Tuesday May 21, 2019
Dear Friends, Supporters and Students,
Spring has sprung and with it has brought a number of exciting announcements from ECF, including new board members and seven brilliant new scholarship recipients. We are excited to share this news with you and look forward to growing our foundation for the best year yet!
The ECF board has taken a good deal of time during the last few months accepting scholarship applications, reading essays and sitting down to interview hopeful candidates. After extensive and careful deliberation, we recently decided to award seven scholarships to local Clark County high school students. Please join us in congratulating Jaslin Estavillo, Susana Galindo, Miriam Munoz Gonzales, Adrian Paikai, Adolfo Ramirez Salazar, Osbaldo Tovar, and Crystal Triguero. More about each of the newest ECF scholars is shared below. This year’s recipients have an outstanding combined average 3.9 GPA!
It was a gorgeous day for ECF’s 4th Annual Golf Tournament at Red Rock Country Club’s Private Mountain Course. Golfers started the morning off with coffee and breakfast from Sambalatte Torrefazione and a Bloody Mary from Tito’s Vodka. The day included drinks from Tito’s Vodka, Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits, Brill, Keurig/Dr. Pepper, Herradura, and Nevada Beverage at our on-course watering holes. On course boxed lunches were generously be provided by Sysco. On course activities were sponsored by: Brady Linen, Caesars Entertainment, Johnson Brothers of Nevada, Top Golf and Land Rover Las Vegas along with on-courses masseuses provided by Canyon Ranch. We also had support from our awesome hole sponsors: Preventive Pest, Simplot, SP+ & Tao.
Whether seeking to pursue careers in culinary arts or hospitality, the dreams of our deserving students are our No. 1 priority and we are continually working toward providing the best possible resource for those dreams to come true. It is thanks to the generous support from our sponsors, donors, partners, and board that our actions are possible, and for that we thank you. As always, you can keep up to date with everything ECF at www.ecflv.org or following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @EpicureanLV.
All the best,
Melissa Arias
Executive Director
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS!
Jaslin Estavillo
High School: Northwest Career and Technical Academy
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality
GPA: 4.325
“Winning this scholarship means everything to me. With this scholarship, I know I will be able to live out my passion for hospitality and my dream of providing others with experiences while using my own creativity. But more importantly, I will be able to support my family. By working hard with this foundation, I know I'll have these experiences that I'll never get anywhere else.”
Susana Galindo
High School: Susana Galindo
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality Management
GPA: 4.3
“I am so grateful for this opportunity. My Facebook is Susana Galiindo. Also to answer the PR announcement question, winning this scholarship to me means that I am able to surpass the expectations that are set on me. That I will have an opportunity to become something greater than all the hard but small jobs my family have to go through. That I can help my family through the troubles and make them not worry about my future anymore.”
Miriam Munoz Gonzales
High School: Southeast Career & Technical Academy
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality
GPA: 3.98
"Winning this scholarship to me means that as a dreamer, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and show other dreamers and immigrants to not let negative words hold them back from accomplishing their goals. Epicurean is giving me the chance to live out my dreams and that means the world to me because they are taking a chance on someone like me."
Adrian Paikai
High School: Liberty High School
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality Management
GPA: 3.969
“Winning this scholarship is everything to me. Being able to make everyone around me proud has brought me the greatest joy I’ve ever experienced and has let me know that I am truly capable of doing amazing things. I’m very grateful for this opportunity that has lifted so much burdens off my shoulders and will continue to work hard to better myself and be the best version of myself that I can be.”
Adolfo Ramirez Salazar
High School: Valley High School
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality Management
GPA: 3.656
“Winning this scholarship means the world to me. This opportunity has been a goal of mine since the first day I heard about this scholarship. I know that this is a life changing opportunity that will help me pursue the dream career that I want. This scholarship means that I am able to give back to my parents for all the hard work they have done to help me try to reach this goal of mine. They have supported me since the first time I told them that I wanted to run a hotel. They’ve done so much in helping me become the person that I am today, and I believe that this is the best way to show them that all their hard work to raise me paid off. That is why this scholarship means the world to me."
Osbaldo Tovar
High School: Desert Pines High School
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality Management/ Culinary
GPA: 3.315
“What does this scholarship mean to me? It means everything to me and my family. I have an opportunity to do amazing things that my sibling don’t have the luxury of doing like attending a paid university. Being a part of events like stripes for scholarship and M.E.N.U.S. Being around such a helping environment is so inspiring and I can’t wait to learn and grind.”
Crystal Triguero
High School: Valley High School
University: UNLV
Major: Hospitality Management
GPA: 3.895
“Winning this scholarship to me means being able to be a good example for my younger siblings. It also means that my parents now know that all the sacrifices they made were worth it.”
FORE! ECF's 4th ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC
It was a gorgeous day for ECF’s 4th Annual Golf Tournament at Red Rock Country Club’s Private Mountain Course. Golfers started the morning off with coffee and breakfast from Sambalatte Torrefazione and a Bloody Mary from Tito’s Vodka. The day included drinks from Tito’s Vodka, Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits, Brill, Keurig/Dr. Pepper, Herradura, and Nevada Beverage at our on-course watering holes. On course boxed lunches were generously be provided by Sysco. On course activities were sponsored by: Brady Linen, Caesars Entertainment, Johnson Brothers of Nevada, Top Golf and Land Rover Las Vegas along with on-courses masseuses provided by Canyon Ranch. We also had support from our awesome hole sponsors: Preventive Pest, Simplot, SP+ & Tao. Photos from the event are available here.
Thank you to our Golf Classic Sponsors!
MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Welcome new member Joseph Radetich, President of Sysco Las Vegas. Radetich’s global philosophy and passionate commitment to positively impact the local community are a tremendous asset to the foundation. “We are delighted to welcome Joseph to the ECF Board,” says Melissa Arias, executive director of ECF. “His expertise and dedication in support of our organization is instrumental and we look forward to his insight and guidance.” Radetich currently serves as President of Sysco Las Vegas, bringing more than ten years of experience with the Fortune 500 Company and global leader in foodservice distribution. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Radetich graduated from Canisius College with a degree in Political Science. He is married and a proud father of a wonderful two-year old son. In his free time, he enjoys immersing himself in the local community and finding new ways to make a positive contribution.
Welcome new member Stacey Taylor! Stacey is SVP & Chief Procurement Officer for MGM Resorts International. She is excited to join the board to provide support for ECF students in both time and treasury to aspire and achieve going on to college, in particular those who thought it wasn’t an option for them.
She provides leadership and strategic vision to Global Procurement and is implementing a Companywide procurement program inclusive of sourcing, purchasing, program management and supplier management to optimize financial savings impact and improve associated processes to drive efficiency. Having served in her current position since 2015, Stacey has nearly 30 years of experience in procurement, purchasing and sourcing. She has served in leadership positions with ConAgra Foods from 2006-2015, most recently as Vice President of Integration, where she handled the design and implementation of a procurement integration plan following the company’s acquisition of Ralcorp.
Welcome new member Sherri Pucci Sosa, General Manager of Planet Hollywood! “We are excited to welcome Sherri to the ECF Board,” says Melissa Arias, executive director of ECF. “Her hospitality expertise and dedication to both giving back to our community and in support of our organization will greatly benefit our students” Ms. Sosa currently serves as General Manager of Planet Hollywood, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the gaming industry. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canadak, Pucci-Sosa Sherri received her MBA from Tulane's Freeman School of Business in New Orleans. Her undergrad is from the Asper School of Business in Manitoba, Canada. She is married to her partner for more than 10 years and they have two children and an adopted chihuahua.
Welcome new member Matt Vandegrift, General Manager for Trump International Hotel Las Vegas! Matt is responsible for leading a team of approximately 550 employees at the 1,282 room Trump International Hotel Las Vegas– a mixed use building with private ownership, rental hotel and third-party timeshare. Over the last 5+ years, he has been instrumental in improving the hotel profitability while improving their employee and guest satisfaction scores and Trip Advisor to the highest ratings since opening. Working in hospitality since he was 16, his first job was a bus boy at a water-front restaurant while he was in high school. Since then, he has also held positions with the Four Seasons that have taken him around the world including Atlanta, Seychelles, Maldives, and San Diego. Matt grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida and is a proud graduate of James Madison University. He has been involved with UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality as both a guest speaker and as part of their mentor program. Married to his wife, Gretchen, they have two boys - Greyson (5 years) and Hunter (2 years). Matt loves spending time cooking, traveling and being with his family.
GET INVOLVED
Thank you to Storypoint and Johnson Brothers of Nevada/ E&J Gallo Winery for the 3,024 bottles of wine sold during South Point Hotel Casino & Spa’s February/March Wine Promotion!
STUDENT AND GRADUATE UPDATES
Congratulations ECF students Ben Sison, Anna Tymoshevska, and Maria Miranda on their graduation from UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality.
Congratulations ECF alumni Candace Kozell, Class of ’18 on her new position at The Cosmopolitan.
Congratulations ECF alumni Jasmyn Franklin, Class of ’14 on her new position of College Recruiting Lead at Molex.
Congratulations ECF alumni, Vildan Buric! He is now Assistant Director of Food And Beverage at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino.
Congratulations ECF student, Geovanni Saucedo on becoming Vice President of the Native American Student Association (NASA) at UNLV!
For more information, please contact Melissa Arias at 702.932.5098, melissa@ecflv.org or visit the ECF website at www.ecflv.org.
