Culinary Tourism Alliance welcomes three new Directors to the Board
The Culinary Tourism Alliance is pleased to welcome three members to it’s Board of Directors, voted in at the Annual General Meeting, online, on September 12th, 2021.
The new directors include Thompson Tran of Wooden Boat Food Company - a Feast On certified restaurant; Sarah Jarvis, Director of Partnership at Destination Toronto and Adam Morrison & Monica Maralit of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation, Provincial Organization.
Thompson Tran currently runs his boutique catering company Wooden Boat Food Company specializing in Vietnamese and French fare in Kitchener, Ontario. His award-winning dipping sauce NUOC CHAM (dipping/dressing sauce), can be found in over 200 retailers in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. As a former teaching chef instructor chef has worked in both the private and public sectors of the food industry and has spent many years honing his skills at several prestigious restaurants in Vancouver namely Bishop’s, Il Giardino, and Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club. Chef Thompson can be seen providing lively and engaging information-packed cooking demonstrations in BC and Ontario. Thompson brings a unique perspective to the Culinary Tourism Alliance Board of Directors.
Sarah Jarvis is the Director of Partnerships at Destination Toronto. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing broader partnerships with industry stakeholders, Tourism Toronto members and corporate partners that benefit from the region's visitor economy. Sarah has had a long career in the arts and culture sector, working for organizations such as Luminato, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company and Endeavour Marketing where she managed the Amex Centurion experiential portfolio and launched the Platinum Dining Program for Canada. Her long standing connection to culture and tourism will be a remarkable asset to the Culinary Tourism Alliance.
Lastly, Adam Morrison and Monica Maralit of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation, Provincial Organization will, together, hold one seat. Part of an on-going pilot program, this mentoring initiative has Senior Leadership oversee fiduciary responsibility while allowing staff new to Board environments gain valuable experience. The goal is to provide training and development opportunities to younger and underrepresented voices in tourism. As OTEC’s President and CEO, Adam leads OTEC’s workforce development consulting services, working with industry, government, educators and communities to ensure businesses and destinations are prepared for the changing market. His commitment to workforce innovation has resulted in a broad portfolio of research, technology and sector-level strategy projects. Monica Maralit is part of the Workforce Strategy team. She is responsible for facilitating the SkillsAdvance Ontario (SAO) project, including maintaining up-to-date CRM databases and client relations records, as well as liaising with external contractors to help OTEC establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders. Monica assists in the planning and execution of project communications, marketing, and outreach leveraging industry and stakeholder networks – cross-promoting OTEC’s full suite of projects, products, and services
Thompson, Sarah, Adam and Monica join existing Directors:
Nick Sutcliffe, Co-Owner, Southern Cliff Brands and Pommies Cider
Lynnette Bain, Vice President of Tourism Programs & Development, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
Kelly O'Brien, Durham College
Bill Gregorash, Confederation College
Andria Barrett, President, Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce
Richard Willet, VP, Food & Beverage, Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Lynn Sullivan, Co-Founder + Co-Owner, Rosehall Run Vineyards