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The Crimson Pineapple The Official E-Newsletter of the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management

Message from Director Bob Harrington – May 2020

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Having the opportunity to become the director of the School of Hospitality Business Management is an honor. The school has been one of the top programs and continues to push the envelope in quality research insights and the student experience. I am eager to enhance the SHBM’s reputation and assist in expanding our programs that will strengthen this legacy. The ability to give back to WSU and contribute to something larger than myself is deeply exciting and meaningful to me. Using the mission, vision, and goals of the Carson College of Business as a guide, my hope is to take our programs to new heights.

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Stonebridge CEO Navin Dimond Gives Hospitality Students Weeklong Immersive Learning Opportunity

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Navin Dimond (’85), CEO of Stonebridge Companies, has a history of providing unique learning opportunities for WSU students interested in hospitality business management, marketing, sales and construction management careers. Last fall, Dimond and Executive Chef Jamie Callison teamed to offer hospitality students a transformational week of learning at the Stonebridge corporate office and key properties in Denver.

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Chocolatier Elizabeth Nalbandian Aims to Help Developing Countries Solve Nutritional Problems

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While growing up, Elizabeth Nalbandian often helped her mother and grandmother make food for traditions spanning thousands of years. At 12 she learned to make pastries; as a bored 15-year-old, she read recipe books whenever her grammar teacher wasn’t looking. After high school, she became intrigued by the idea of combining food, science, and culture into a career path. How she would up over 6,700 miles from her home in Jerusalem to study hospitality, culinary arts, and food science at WSU is a story as sweet as chocolate.

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Hospitality School Names Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living

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Nearly 300 people gathered on the Pullman campus in October to celebrate the naming of the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living. As one person after another took the stage and spoke through tears and laughter about Cobb’s caring nature, it became easy to understand why Washington State University named the institute after a man who left an indelible mark on the past and future of the senior living industry.

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Communication, Loyalty, and Professionalism are Top Reasons Why Terra Blanca Hires Cougs

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With the help of several Cougs on staff, Terra Blanca is crushing it as a one of the Pacific Northwest’s top destination wineries. “The top skills and attributions we most consistently see in WSU graduates are communication, loyalty, professionalism, and ability to take ownership of their area of expertise,” say owners ReNae and Keith Pilgrim.

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Alumnus Chris Burdett Inducted into School of Hospitality Business Management Hall of Fame

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SHBM Hall of Fame recipient and hotelier Chris Burdett (’90) has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and franchise industries. He advises hospitality students to “be prepared to think about what it takes to own, operate, build, sell, invest, and manage whatever it is in this industry that you might find interesting—from franchise sales of national hotel brands to the attorneys who specialize in contract negotiations. There are thousands of opportunities in our industry around the world. My dad told me that if I could work in a restaurant, I could go anywhere and live anywhere, and frankly, he was more than right. He sparked an interest in an industry that really can take you anywhere.”

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