East Lansing, Michigan, April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce, effective today, Robert Nelson, CAE, has joined the association as Chief Executive Officer. Chris Waterson, who has served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer as well as Chief Financial Officer, will continue as Chief Financial Officer.
Robert joins the association after serving as Founder and President of Nelson Strategic Consulting for the last seven years. He has over 30 years of association experience including serving as President and CEO of the National Coffee Association and as Senior Director of Government Affairs, Information, and Education with the Florida Restaurant Association.
The appointment of Robert follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by a CEO Search Task Force comprised of members – a small, medium, and large institution member, a NACUFS past president, an industry member, and a NACUFS staff member. NACUFS utilized the American Society of Association Executives to post the position and lead the initial interview process.
“Finding the right person to fill the role of CEO was critical to the association” says Orlynn Rosaasen, 2020-21 NACUFS President, and director of dining services, University of North Dakota. “As our members enter the post-pandemic period, Robert’s experience in governance, strategy development, and strategic leadership will ensure continuity, perseverance, and significance for the association – now, and into the future.” As Robert joins the NACUFS team in East Lansing, Michigan, he will initially focus on membership recruitment and retention, and strategic planning.
Since its inception, NACUFS has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.
“In joining the NACUFS team, I am excited to work with the staff and board to focus on delivering unparalleled value to our members,” says Robert. “The ultimate goal is to provide collegiate foodservice professionals with the tools they need to deliver excellence on campus. Our intent is to work every day to exceed our members' expectations, and to ensure the organization has unquestionable relevancy.”
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About NACUFS
Founded in 1958 by a group of college and university foodservice professionals from across the United States. Since its inception, the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.
NACUFS institutional members include private colleges to large public universities, and two-year colleges to four-year universities and span the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and beyond. Industry members include food and equipment manufacturers, distributors, brokers, foodservice support companies, councils, boards, trade associations, advisory commissions, and other professional groups. For more information, visit www.NACUFS.org.
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