Virginia Tech Dining Services announces staff changes

16 Sep 2011

Left to right, from top: John Barrett, Carolyn Bess, Mark Moritz, Suzanne Quesenberry, Randall Van Dyke, and Chang Yun

Dining Services recently made several organizational changes to accommodate the expansion of Virginia Tech’s dining program and provide better service to students.

John Barrett, formerly assistant director of Dining Services’ Personal Touch Catering, has been named assistant director for the new dining center Turner Place at Lavery Hall, a 36,000-square-foot facility opening fall 2012. Barrett has more than 21 years of experience in the food service industry, beginning as a student employee with Dining Services and working his way up to senior unit manager at West End Market and later assistant director for Personal Touch Catering. Barrett earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia Tech.

Carolyn Bess, most recently executive chef of Virginia Tech’s D2 dining center, where she previously worked as food production manager for six years, has been named assistant director at the university’s Owens Food Court. Bess has managed several Virginia hotels and restaurants, and owned and operated the Silver Spoon Café and Gourmet Shop in Roanoke, Va., along with two other local restaurants. She also served as a restaurant consultant for clients such as the Tobacco Company in Richmond, Va.; the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.; and Holiday Inn locations in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, Va. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human nutrition and foods from Virginia Tech.

Mark Moritz, formerly chef instructor and department chair at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., has been named executive senior chef for the new Turner Place dining center. He studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales College in Providence, R.I., and for more than 30 years has served in the dining industry. Past positions include sous chef, saucier apprentice, saucier, garde manger, executive sous chef, executive chef, chef instructor at Asheville-Buncombe Community College and the New England Culinary Institute, and luxury suites manager. His time as executive chef at Belleview Biltmore Resort Hotel in Clearwater, Fla., also afforded him a special year-long assignment as executive chef at Yotei Country Club in Hokkaido, Japan.

Suzanne Quesenberry joins the Dining Services team as assistant director of Personal Touch Catering. Quesenberry comes to Virginia Tech from the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Va., where she worked as food and beverage director. She has also held foodservice management positions at Hollins University, the College of William and Mary, and East Carolina University. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from ECU and National College in Roanoke, respectively.

Randall Van Dyke has been promoted to executive chef at Dietrick Dining Center after serving as chef de cuisine at D2 since 2009. He holds an associate’s degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk, Va. His food service career began in 1990 as an assistant manager of the Western Sizzlin’ in Christiansburg, Va., and he graduated to various positions including head chef at various resort hotels in Massachusetts, Florida, and Virginia. He has also served as executive chef at The Farmhouse Restaurant in Christiansburg. Van Dyke is currently president of the American Culinary Federation’s New River Valley chapter.

Chang Yun, executive chef for Personal Touch Catering, comes to Dining Services with more than 12 years of food industry experience. After studying hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech, Yun worked at various acclaimed restaurants, including Hank's Seafood and the Doubletree Inn and Suites in Charleston, S.C.; Keswick Hall and the Clifton Inn, in Charlottesville, Va.; and Bambu restaurant in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Yun has been recognized by the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, The Art Institute of Charleston, and Charleston Style and Design magazine, and has been featured on local and national morning television shows.

For more information about Dining Services and its award-winning dining facilities and programs, visit the Dining Services website.