Richard is the Senior Engineer and Director of Education at the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC), an unbiased research facility that focuses specifically on commercial food service applications.
The FSTC works at all levels of the industry, from mom-and-pop restaurants to the largest chains, as well as with manufacturers, trade associations, utilities, and state and federal government.
Richard’s engineering background initially led him into the power generation business, but he happily changed course when offered a chance to join the Food Service Technology Center’s research team. Richard has been with the FSTC 17 years and currently focuses most of his efforts on technical outreach, translating the research into practical information. He has a dozen years of experience creating and presenting seminars on energy efficiency, and he also authors a regular column, "The Green Sheet", for the California Restaurant Association.
John Turenne, founder and President of Sustainable Food Systems, was one of the lead innovators in sustainable food practices during the creation of the Yale Sustainable Food Project. Realizing the impact of food service decision-making on the world around us, John transformed a conservative university food service model, of which he has 25 years experience, to create a sustainable dining program through careful planning, teaching and development.
John Turenne continues as a leading innovator in bridging the gap between conventional and sustainable dining programs working with the Culinary Institute of America, Harvard Medical School, The New Hampshire Department of Education, Kaiser Permanente as well as several public hospital and school systems.
John Turenne and Sustainable Food Systems continue to harvest national and international recognition.
Richard (Rick) Cartwright is the Vice President/General Manager of Retail Systems for the ITW Food Equipment Group of Illinois Tool Works. Based at its Troy, Ohio, office, he oversees the Hobart Weighing, Wrapping and Deli product lines. Rick has 29 years of experience in the foodservice and food retail industries.
Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from the University of Dayton and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He presently serves as the Chairperson on the NAFEM Technical Liaison Committee. He is also a member of the NAFEM Data Protocol Steering Committee.
Michael Berning joined Heapy Engineering in 1979 while pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Dayton (UD). Michael entered UD with the goal to design solar energy projects, and this desire evolved into the study of building energy efficiency. Michael now serves as the Director of Sustainable Design for Heapy, responsible for managing the firm’s over 60 LEED projects and is directly involved with the training of Heapy’s 46 LEED-Accredited Professionals. Heapy Engineering is the Midwest's leading sustainable design engineering firm.
Michael is a frequent lecturer on LEED and Green Building concepts and has written a number of articles on sustainable design. He was recently a speaker at the AIA National Convention in San Antonio (May 2007). He directed the effort to obtain the LEED-NC SILVER Certification for the Heapy Engineering headquarters.
Michael’s experience with sustainable (green) design projects in both the public and private sectors will show, when properly planned and executed throughout the entire design and construction process, that every project can be environmentally sensitive, energy efficient AND cost-effective.
Keith Martin is director of dining services at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., a liberal-arts college of 2,400 students. In his position, Martin oversees every aspect of the food service for the college's four dining venues—Main Dining Hall, Union Station, Café on College and The Underground—as well as the catering of the hundreds of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and receptions held every year at Dickinson. From small intimate dinners to a clambake for hundreds of alumni, Martin's priority is to offer a range of quality foods to suit the tastes and culinary needs and expectations of a diverse college-vegetarian, vegan, organic, low fat, low sugar, fresh-baked desserts, themed and holiday dinners and special diets-all made with the freshest ingredients and when possible, grown at the college's organic farm or by other local growers and suppliers.
Martin has been a "foody" since age 15 when he began working in a restaurant. His more than 30 years of experience include his 20 years at Dickinson during which he has gone "outside the lunch box" by ensuring sustainability (composting the remains of the day) and continuous improvement (The Napkin Board). The work of Martin and the dining services staff has received numerous accolades, which can be attributed to his enduring mantra, "This isn't just food, it's life."