LDEI Atlanta 2015 Annual Business Meeting

1. 2015 Annual Business Meeting
“The State of the Chapter”
July 20, 2015

2. FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
VISION
LDEI is an international organization of women leaders who create
a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in
the food, beverage and hospitality professions.
TO DO THIS, LDEI MEMBERS:
• share knowledge
• support members
• provide leadership, educational opportunities and
philanthropic events for the larger community
MISSION
LDEI is an invitational organization of women leaders in food,
beverage and hospitality whose mission is education, and
philanthropy.

3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. Provide a supportive culture for members to network
2. Share knowledge with members, upcoming women in the
professions and the general public
3. Appreciate LDEI history with advancing our future
4. Promote the significance of food and beverage in all cultures
5. Provide opportunities for education and career advancement
6. Create and support philanthropic opportunities within our
communities
7. Celebrate and promote the professional diversity of our
membership

4. Treasurer’s Report
Dame Gloria Smiley, Treasurer

8. Communications
Dame Kelly Hornbuckle, Vice President

9. Communications
Dame Kelly Hornbuckle, Vice President
• Website
• Updates continue –
- please visit the site often www.ldeiatlanta.org
• Added “News” page
• Updated Members page
• Updated Scholarship & Grants page
• Updated Members Only page
• AITC 2015 tickets now available for online purchase

10. Communications
Kelly Hornbuckle, Vice President
• Social Media
• Twitter – @LesDamesATL
– 558 followers
– 40% increase from last year
• Facebook - Les Dames D'Escoffier International - Atlanta Chapter
– 632 likes
– 72% increase from last year
• Dames encouraged to interact with the page
– Like, Share, Invite Friends, Tag
• Happy to post your news!...please send to
Communications@ldeiatlanta.org

11. Communications
Kelly Hornbuckle, Vice President
• Email Communications
• Tuesday Tidbits
– Open rate is 68%
– 17% increase
– 223% above industry average
• Event Communications
– Switched from Evite to Contant Contact EventSpot
– Enabled online payments

12. Communications
Kelly Hornbuckle, Vice President
• Archives
• Don’t forget to visit our members-only archive page!
– http://www.ldeiatlanta.org/archive/
– Password: ldeiatl
• We currently have 41 Galleries - and counting!
• The oldest: 1998 – Annual International Conference
Houston
• The newest: 2015 - June Meeting at Summerland
• Archive submissions? Send to archives@ldeiatlanta.org

13. From the Archives:
Great Memories… and more to come!

14. Philanthropy
Dame Tamie Cook, Vice President
Accomplishments YTD
• Fundraising
• Second Annual Culinary Futures Event at
AmericasMart in January raised $18,708 for the
Aspiring Culinarian Scholarship
• Date for next event is January 14, 2016, 5:30-8:30
• Debbie Peterson has offered to Chair the event,
please contact her to volunteer

15. Philanthropy
Dame Tamie Cook, Vice President
• Philanthropic Grants 2015
• 2015 Grants (to date) have gone to the following
organizations:
– Wholesome Wave - $10,000
– The Giving Kitchen - $10,000
– Georgia Organics - $5,000
– East Point Farmers Market - $5,000
– Action Ministries - $1,500

16. Philanthropy
Dame Tamie Cook, Vice President
• Les Dames d’Escoffier Hambidge
Fellowship
– Partnering with Hambide to provide a 2-week
Creative Residency Fellowship for an eligible
member of our Atlanta Chapter
– Deadline for applications will be December 1,
2015
– Detailed information will be posted on our
website beginning in August and Application will
be downloadable beginning September.

17. Programs
Dame Holly Chute, Vice President
Dame Dana Dabruzzi, Chair
• In the Last 12 Months
• We worked to design events around your content requests and as a
result have had records attendance.
• Education and Partner Interaction
– August’s Scholarship Dinner
– November’s Global Culinary Initiative Event at the Indian Consul’s
home
– June Olive Oil Education at Strippagio and The General Muir
• Dame Networking
– September’s New Member Meeting with food by 2013 Dames Class
– January’s New Year of Food, Fun & Learning at The Georgia Club
– June Summerland Author’s Event
• Pure Foodie Fun!
– Home for the Holidays
– Dinner and a Movie

18. Programs
Dame Holly Chute, Vice President
Dame Dana Dabruzzi, Chair
• What’s on our Plate for the Remainder of 2015
• A really spectacular Scholarship Dinner in August
• Continuing Highlighting last year’s Dames Class at Annual General Meeting
• October’s event will focus on the Produce Marketing Association Show hosted
by Melissa’s Produce
• November’s event will reinforce our commitment to GCI - Global Culinary
Initiatives
• December will be pure fun – our annual Home for the Holidays event
• Please Continue to Send Feedback
• Dana and I truly value your ideas and feedback surrounding Programs
• We’d really like to understand how we can increase attendance and we really
need your participation
• Photos
• A BIG thanks to Travis Taylor and Tom Brodnax for taking pictures at our
events

19. Immediate Past President’s Report
Dame Shelley Pedersen, CPCE

20. We have a special guest here tonight
• Please welcome back to ABM….
• Sue Anne Morgan
– president of IdeaLand LLC
– event producer of AITC
– esteemed advisor and event expert

21. Another Fabulous Sunday 2014
• 2014 net proceeds: $119,098.06 !!
• Thank you again to Chair Stacy Zeigler! On her watch,
this record total was raised to fund our chapter’s Mission:
– E.S.P. - Education | Scholarship | Philanthropy

22. Green Ribbon Award
from Green Tables Committee
awarded to Holly Elmore,
founder of Elemental Impact

23. Work in Progress
from 2014 StratPlan Initiatives
AITC
- Target culinary schools & businesses for
volunteers
- Write AITC business plan
- Better recognition for chefs

24. ...and now on to 2015....

25. Fabulous new
15th Anniversary
graphics

26. 2015 planning is well under way:
• Expanded layout/new footprint - to accommodate more
tasting stations and guests
• VIP Experience packages
• Sustainability/Zero Food Waste Initiative
• Our 2015 overall net profit goal is $125,000
• All restaurant, retailer and beverage tables filled plus a
waitlist of 60 restaurants
• Current confirmed sponsors $26,000 - goal is $50,000
• One eblast announcing ticket sales so far and over 200
tix are sold
• Late July, once sponsor list is confirmed, we will start bi-
weekly eblasts until we sell out
• New event “look” to celebrate the 15th Anniversary

27. AITC 2015 Sponsorships
• MONETARY SPONSORS $
• Sysco 500
• Southeastern Paper 500
• Pamela James 1,000
• Halperns 3,000
• Inland Seafood 3,500
• Springer Mountain Farms 7,500
• Lexus 10,000
…thus far! So, who can you recommend?

28. • What we need from you:
• 10 volunteers for the Sustainability Task Force
• A décor sponsor
• Forwarding the ticket eblasts to your network for a
quick sellout
• Sponsors, sponsors and more sponsors!
• Great silent auction items
• Cake raffle vendors
• Team of 4 Dames for design/creation of the annual
– Chapter Farm Table Welcome Station

29. Membership Committee
Dame Karen Bremer, Chair
Report
Call for motion

30. Nominations
Dame Beverly Seckinger, Chair
• It's time for nominations for the 2015-2016 board
• If you, or someone you know, would like to be considered to
serve on the board, please notify Beverly Seckinger via email at
beverly@seckingerproductions.com no later than Friday, July 31.
We are seeking Dames for the chapter officer positions of:
- Secretary
- Treasurer
Don’t miss the opportunity to get involved and make a positive
impact on LDEI Atlanta
.

31. Scholarships/Grants
Dame Nancy Lutz, Co-chair
Dame Vanessa Parker McIntyre, Co-chair
• This Year:
– Hosted 2nd Annual Scholarship/Grant Reception in August 2014
– Attended Hospitality Education Foundation Career Expo
February 2015
– Updated list of schools with current contact information
– Reached out to almost every culinary program in the state of GA
– Highest number of applications for scholarships to date: 45
– Presented at Savannah Technical College April, 2014
• To Come:
– Host 2015 Scholarship/Grant Reception

32. Scholarships/Grants
Dame Nancy Lutz, Co-chair
Dame Vanessa Parker McIntyre, Co-chair
• Grand Total of Awards 2015 - $ 72,092
(42% increase from 2014)
• Scholarships to students $ 66,454
(111% increase from 2014)
• 40 Eligible Scholarship Applicants
• 11 Institutions
– Savannah Technical College (1)
– University of Florida (1)
– Le Cordon Blue (5)
– Johnson and Wales, Charlotte (1)
– Gwinnett Technical College (1)
– Athens Technical College (3)
– College of Coastal Georgia (3)
– Georgia State University (7)
– L’Academie de Cuisine (1)

33. Scholarships/Grants
Dame Nancy Lutz, Co-chair
Dame Vanessa Parker McIntyre, Co-chair
• Programs
– Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry
– BA in Business and Hospitality Administration
– BA in Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality
– BA in Food Service Management and
Entrepreneurship
– BS in Nutrition and Dietetics
– Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
– Masters of Science in Agroecology
• 27 Recipients

34. Grants
Dame Nancy Lutz, Co-chair
Dame Vanessa Parker McIntyre, Co-chair
• Grants awarded $5,638 to date
• Total awarded in 2014: $12,632.62
• Mallory DeGolian – IACP Annual Conference
• Debbie Fraker - Georgia Organics Conference
• Crystal Leach – IACP Annual Conference
• Carla Simmons Harris – Georgia Organics Conference
• Nathan Strange – Georgia Organics Conference
• Olivia Luz – Court of Master Sommeliers Level 2 Certificate Exam

35. Access Presentation via
www.ldeiatlanta.org/members-only
Password: ldeiatl

36. Thank You
• Meeting Adjourned