Joye Thomas, Rigoberto Mendoza, Emily Bond

University of Mary Washington’s Catering Executive Chef Rigoberto Mendoza was one of only 14 chefs featured in a June 17 front-page Food Management Magazine article about college dining chefs who made a difference over the last year. The next week, Food Management Magazine ran another front-page piece about college dining associates who also made a difference during the year. University Dining Senior Cook Emily Bond and Marketing Assistant Joye Thomas were two of only 22 people included in that showcase!

University Dining General Manager David Schneider said, “We’re very proud of Chef Rigo, Emily and Joye for getting this well-deserved recognition. They bring tremendous dedication, talent and heart to our dining operations, and we’re extremely pleased that Food Management Magazine gave some great national recognition to them, our dining team and the University of Mary Washington.” The following are excerpts from Food Management Magazine’s feature stories about college chefs and dining associates who made an impact last year.

Catering Executive Chef Rigoberto Mendoza

Executive Chef Rigoberto Mendoza

One of 14 college dining chefs who made a difference.

“Rigoberto is a supremely talented chef who has invested tremendous time and effort into training his catering culinary team, as well as members of the resident dining culinary staff. He is known for his exceptional food and presentations, particularly those prepared for the president of the university and other VIP events, and he takes the time to share his knowledge and skill with the rest of his team. He is an innovator, creating custom recipes and menus for a broad range of dining events. He is extremely dedicated. Besides the many hours he spends on his catering events, he still provides great support to the rest of our dining operations. He does everything from cooking at our Campus Grill, to planning menus, to meeting with students, to washing dishes!”

University Dining Senior Cook Emily Bond

Emily Bond, Senior Cook

One of 22 college dining associates who made a difference last year.

“Emily is one of the primary cooks for our resident dining program, and she is quick, efficient, and very skilled! She stays on top of everything, anticipating the needs of the various points of service, and ensuring that everyone has everything they need, from the beginning to the end of service. She’s very supportive of all her co-workers, hopping on any station whenever they need help. She’s especially good at preparing dishes for our special dining events, making sure they properly reflect the theme or ethnic culture of the event.”

Joye Thomas, Marketing Assistant

One of 22 college dining associates who made a difference last year.

University Dining Marketing Assistant Joye Thomas

“Joye serves on Fredericksburg’s Citizen Advisory Panel, where she is an advisor to the police and a liaison for the community. She took on this role because she wants to make a real difference in the world. After the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, it became clear to her that change was needed in our community policing practices. She has been part of a taskforce that re-wrote the city police department’s directives on various issues, including the use of force. Joye was also elected by the city council and mayor of Fredericksburg to serve as a commissioner on the Fredericksburg Arts Commission, which is responsible for a multitude of arts initiatives. It awards grants to local artist and arts organizations, runs a sculpture program, coordinates First Friday celebrations and more!”