Collins College of Hospitality ManagementAs Student Services Coordinator, Donna Dannan ’91 brings a unique perspective to the college having been a student and now advising them. Lisa McPheron, director of communications and external relations, talks with Dannan about her exciting day with Julia Child and the pride she feels at commencement and more.
Please tell us a little bit about your history at Cal Poly Pomona.
I first heard about a place called “Cal Poly” when I was in elementary school. My mom
(Virginia Foster) was the senior secretary to the director of Business Affairs, and eventually retired after 14 years of service. I used to love to attend the campus open house, Poly Vue, to
see all the animals and fascinating “bug” exhibits in the College of Science and also to attend the basketball games.
My own employment began in 1970 as a part-time cashier, selling parking decals and collecting registration fees. Over the years, I held positions as supervisor in the University Payroll Office and as department secretary in the Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department.
At one point a friend of mine asked me, “If you could do anything at all, what would you do?” My response was, “Go back to school.” I realized that nothing was stopping me and I had the perfect opportunity working at the university. My first class was accounting – what a choice for a first class! I soon exhausted the classes I could justify as “work-related.” I scoured the catalog to find a major in which I could sustain an interest and found hotel and restaurant management. In 1986, I took HRT 101 with Professor Bill Martin and was hooked.
It took me eight and a half years part time, but I graduated in 1991. My husband has often said I had the best “college experience” of anyone he knows. I was on the founding Hospitality Management Council, which met in what is now the PDR (President’s Dining Room) while it was under construction. I was also active in the new student chapter of AIWF, the American Institute of Wine and Food. A trip to the Hotel Show in New York was a highlight.
After you graduated, you worked for Marriott International for a few years. What attracted you back to campus to begin a career in academia?
I had 19 years as a staff member at CPP when I graduated. I left to see if there was “life” outside campus. I worked in Corporate/Contract Food Service for Marriott (a result of a summer internship), beginning as a very green food service manager and leaving nine years later as a general manager of my own unit. My education afforded me choices, and I had had all the operations experience that I wanted. I had maintained my faculty contacts and the office manager’s job opened up in the Professional Development Institute arm of the college. I had often thought of returning to campus to eventually retire from state service. Returning as staff support for my favorite place on campus and to work with faculty friends was an added bonus!
My next move was to my present student services coordinator position. My familiarity with the curriculum, industry experience and the campus made me a logical choice.
Over the years, at The Collins College you have met some very notable people in the hospitality industry. For instance, you spent a lot of time with Julia Child when she was on campus in 1991. Please tell us about that and what it meant to you.
I have always had a “passion for food.” While I was still a student, several of my friends began a student chapter of AIWF, a national organization that Julia Child started with her friend, Robert Mondavi. Tarun Kapoor, our club advisor, was instrumental in having Ms. Child come to campus for an entire day’s event. Her passion for education was equal to her passion for food.
As things turned out, I was selected to be Ms. Child’s personal assistant during her visit. The day included a cooking lesson, followed by a book signing in the courtyard, and an invitation-only luncheon in The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch. After an afternoon break, students prepared and served a gala banquet for 300 guests at Kellogg West with recipes from her cookbook, The Way to Cook. Julia Child arrived on campus at 7:30 a.m. and was still signing autographs for students at 11:30 p.m. She was 78 years old. I still have photos of the day in my office, but alas, some of today’s young students do not even recognize her name.
As a student you also met Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit. How were you able to get such wonderful exposure to those wine industry legends.
As I mentioned before, Julia Child and Robert Mondavi were great friends and also friends of the college. AIWF students wanted to bring Mr. Mondavi to campus as we had previously honored Julia Child. The event just happened to be the night when the infamous LA riots broke out. Late in the afternoon, the decision was made to cancel the event! Everything was set– the food and wine were in house, the student team was in place, all we needed were the guests of honor. Robert Mondavi did not want to disappoint all of the students who had worked so hard so he and his wife, Margrit Biever Mondavi, came anyway. A special moment for me occurred when Mrs. Mondavi got out of the car and saw I was wearing a T-shirt that she had designed for their winery in Napa Valley. She was so delighted and made a big fuss to see her personal design worn by a Collins student. That event turned into a very special evening. All the students, a few faculty, and the Mondavis casually sat around, in the President’s Dining Room, where he graciously answered all our questions and told stories about his life and career.
How have your experiences as a student shaped the way you advise current students?
I can speak to students from a “personal” perspective. I have had the pleasure of meeting and mentoring hundreds of students in my position, and I remember what it feels like not to know where to go for answers to your questions. It can be very intimidating to walk into an office to ask a question. I try to give students the benefit of my experiences. On the inside, I still feel like one of them. I hope I never lose that empathy!
What makes a good student an exceptional student?
Exceptional students appreciate being at The Collins College and all it has to offer. All the faculty, staff, and administrators encourage students to take advantage of the resources available, not only at the college, but also on the main campus. We tell every incoming student about the value of the professional work experience requirement (build your resume; don’t just “get the requirement over with”). We explain how their faculty advisor can be a lifelong mentor. Life skills are learned by attending industry trade shows, such as the International Hotel/Motel Restaurant Show in New York. Students learn how to travel with others, how to practice speaking to industry professionals to develop a network, and how to have “once-in a lifetime” experiences with other students who may become lifelong friends. Exceptional students listen and do it!
Each year more and more students want to study here. In fact enrollment jumped 46 percent in the last three years. What are some of the reasons the college continues to grow?
The Collins College has developed a solid reputation for being one of the premier hospitality programs in the nation. I often hear from prospective students and their parents that they have researched the available programs and the college continues to impress them.
The strength of our program continues to be the support of our industry partners and our faculty. Dean Feinstein encourages our Board of Advisors to contribute financially and to actively decide how to spend their donations to better the college. Industry support also comes by way of teaching. This past spring quarter, Mr. Michael Hawkins, the owner of Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena, taught a class on restaurant development.
What was your proudest moment at The Collins College?
I had to think long and hard for this one. My proudest moments, and there have been many, are when students introduce me to their parents at commencement and relate to them how much I helped them get through it all.
Our primary goal, as Dr. Jerry Chesser always says, “… is to get you across that stage!” My role begins with a prospective student tour and continues through my participation on the University Commencement Committee in planning our college celebration at the end of the academic year. My reward is to have students become “friends.” I am a very fortunate and proud alumna!
Student Services Coordinator Donna Dannan
