Hyde Park, NY – Dr. Jodi Berg, president and chief executive officer of Vitamix, delivered the commencement address at the New York campus of The Culinary Institute of America on July 3, advising graduates to treat their budding careers as dance.
“To dance, you have to be purposeful. So much in life, so many of our movements, are automatic,” Dr. Berg told recipients of associate degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts. “But when you dance, you conscientiously choose to move. Our journey through life should be very purposeful.”
Dr. Berg is the fourth-generation head of the family-owned company that produces high-performance blending equipment for both consumers and foodservice professionals.
Her many career accolades include being named 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and a Woman of Note by Crain’s Cleveland Business, as well as inclusion in Cleveland Magazine’s Power 100 List and induction in the Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame. She is a member of the CIA’s Society of Follows, In Council with Women, and the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers.
Jodi Berg earned her PhD from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, OH.
The entire CIA commencement ceremony, including Dr. Berg’s address, can be seen online.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
Vitamix president and CEO Jodi Berg steps away from the lectern to speak directly with graduates at the New York campus of The Culinary Institute of America on July 3, 2019. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
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Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America:
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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