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June 2001
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New York City
May 2002

New Mentoring Program Launched At The French Culinary Institute
By Marylena Mantas

In 1993, when eight top female chefs and restaurateurs founded Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), they built the foundation for the advancement of women in their industry. Today WCR provides more than 2,000 women membership in a national association offering concrete benefits, including the opportunity to be mentored by prominent women in the culinary industry.

“WCR’s foundation has been built on informal mentoring. As we near our 10th anniversary year, we wanted to formalize the mentoring process into a structured program for our members,” said Ann Cooper, WCR president.

WCR officially launched the Culinary Women’s Mentor Program in Manhattan’s French Culinary Institute in a recent reception bringing together more than 80 women chefs and restaurateurs. Among the outstanding restauranteurs in attendance was Barbara Lazaroff, wife of Wolfgang Puck.

“The program is helping speak to our mission of helping women in the industry,” said Cooper during the ceremony, adding that the combination of programs provided by WCR are not replicated elsewhere in the industry and “that speaks to the power of women.”

Approximately 140 WCR members will act as mentors, all of whom were selected by the Mentorship Committee, co-chaired by Lisa Capozzi and Anne Quatrano. Eight to 10 “mentees” have been assigned to each mentor. Mentors and “mentees” will meet in person at least twice a year and will communicate by email. In addition, Alice Waters, owner and chef of Chez Panisse and a leader in the culinary industry and Julia Child, will conduct e-mail mentoring, answering several questions, which will be posted on WCR’s website.

“You all accepted this challenge and I’m sure that you are not taking it lightly,” said Dorothy Hamilton, CEO and founder of The French Culinary Institute, who also introduced the keynote speaker, Matilda Cuomo, former first lady of New York State and the founder of Mentoring USA.

Introducing Cuomo, Hamilton said, “Athena, the goddess, started mentoring, but it took a New York State goddess to resurrect mentoring.” Cuomo spoke of her own experiences with Mentoring USA and emphasized the importance of building successful mentoring relationships.

“I know what you’ve been through. I know women have to struggle to get to high places, but now we help each other,” said Cuomo. “When you help someone it just uplifts your spirit. A mentor lives with that experience of knowing that he or she has made a difference in someone’s life.”

WCR hopes to expand the Mentoring Program next year. According to Cooper, it also hopes to increase its membership, which now includes women from every sector of the culinary industry, including beginning restaurant professionals, chef/restaurant/culinary professionals, executive members, small business members and corporate members, to 5,000. Other programs and activities organized by WCR include an annual conference, scheduled to take place in the fall of 2002 where several women are honored with “Women Who Inspire Awards.” In addition, WCR sponsors several scholarship programs, cooking classes, lectures and conferences.# www.chefnet.com/wcr

 

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