Good afternoon PSJAHF chapter members and friends,
The PSJAHF Board of directors, symposium, education, and business partner chairs are proud to announce and release details of our 50th annual PSJAHF symposium. The event will take place on Thursday, March 6th, 2025, at the Redner's Event Center at the Reading Fightin Phils (2024 Centre Ave, Reading, PA 19605). This year’s theme is “Your Foodservice Can Become World Class". Attendees will earn CEU’s. Attached is the program for your sneak preview. We have an exciting, jam-packed day planned with some engaging and dynamic speakers, industry experts, a top-notch business partner show, time to re-connect with colleagues and meet new ones!
We hope that you will block your calendar for March 6th, sign up, and join us!
Register and purchase your tickets on Eventbrite (Deadline to sign up via Eventbrite is March 1st):
PSJAHF CHAPTER: ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTHCARE FOODSERVICE 2025 Symposium Tickets, Thu, Mar 6, 2025 at 8:30 AM | Eventbrite
*Note start time of 8:00am*
The 50th Annual PSJAHF Symposium- March 6, 2025
Sponsored by Philadelphia-South Jersey Chapter of AHF
Redner’s Event Center at the Reading Fightin’ Phillies, 19605
Your Foodservice Can Become World Class
7:30 – 8:00 Registration/Continental Breakfast Sponsored by US Foods
8:00 – 9:15 Philly Special: Jared Hunter, Executive Chef, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Texas born Chef Hunter ended up catering Superbowl LII in Minneapolis (funny story). He saw first-hand, the passion of Philly Fans for food and for our E.A.G.L.E.S! Since then, he has become one of the top chefs in healthcare for patient and employee satisfaction. This is your opportunity to hear how he does it.
9:30 - 11:00 How Variations in Taste & Smell Shape the Populations Eating Behavior
Patrice Hubert, PhD, RDN Post-Doctoral Fellow & health promotion scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. This interactive session, which includes sensory testing, will help you understand how sensory perception (how we taste things) affects eating behavior, differs across populations, and how this can be used to improve nutrition care and outcomes at your facility.
11:00 - 11:15 AHF National: An Invitation to Connect with Leah Riley
Stay up to date with our parent organization including the 2025 Conference in New Orleans (August 21-23, 2025) as well as the benefits of operator, organizational, and student memberships.
11:15 – 1:15 BUSINESS PARTNER EXHIBITS: Success and More in 2025
Engage with 50+ outstanding local and national suppliers. They can tell you what you will need, and then help you calculate the ROI of your decisions and investments. Our vendor partners understand the latest trends in menus, pick-up and delivery, presentation, service, securing payments, and customer loyalty. Lunch provided.
1:15 – 2:15 Mental Health and Workplace Wellness: Let’s talk about it!
Chef Sharon Daniel, ExPOS Supervisor, CHOW: Culinary Hospitality, Outreach, Wellness. CHOW’s mission is to support wellness in stressful hospitality jobs. Sharon can help you: 1) Identify team members in crisis. 2) Take the temperature of your team, assess team wellness, and provide support. 3) Create a healthier environment and promote mental wellness in high pressure environments.
2:15-3:15 The Secret Sauce for the Silver Plate. Former Winners Dish!
John Herzog (DM&A) puts healthcare Silver and Gold Plate winners on the hot seat. The IFMA Silver Plate Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the foodservice industry and is considered one of the most prestigious in the industry. Eric Eisenberg, Toni Watkins (Gold Plate) and Mary Angela Miller have been honored recipients and will share their secrets for being recognized for excellence in the acute care and senior dining sectors. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from and direct questions to our industry’s top performers.
3:15-4:45 The Future of Training and Competencies. Turning Good Employees into Great Employees.
Greg Gorgone, Pineapple Academy; Eric Eisenburg, IQlinary Consulting
Training is essential, time-consuming, and expensive. Hear from industry experts on best practices in hiring, onboarding, orienting, training and re-training. Greg and Eric do it best and help you do the same.
5:00 NETWORKING HAPPY HOUR
Join us for this perfect opportunity to reflect on what you have learned and brainstorm the implementation of your ideas with colleagues and peers in the University Lounge. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be provided.
Credit hours:
6.0 CEUs Applied for from The Academy (CDR)
8.0 CEUs Applied for from CBDM * and ACF
(An additional 1.0 CEU Food Safety/Sanitation credit will be offered to all attendees as a complimentary PSJ AHF Webinar in 2025)
Sponsored by: PSJAHF, Medfare, US Foods, Clark Food Service, Pepsi & JM Smucker’s
Registration Opens January 1, 2025
Mail in Registration: Be sure to complete a registration form and mail or email Tom Cooley so that we can create your Name Badge, Packet, and keep you informed of any changes caused by weather, pandemics, or catastrophic infrastructure failures.
Please Fill out the registration form found at the top of this page and email to CooleyTandM@gmail.com
Early Registration is good until February 28, 2025
● $150 (Includes 2025 Philadelphia South Jersey AHF Membership of $50.)
● $55 for Full-time students in Affiliated Accredited Dietetic or Culinary programs.
● $195 for Regular Registration Fee from March 1 until March 6th.
PayPal Name: Philadelphia South Jersey AHF
Phila South Jersey AHF (tax ID # 223202596) Mail to:
Tom Cooley – Treasurer PSJAHF
2335 Steinsburg Road
Quakertown, PA 18951-3825
Email: CooleyTandM@gmail.com
If you have questions or need additional information contact the Symposium Chair Mary Cooley at CooleyTandM@gmail.com
Symposium Location:
Redner Event Center at the Reading Fightin Phills-FirstEnergy Stadium
1900 Centre Ave, Reading, PA 19605
Hotel Accommodations:
Courtyard Marriott- Reading Wyomissing (4.4 miles from Redner Event Center)
150 N Park Rd, Reading, PA 19610 Phone: (610) 378-1137
Ask for special room rate ($129) for the Philadelphia-South Jersey AHF group for March 5, 2025
This event would have been possible with YOU - our members, our business partners, and our symposium sponsors:
Medfare MedFare
US Foods US Foods | Food Supplier & Distributor | Restaurant Supply
Clark Foodservice Equipment Clark Food Service Equipment | Contracting, Construction, Design
Pepsico Home page (pepsico.com)