Dear Friends, Supporters and Students, 

On behalf of ECF, we wish you a wonderful holiday season! As we prepare to ring in the new year we would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce our re-elected chairman of the board, Michael Kennedy, and president, Sean DiCicco, who will begin their two-year term on Jan. 1, 2017 and reflect on some of ECF’s accomplishments this year. Michael and Sean will select a new executive committee upon taking office.

Sean has been on the executive committee the last two years as president and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage at Caesars Entertainment, where he oversees all food and beverage operations on site.

Michael has also been re-elected into his position after serving as ECF’s chairman during the past term. He is the Director of Food Operations at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa where he works to implement strategic plans, guest relations, process improvement and creates food and beverage promotions for the property.

Along with celebrating Michael and Sean, we wish to recognize the service, dedication and proven success of the entire executive board: Ana Marie Mormando, Travis Lunn, Jim Laughlin, and Brent Cook. In these last two years Michael and Sean have truly taken ECF to new heights and continue to exemplify the exceptional standards set as not only some of our city’s leading executives, but as philanthropic leaders passionate about our foundation’s mission. We could not have done it without our Executive Committee and we thank them for their commitment

On Thursday, January 26th, we will host Mentorship Matters, an exclusive VIP appreciation dinner, at Bally’s Hotel & Casino Skyview Ballroom, to show gratitude to our premier M.E.N.U.S. 2016 sponsors and donors. We look forward to sharing the evening with our new executive committee, board of directors and members, students and guests. ECF will also honor Bill Foley, owner of Las Vegas’ first NHL team, for his contributions to the city.

Once again, we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

CONGRATULATIONS

What does it mean to you to continue as President of ECF?
“Giving back to the community and an industry which has been so good to me will always be important in my life. Since joining ECF I have seen firsthand the impact it can have on the lives of our local young students, and I plan to improve our organization over the next two years as returning President. I understand how competitive and challenging this industry can be and believe that ECF provides an invaluable edge for deserving students to pursue their dreams.”

What are your goals in your existing role?
“Much like my first term, the goals for ECF 2017-2018 include expanding the board to incorporate professionals from outside the food and beverage industry, which will extend our outreach and provide new avenues for donations and unique mentorship opportunities for students. I intend to continue growing our sub-committees by relying on the strengths of each valued member of the board and ECF graduates. We will host our second annual Golf Tournament and continue organizing smaller events throughout the year in addition to M.E.N.U.S., which boost scholarship donations and enhances our visibility in the community.”

CONGRATULATIONS

Describe what the last two years has meant to you as Chairman of the Board of ECF:
It has been a true honor and a privilege to serve this board. When I had the opportunity to join ECF 5 years ago, I was humbled to be invited to the table. The fact that I was voted in to chair the organization is something that I never even considered at the time. Those who have come before me are some of the people I have looked up to in this industry. Getting to work with Sean and Melissa, along with the rest of the executive team to steer this organization has been very rewarding and I could not be more appreciative for this opportunity to impact our community.

What are you most proud of during your current tenure?
I’m very proud of opening the board to hospitality leaders outside of F&B. This reflects how our industry has changed over the years and it also mirrors what our students are looking for from our board. Additionally, I am very proud of the fact that we have figured out how to fundraise through ancillary events and promotions in addition to M.E.N.U.S. as the charitable segment in Las Vegas is extremely competitive. We now have a golf tourney, bowling event, and a successful wine of the month promotion here at the South Point that benefits ECF. It was very important to Sean and I to figure out additional revenue streams to keep ECF moving forward. Finally, as a mentor I am proud of the relationships that I have made and it is extremely gratifying to see how the students and grads have grown. Each of the students I have been paired with started off as a mentor-mentee relationship and now we are friends. It is my hope that each of them have taken away as much from the relationship as I have.

A LOOK BACK INTO 2016

This year, ECF students have:

• Volunteered over 800 total hours in the Las Vegas community
• Assisted in over 300 hours with ECF’s Inaugural Golf Tournament, M.E.N.U.S. 2016, and were solely responsible for the planning and execution of the 3rd Annual Strikes for Scholarships bowling fundraiser 
• Volunteered with ECF board and staff at Lied Dining Facility, Operation School Bell, and Habitat for Humanities 
• Participated in Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, National Society of Minors in Hospitality, American Hotel and Lodging Education Foundation, Chispa UNLV, and Native American Indian/Native American Alliance Club
• A combined average college GPA of 3.4
• Been employed (or interned) at T Mobile Arena, The Venetian/Palazzo, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Caesar’s Palace, South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, and the UNLV Dining Commons

2016 AVERO NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANT EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

Ben Sison traveled to New York City with ECF Operations and Program Manager, Christopher Alfieri, this past August as part of the Avero New York City Restaurant Education Experience. During their visit, Ben and Christopher got to meet and learn from leading chefs, managers, restaurateurs and hoteliers while visiting some of the city’s most prominent dining establishments. 

“The Avero trip was everything I expected and more! The Avero team was absolutely amazing; they showed me around, took me to outstanding restaurants, and most of all they were genuinely good people to be around. For it being my first trip ever to New York City, I loved walking around the city. Definitely one of my favorite experiences was the day we walked to the subway station, rode the subway to Brooklyn, ate pizza at Emmy Squared, and then we walked to the original Brooklyn Bowl to bowl and eat more! I learned so much about the hospitality industry and the trends of the food and beverage side of it from Damien. I cannot thank Damien and his awesome team enough for the once in a lifetime trip and I look forward to seeing them again!”
 -Ben Sison, Avero Scholarship Trip Recipient, ECF Class of 2019

THANK YOU TO OUR M.E.N.U.S. 2016 SPONSORS

STUDENT/GRADUATE UPDATES

BOARD UPDATES

2017 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION