kendall College
• Celebrating Joan, Julia and Sarah at Prairie Fire
• To Master the Art Performance, dinner and talk with Joan Reardon
• Breakfast with the Breakfast Queen at Ina’s Restaurant
• Madmen Post Holiday Potluck at Sara Reddington’s Home
• Behind the Label from Seed to Table at Charlie Trotter’s
• New Directions in Culinary Nutrition at Washburne Culinary Institute. Dinner and discussion led by Mary Abbott Hess including Wendy Pashman, Renee Zonka and Sarah Stegner
• National Restaurant Association Dames Who Drink event at Girl & The Goat
• An Enchanted Evening in Dame Deann Bayless’ Garden
• Summer evening picnic at Ravinia with cocktails at Karen Levin’s Home
• First Annual Les Dames Garden Party in Tami Mizrahi Stone’s Garden
• Discover the Joy of the Green Tables Garden at the Boys & Girls Club
• Scotch! It’s Great for Dinner and a seminar led by Steph Ridgway, Brand Ambassador for The Famous Grouse, The Macallan & Highland Park

The Chicago Chapter has embarked upon three Global Adventures in 2011 to fulfill the spirit of LDEI’s Global Culinary Initiative. These all day adventures took members into ethnic neighborhoods for an interactive, up close and personal, investigation of culture. This was done through a tour, panels and lectures, tastings, and personal experiences via culinary and other art forms. The Global Adventure program took members to Pilsen for a Mexican experience, to the Argyle neighborhood for the Asian immigrant experience and then to Devon Avenue to explore the diversity Middle Eastern and Indian foods in this series of cultural and culinary immersion programs.

The Chicago chapter has continued their support of the Nutrition Literacy Program at the McCormick Boys and Girls Club with the following activities:
• A special harvest event at the Club where Les Dames members were treated to guided tours of the facility by the children involved in the program. Also, there was a special class demonstrating a vegetable quinoa salad and fried green tomatoes made from the organic garden’s harvest.
• A curriculum of classes, workshops and guest lecturers throughout the year. Tastings, tours and simple cooking classes taught or led by Les Dames members with some hands-on classes at Chicago culinary schools as budget permits.
• Field trips provided experiential learning as the students visited organic farms and gardens, local farmers markets and orchards.
• Indoor demonstrations and tastings during the winter months.
• Children-nurtured gardens in the raised garden beds and earth boxes on-site at the McCormick Club made possible with Les Dames funding. When produce from the garden is abundant, it reaches parents and engages them in the same topics that their children are learning.

Scholarships were awarded to culinary students in local culinary programs totaling $25,000. Award recipients were enrolled in programs at The French Pastry School, Washburne Culinary Institute, Kendall College and Robert Morris University. The scholarship program was re-imagined this year. A task force of members with experience in this program, and culinary educator members from each of the schools in the Chicago area were convened to provide insight and ideas on how best to execute the program. The scholarship chair then created a formal protocol and committee members processed 45 applications and personally interviewed 19 candidates.

A formal Mentorship Program was developed to build trust through communication, educate by sharing experiences, and inspire each student to reach their full potential. The program was designed to add value to scholarship giving, build membership, and fulfill our mission of education, advocacy and philanthropy. The program includes personalized mentoring, culinary tours of member businesses, guest invitations to appropriate Les Dames events and participation in the chapter’s nutrition literacy program. All scholarship recipients were paired with Les Dames mentors.

Chapter Communication was restructured to assure effective communication with chapter members and the larger community of culinary professionals on multiple platforms: in print, on line and in person.

• In Print – published quarterly issues of our newsletter, Panache.
• On Line – enhanced the website to encourage member communication and educate the general public on areas including the history of the organization, its members and how the Chicago chapter gets involved with the community.
• Social Media – active Facebook page allows members to stay in touch and share information in a relevant and personal context.
• Member Communication – members receive chapter business communication directly via e-mail from the chapter secretary and event announcements from the program chair. Members have the opportunity to share current announcements through facilitated e-mail executed by a member volunteer.

Four new members were inducted into the Chicago chapter on 2011. The membership process is continuously reviewed and enhanced to assure that members understand how to identify, coach and facilitate potential new members’ applications. The goal is to assure that applications comply with all requirements and that new members understand the responsibilities and expectations of membership. A new member orientation event was held. It included new members from the past two year’s inductions, and the board, to engage them into the organization and all it has to offer.

The board participated in a Myer Briggs workshop to enhance collaboration and productivity. A chapter member, who is a certified Myers Briggs facilitator, conducted the testing and led a Saturday morning retreat for the full board. This provided greater insight and understanding of different personality types and working dynamics.

2012 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. A plan has been created to use this occasion to build awareness for the difference our educational and philanthropic efforts make within our community, and to raise funds to continue those efforts.

A communications program has been initiated to increase positive awareness for the Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. Plans are underway for a major fund raising event to be held the weekend of September 7th 2012 that will include special events throughout the city. The celebration will include outreach to members of the Chicago Chapter and the Chicago culinary community. Also included are culinary schools, Chicago media, consumer food enthusiasts throughout the Midwest, and Les Dames Chapters throughout the country.