Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’

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Party for the Planet

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

Chef Ramsey

Part of the mission of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., is to provide exciting and enriching experiences for its 2 million annual visitors.

Sodexo is proud to be part of the team who provides those experiences to DC visitors.

Over the weekend, during the Zoo’s Party for the Planet, I had a hands-on opportunity to be part of that mission when we did healthy cooking demonstrations for kids outside the Mane Grill.

While I was relegated to sous-chef for a 13-year-old for the day as Sodexo’s Student Ambassador for Health and Nutrition Remmi Smith took the lead, it was a great experience being able to tie the importance healthy eating, sustainable ingredients, and making cooking fun on Earth Day.

Chef Ramsey and Chef Remmi prepare for a healthy cooking demonstration.

As Chef Remmi spouted off facts about fruits and vegetables while we made her strawberry salsa and sweet summer corn succotash, I was thinking how little the kids in the audience may know about the food they eat. (Note: Scroll down to see the strawberry salsa recipe!)

That’s why events like those around the Zoo this weekend are so important, bringing a little more understanding of the importance of correlation of being environmentally-friendly and committed to sustainability and being healthy and well.

I know what I do in my role at the Zoo has an impact through Sodexo and our Better Tomorrow Plan commitments, but I am equally as excited about the impact we are having in the DC community through events like this.

I hope you’ll visit the Zoo soon…take some time to enjoy this great landmark, but stop by and see us too, so you can try some of our new menu items like jerk chicken tenders made with all natural chicken, turkey po’boy, and hand-smoked and pulled chicken tacos.

Nothing’s better than springtime at the Zoo.

Tom Ramsey is the Sodexo’s executive chef at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC.


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Catching the Eye of the Surgeon General

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

The author, Heidi Greenwaldt (right), with the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin (left).

I had the honor of meeting the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin at an exciting event called the Healthy Minnesota: Communities in Action forum. It’s mission? 40 initiatives aimed at improving the health of Minnesotans.

Dr. Benjamin praised Minnesota’s efforts as models for the rest of the country and shared other inspiring examples of communities contributing to a healthier nation. Working within our cities and towns to better our communities is also part of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow mission.

We have been running the Create Your Weight Program at the University of Minnesota Medical Center for 5 years with excellent participation rates and results.

It is a comprehensive weight loss and healthy living program consisting of 11 weeks of 60 minute sessions. The classes consist of a multidisciplinary approach with dietitians, exercise physiologists and chef presentations as well as group activities.

One unique aspect of the program is metabolic testing done on each participant to provide them with an individualized resting metabolic rate and percentage of body fat.

We have held 51 sessions over the past 5 years. To date, 723 participants have enrolled with approximately 25% being Fairview employees. Average weight loss over the 11 weeks is 7 pounds and the average “waist reduction” is 2 inches. Research shows that weight loss of 5-7% can improve health risks and reduce insurance costs.

Participants have found the class life-changing. Some feedback that we have received includes:

“I feel this is a lifestyle change and I found out what I need to do to lose weight and maintain it without having to buy things or spend a lot of money to achieve my goal.”

“It helped my health and arthritis. Got me to exercise. Got me off my medications.”

“The knowledge was terrific – much more usable information than I got from reading “nutrition for dummies”. The companionship and support was wonderful. It was also fun!”

To date, 723 participants have enrolled in the "Create Your Weight" program.

Dr. Benjamin walked by the poster (pictured on the right) and commented on the fact that the program was created by Sodexo. While she doesn’t have any personal experience with Sodexo, she is familiar with the name of the company due to some of her work with hospitals in which Sodexo has a presence. Dr. Benjamin was impressed with the outcomes of our Create Your Weight program. She provided motivation and encouraging words to continue the work that is being done to improve the health of the community and employees.

Heidi Greenwaldt is the Clinical Nutrition Manager for Sodexo at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Fairview, Minnesota.

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A New Year Resolution to Create a “Better Tomorrow”

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

Larry Simpson

Call it a random act of kindness, an opportunity to make the world a better place, or simply a way to make a contribution to the world through actions. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what it’s called as long your volunteer work helps improve your community. This is the time of year when people are making resolutions and plans to improve themselves, but I encourage everyone to think about how they can use their professional skills and experience to improve their community.

Two years ago, my wife encouraged me to serve as a member of our town’s Energy Advisory Committee. The group’s goal was to achieve the “Green Communities” designation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Resources, which calls for a 15% reduction of energy consumption over a five-year period. Reaching the goal would give us the chance to preserve tax dollars by redirecting energy savings into education and enhanced municipal services.

Because of my professional involvement with Sodexo, especially our work improving student well-being and achievement in school districts nationally, combined with personal interest to get involved with my community, it seemed like a perfect fit. I volunteered as chair of the committee and led a two-year collaborative process that allowed us to achieve our goal of becoming a “Green Community.” In addition, the innovation and leadership the committee demonstrated throughout the process earned us the recognition as “2012 People of the Year” by the Standard Times.

Click for more information on the Sodexo Better Tomorrow Plan

It was through this effort and others like it that I learned how behaviors can send direct and indirect ripples through our world…both positive and negative. If we hold a door for someone, offer a comforting word or perform a small (or large) act of benevolence it may cost little or nothing at all. But, the potential impact of our actions may have profound effect if they are compounded by the actions of many.

Sodexo uses its Better Tomorrow Plan as a road map to achieve goals related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. One of the primary goals is to support local community development.  Although I didn’t set out to advance The Better Tomorrow Plan when I began working on this project, I understand the importance of its goal and I am doing my part by improving the community through this committee.

This year, I challenge you to do what you can to make a difference in your own community. Giving freely of your time and talent to help make the world a better place is one of the greatest and most satisfying gifts you can give. You may just find a resolution worth sticking to.

Larry Simpson is a director of the Sodexo Education segment in Lakeville, Massachusetts.

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An Enjoyable & Sustainable Meal at the National Zoo

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Chefs Tom Ramsey and Chazz Alberti

When you work with a cultural institution as renowned and storied as the Smithsonian and a group as committed as the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), there is a certain amount of pride that is instilled in the visitor experience. Especially when planning an entirely new exhibit like the new American Trail at The National Zoo in Washington, DC.

From the hi-tech wave maker that echoes the natural habitat of the California Coast in the Seal and Sea Lion pool to the native trees that envelop the gray wolves in their new habitat, the attention to detail is exceptional.

Sodexo knew the food offered at the American Trail’s new Seal Rock Café would have to be nothing less than unique, and as distinctive as the exhibit itself.

We are pleased to feature items such as BAP-certified shrimp & MSC-certified Atlantic Cod. Click the image above for a fun slide show with many more pictures.

A concession stand at a Zoo; sounds simple, right?  Not to us. As chefs for Sodexo’s Leisure business, the thought-process of creating menu and a visitor experience is a challenge that we revere in our jobs. We couldn’t wait to debut our new menu! We are pleased to see the response has been as exciting as seeing a majestic bald eagle or a cute-as-a-button river otter for the first time.

The Seal Rock Café features a unique mix of rolls, think lobster roll, shrimp roll, even a spicy tofu roll on a toasted, New England-style roll, as well as salads like the Hawaiian Poke Salad (with heirloom tomato, avocado, poke sauce, tortilla and house-made kimchee) and the San Francisco Cobb Salad (with house-smoked Alaskan Salmon, baby lettuces, smoked bacon, farm egg, tomato, jicama and Tom’s blue cheese vinaigrette). It’s not just a place to grab a bite; you can dine in the shadow of the seal pool, watching the seals and pelicans float by from the nearby viewing area. It’s an exceptional experience. 

Just as the Zoo is committed to education and enrichment, so are we. The menus at Zoo foodservice locations change regularly to reflect Sodexo’s targeted commitments to source the best local, seasonal, sustainable ingredients, provide varied and balanced food options, and support local communities – part of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow plan. And, as October begins National Seafood Month, we are pleased to feature at the Seal Rock Cafe sustainably sourced seafood like BAP-certified shrimp and MSC-certified Atlantic Cod. In addition, we are offering a meatless option, always a good alternative when looking to reduce your carbon footprint.  To further promote sustainability, all items at Seal Rock Café are served in a bamboo vessel; bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource.

We are so proud to be part of the Zoo experience and the opening of The American Trail. It’s fun to be a small part of something so big for the Zoo, DC residents and visitors, DC and of course, the beautiful animals within the exhibit!

Tom Ramsey is Sodexo’s executive chef at Smithsonian National Zoo and Chazz Alberti is the national director of culinary development for Sodexo Leisure.

IFRAME Embed for Youtube
Speaking of Seafood, October is National Seafood Month! Sodexo celebrates the best sustainable seafood dishes around with a recap of our 2012 Sodexo Recipes for a Better Tomorrow.

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Building a Healthy Community

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

From left: The author, Ann Ottum, Linda (toward front) Jennifer and Sarah Glazier. For additional pictures and news coverage of the event, click on the photograph.

As a registered dietitian I work to help people make choices to live healthier lives. At the same time, I believe that a healthy community is a great place to start, which is why I volunteered for the first annual “Hands Across Rockdale.”

Under the direction of Leadership Rockdale, this new community initiative was created to promote the spirit of volunteerism within the Conyers-Rockdale community, while providing service to those in need.

Community service projects were held throughout Rockdale County and Rockdale Medical Center, who was one of the sponsors. The team of Rockdale Medical Center employees volunteered at the Mercy Heart Clinic to do planting, yard clean-up, and wash windows. Mercy Heart Health Clinic is a charitable health clinic that provides care to low-income, uninsured residents of Georgia who reside in Rockdale County. Does your community offer any volunteering opportunities? I bet they do!

Wendy Pippin is a Sodexo Registered Dietitian at the Rockdale Medical Center in Conyers, Georgia.

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REinventing Leadership in Sustainability

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Wayne Dyer

With our global population rapidly approaching nine billion by the middle of this century, many experts are questioning how we can feed, clothe, house, and otherwise meet the needs of so many more people with the finite resources our planet has to offer.  Rapidly increasing population is already influencing the health and wellbeing of people and communities around the world, and it is certain to have an impact on the political, economic, social, and technological realities within which businesses operate.  CoreNet Global has identified sustainability leadership as a critical issue for its 2012 agenda, and Sodexo is excited to contribute to the conversation. It is a discussion that includes everything from Sodexo engineers contributing to the more than 2 billion square feet of commercial, LEED certified projects* to designing culinary programs that address sustainably sourced food and equipment. The ability to address these changing needs also creates the opportunity to thrive, through innovations that address shifts in the environment, support local communities, and enhance health and wellness.  This, in essence, is what sustainability in the workplace is all about.  

 

Click here for a direct link to the CoreNet Global Website

THE SUSTAINABILITY AND ENGAGEMENT LINK

It turns out that the benefits for a company that embraces sustainability go beyond energy efficiency, risk mitigation, opportunity for innovation, and Corporate Social Responsibility.  Sustainability directly affects your employees.  According to Ante Glavas, Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business; “People who work for green companies have a pride-in-ownership mentality and are happier and more productive.” Higher productivity is certainly a no-brainer for any CEO, no matter what the industry.  Based on its own findings, Gallop calls employee engagement “a leading indicator of financial performance.”  The same research demonstrated that “engaged organizations have 3.9 times the earnings per share (EPS) growth rate compared to organizations with lower engagement in the same industry.”

SOLUTIONS REINVENTED – AN EYE TO THE FUTURE

Recognizing sustainability as core to its business, Sodexo holds a leadership role in its sector by leveraging its Better Tomorrow Plan to meet the company’s CSR objectives, while also facilitating those of its clients.  One way it accomplishes this is through an industry leading tool, SMART, which benchmarks sites, and provides opportunity assessments in four key areas: carbon and energy, waste, water, and healthy/sustainable food and environments.  Operations teams enact change through both infrastructure renewal and behavioral transformation.  SMART allows units to document and report progress throughout the year.  REinvent your leadership in sustainability by stopping by to see us at the CoreNet Global Summit in San Diego (Booth 225).

Wayne Dyer is a vice president of Facilities Solutions for Sodexo.

* USGBC About LEED PowerPoint Presentation, February 2012

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Change for Good

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

When I joined Sodexo earlier this year as the Director of Brand Management, Sustainability for Sodexo’s Corporate Services division, I felt great optimism about the prospect of being part of a company that was committed to making every day a better day and fostering a better tomorrow. I felt that same optimism at the recent Net Impact Conference in Portland, where I moderated a panel that explored sustainability in the Pacific Northwest beverage industry.

The event, attended primarily by graduate students and professionals such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practitioners and nonprofit leaders, was dedicated to changing the world through  business practices. It included a powerful mix of thought leaders, innovators and specialists committed to using their business skills to create social and environmental good.  As we move from philosophy and aspirations to measuring, tracking and making a net impact, it’s clear the future of CSR is bright.

Our panel, which explored coffee, tea, wine and beer, addressed everything from technology, communications and supply chain, to customers and community. Panelist Steve Smith, owner of Steven Smith Teamaker, noted that technology allows him to keep his inventory levels low, which lets him manage his energy use more efficiently. Christian Ettinger, owner of Hopworks Urban Brewery, shared the recent success he has had in working with companies like Sysco (which Sodexo relies on as well)  to procure local sustainable products.

Infusements

Do their customers care about these sustainability practices? They sure do. Michele Martin, program manager of the Carbon Reduction Challenge, noted that vineyards are able to charge more for grapes that are grown sustainably, and this juice is being sold in greater volumes. David Griswold, owner of Sustainable Harvest, a coffee importing company, said his customers (Ben and Jerry’s, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Peet’s, among others) are concerned about both the product and the process by which they access information.  Transparency and traceability are both key.

At Sodexo, the Better Tomorrow Plan is our global roadmap to doing ‘good’, not only for the communities we serve, but also for the planet. Net Impact is just that type of event too. It gets into the nuts and bolts of creating a better tomorrow. Not just by talking about it, but by leading change… for good.

Kristen Rainey is the director of brand management, sustainability for Sodexo’s Corporate client segment.

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“Lousy Strawberries”

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Matthew Weingarten, New York City-based executive chef at Inside Park at St. Bart’s for Sodexo enjoys his shopping trip to the local NYC farmers market. For more pictures, click on the photograph.

This summer I did not eat one good strawberry at the market. Nope, not-a-one. You would think I would be espousing and gushing over the wonderful and incredible produce and ingredients to be found at the Greenmarkets in Honor of National Farmers Market Week. And I could for sure, I’ve had amazing rhubarb, pucker-perfect currants, fairytale eggplants by the bagful, and right at this moment, heirloom tomatoes with the perfume of the full summer sun on their hips, to name a few.

But this spring in the Northeast where I live there was just too much rain.  The fields got drenched, and the strawberries came to market late, heavy and swollen with too much water and not enough sunshine in ‘em. To be fair these mild and sensible thumb size strawberries from the Union Square Greenmarket still beat the taste buds off of your average overgrown, hollow and white-centered supermarket clam-shell variety. But in comparison to summer’s past, they just were not as good.  And I love that.  I love knowing that the strawberries are just not going to be four-star this year.  I love knowing and being reminded that our farmers are merely the stewards and that under these less than optimal conditions they are surely working twice as hard to temper and harness the season. It breeds honesty. It necessitates a deeper understanding and connection. 

In another all too common transaction, on a planet far, far away, the caricatured chef, upon receiving a crate of less than stellar strawberries might pick up the phone and scream senselessly at an innocent and unwitting dispatcher in a weather-less warehouse they have never seen.  I know this, because I too was once an alien on that planet.  But because of the mere fact that I now choose to purchase my food in the marketplace, and make meaningful transactions with the same folks that are actually growing my food, I have grown and learned much as a chef.   And as a chef after all, I can take the prep work from here.  If the strawberries are showing me their best, albeit wet effort I can surely show them mine. In this case: add more sugar and cook down to concentrate the flavor.  Add a little more acid from some lemons to sharpen the taste of the fruit. That is my job after all as the chef in a society.

And as a citizen, while I do go shopping at the market to purchase the ingredients I am going to cook with, it is actually not really the point of the trip, and it is not really what I am shopping for.  You see, what is really for sale at my local Farmer’s Market every day, sometimes in full sunshine and sometimes under the blanket of rain, is the nexus where the land, the people who work it, and all of us that are sustained by it, meet and get to know one another, basically over a long talk about the weather.

Matthew Weingarten is the New York City-based executive chef at Inside Park at St. Bart’s for Sodexo.

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Does Mother Nature care that it’s World FM Day?

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

When stepping into an office building have you ever stopped and noted how the building was immaculately clean, or that the lights were on, and the elevators were all fully operational? Most likely have not, but all of us in facilities have. In honor of World FM Day, pay homage to the oft-thankless job of FM (facilities management) across the globe and highlight how we silently make our day a better day (inside and outside the building), especially my colleagues in Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions.

One aspect of World FM Day, created by IFMA (International Facility Management Association), is to increase ideals and technologies worldwide to FM professionals and the general public.

A trending objective among facility managers today is to make daily building operations as efficient and environmentally sound as possible. From new LEED certifications being placed on more buildings to colleges broadcasting their energy consumption on Twitter, it is apparent that being environmentally aware is integral to the FM industry.

 Recent advancements in building automation systems (BAS) have allowed facilities around the globe to decrease their daily carbon footprint. It is reported that the new BAS systems can conserve as much as 30% energy consumption in older buildings, and newer building can save up to 10% on their energy usage. Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions is committed energy reduction strategies as part of the company’s Better Tomorrow Plan global sustainability platform, but the beauty of these new BAS systems cannot only be found in how energy efficient they are, but the ease of installation is similarly impressive. The use of wireless technologies has enabled millions of older buildings to make the switch to more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly automation systems.

Additionally, the new BAS systems give employees access to virtual thermometers for their work space, which may finally put to rest the continuous complaints of a building being too hot or cold. IFMA has actually confirmed that temperature related complaints are number one among building occupants.

Although these technologies will make buildings more ecologically sound and accommodating for occupants, this can only be done if the technologies are implemented correctly with experienced technicians. It’s funny when you think about it—at Sodexo, we know that if the best facility manager can do his/her job right and practically no one will notice it, the good thing now is that hopefully Mother Nature won’t notice it either.

Wayne Dyer is a vice president of operations for Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions

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Enjoying the Cherry Blossoms through an Artist’s Eyes

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Winner Samia Hall with her interpretation of what the Cherry Blossoms mean to her. For additional pictures and artwork, please click the picture.

When I think of spring in Washington DC I think National Cherry Blossom Festival. Sure, there is also the beginning of a new baseball season and countless other popular events available to the public, but nothing else impacts the city, visually, financially or emotionally, quite like the cherry blossoms.

I once again had the pleasure of discovering how the cities’ youth envision this iconic symbol of springtime in the nation’s capital. As the sponsor of two youth programs at the National Cherry Blossom Festival – the Youth Poster Art Contest and the Youth Ambassadors Program, Sodexo had the opportunity to participate in the festival’s opening day presentations. It was there that I had the honor of welcoming the winners of the Youth Poster Art Contest on stage and introducing them to those in attendance. Their artistic works were exhibited at the National Building Museum and viewed by thousands of visitors attending the ceremonies.

The creativity and talent demonstrated in the artwork of these K-12 students from Washington DC’s public and charter schools was tremendous. Tasked only with submitting entries that drew inspiration from the cherry blossoms and the message of friendship and good will that they represent, students from 24 area schools submitted posters in the form of digital artwork, paintings, drawing and works involving mixed media.

It was exciting to see how the students managed to capture the beauty and the sentiment of the blossoms in their work. In speaking with many of them it was clear that they likewise understood the special message that the blossoms signify this year, in the wake of Japan’s still unfolding tragedy.

The depictions of enduring friendship, unity and hope for a bright future were themes that could be seen in numerous poster entries, including that of overall winner, seventh grader Samia Hall of Kelly Miller Middle School.

Their vision of the cherry blossom is larger than the pink and white petals that draw more than a million tourists from around the world. It’s always refreshing to see this harbinger of spring from a fresh new perspective.

Scott Loretan is senior vice president, of the Sodexo Schools Segment

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