CRAEF welcomes new leadership to board of directors
(SACRAMENTO, Oct. 15, 2009) – Restaurant industry veteran Bob Spivak has assumed the position of chairman of the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation board of directors, relieving past chairman Bill Main of Bill Main and Associates. Spivak is a co-founding director of Grill Concepts Inc., which operates 25 restaurants nationwide. He served as president and chief executive officer of the company until his retirement in 2006, and still serves as co-chairman on the company’s board of directors.
Spivak, who founded the Beverly Hills Restaurant Association, also is a director emeritus for the California Restaurant Association and is a past chair of the board of advisers for the Collins College of Hospitality Management. He continues to work in restaurant development with his consulting company, Spivak and Frank.
“As someone who has struggled with learning disabilities, I know what it’s like to sit in a classroom and not see the relevance of the lessons in my life,” said Spivak, a Brentwood resident who has worked in the foodservice industry for more than 40 years. “I’ve always wanted to spend my ‘retirement years’ giving back and education is a huge passion of mine, especially with students in the inner city. The ProStart program is pivotal in providing kids with opportunities that can change their lives. “As chairman, I hope to grow the ProStart program statewide and continue finding donors to adopt individual schools so we can implement enhancements to their programs.”
In his time on the CRAEF board of directors, Spivak has worked to execute improvements to the ProStart program at Santee Education Complex in Los Angeles, including bringing in industry professionals to speak and mentor students, coordinating field trips and providing paid internship opportunities.
"I’m excited by the new mission of CRAEF, about the quality of the new board members and officers, and for the kids who will benefit from their fund development activity," said California Restaurant Association President + CEO Jot Condie.
Stepping into the role vice chair of the board is Carl Winston, founding director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management of San Diego State University. Second vice chair is James Martin, director of operations at Red Lobster.
New CRAEF board members include: William Bender, owner of consulting agency W.H. Bender and Associates; Diana Delonis, associate director of education at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone; Richard Frank, chairman of Lawry’s Restaurants Inc.; Howard Gordon, president of consulting firm the Gordon Group; and Phyllis Ann Marshall, president of consulting company FoodPower Inc.; and founder of San Marino’s Phyllis Ann Marshall Culinary School.