Bonna Brown, CDM, CFPP

Hagerstown, MD
ANFP Member since: 1984

Bonna Brown, CDM, CFPP, is the Treasurer of Maryland, Delaware, DC ANFP. Bonna first joined ANFP when it was known as HIEFSS.  She then became certified as a CDM in 1987, and also maintained a Level 4 certification with The School Nutrition Association. Bonna spent many years in various roles in the foodservice industry, starting with volunteering in her school cafeteria in high school. She eventually found her way to Cedar Ridge Children’s Home & School where she recently retired after 40 years of dedicated service. 

Bonna’s Recipe for Success 

  
Good planning of menus, ordering and staff scheduling is crucial to making a successful department.  If the supervisor/director is unable to have plans in place, the staff can and will be confused and uncooperative. 

Work directly with staff. Fill in when needed and be able to do any job you have assigned to others.   Respect your staff.  If they don’t feel that you appreciate and honor them, you lose cooperation.   

Work with other departments. A good relationship with all the departments you support is a necessity. The role of food service has many aspects. Sometimes, it is the regular preparation for residents/students, which in our case included our role in the National School Lunch program and all the requirements to meet those regulations. Other times, it included catering special events. Many agencies are multilevel, so what is needed in the food world, was our responsibility. Always try to work with other supervisors and staff to meet the needs. 

Training is one of the most important things in foodservice. If training is done correctly by the person responsible for that project, then the new employee feels confident in their new role and is less likely to make mistakes or feel lost. Once training was complete, I allowed my staff to work their own style, within guidelines and time frames. When this is acceptable, we find creativity and great ideas for future menus.  

Listen to what others have to suggest. Be a leader whom staff feel comfortable to come to with problems, personal or work related, knowing what they say will be kept in confidence. Be a person of integrity. 

Extra staff is important, although not possible these days. I was blessed to be able to hire extra part-time staff over the years and schedule them along with full time personnel for special events and catering.  Today’s world does not allow us that luxury, but we work with what we have and try to make it work for our staff. It’s called “making the system work for you”. 

So, what do we do when things go haywire, as we say? Reflect on what went wrong, talk it through with staff, or other supervisors, vent in the proper way, go for a walk, or pray for a solution that will work for all. 

Volunteer. Volunteer. Volunteer. I cannot say it enough. A well-planned and organized department or agency runs on the rails of its volunteers. If it is your home, business, ANFP, or work area, it all works smoother with the help of others. We need each other. 

Enjoy what you do. Make a part of each day as if it was vacation time. Have a piece of chocolate. Create a balance between work, family, church, volunteering and yourself. Keep your attitude positive. Laugh at yourself occasionally. 

And last but not least, our personal faith and family commitment is most important in how we work and respect others. We also need to have faith in our staff, to allow them and encourage them to be creative and happy in their work. Our outlook on life spills over on to others we come in contact with each day. 

View the archive of My Recipe for Success articles at www.ANFPonline.org/myrecipeforsuccess. 

Nominate Yourself or a Fellow ANFP Member

Have you spent a career in foodservice? Share your wisdom and advice in a new feature from ANFP. My Recipe for Success is aimed at retired members or those who have spent a long career in foodservice. Share the biggest lessons you’ve learned to a lengthy, fruitful, and successful career in the non-commercial foodservice industry. 

Nomination Form

My Recipe for Success Archive

January 2021 - Dorothy Radermacher, CDM, CFPP
March 2021 - Wanda Dickson, CDM, CFPP
May 2021 - Tom Thaman, CDM, CFPP
July 2021 - Chef Richard "Nick" Nickless, CEC, CCA, AAC, CDM, CFPP
September 2021 - Karen Swift, CDM, CFPP
November 2021 - Paula Bradley, CDM, CFPP
January 2022 - Deborah McDonald, CDM, CFPP
March 2022 - Trish De Leo, CDM, CFPP
May 2022 - Deb Dawson, CDM, CFPP
July 2022 - Rosalind Davis, CDM, CFPP
September 2022 - Ken Owens, CDM, CFPP
November 2022 - Janice Hemel, CDM, CFPP