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 The first day on a new job is a spicy brew of excitement, surprise, perhaps a touch of anxiety, and expectations, some met, others not. Such was December 3rd for Loaves and Fishes’ new executive director, Michael Baroman-Coggins, on an introductory tour of L&F’s kitchen and dining rooms, guided by Bart Charlow, interim executive director, and Carol Babcock, operations manager.
They arrived at the Pittsburg kitchen to discover that, “Carmen Schiavone, the catering kitchen manager and chef, was seriously short handed,” said Charlow. “Her assistant chef was out with the flu, and you can’t work with us when you’re ill.” They rolled up their sleeves, grabbed knives, and got to work. “Mike, who has extensive experience as a chef, even had his knives in the car,” Charlow said. “I hit the veggies chopping fast, but Mike’s skill at fast-cutting chickens really saved the day.
“Mike is going to be a terrific executive director for L&F,” said Charlow. “It’s exciting to have someone who is both an experienced manager and a highly experienced chef, who can support our catering chef when called upon.”
Baroman-Coggins brings with him thirty-seven years of experience in the food industry. “We are extraordinarily lucky to have found Mike,” said Una Somerville, acting chair of L&F’s board of directors. “He has extensive operational experience in food service and comes from a nonprofit background.” When he was executive chef for Project Open Hand in San Francisco for twelve years, he managed a kitchen that produced 2,600 meals a day. Somerville adds that, “His goal for feeding the hungry is the same as ours and he has many, many ideas for how we can grow to meet the needs of our community.”
Baroman-Coggins worked for three years with The Salvation Army, built and ran a kitchen in Hawaii, and consulted on projects in both Van Nuys and Oakland. In the private sector he served as executive chef and vice president of a food manufacturer, as manager with an airline catering company, and as an instructor at the California Culinary Academy. He was a cook for the Navy during his ten years as a submariner.
Words From the New Executive Director:
I am excited to have joined the Loaves and Fishes team. I look forward to building relationships with clients, volunteers, and our board, to be a part of the love that is served from our kitchen everyday. We have the best job in the world. We give a warm, nutritious meal to anyone who needs it. How great is that?
I approach this job with enthusiasm and care, knowing that the work my team and I will do, will have an immediate affect on the hundreds of people who come to our dining rooms everyday. I go home each night knowing that someone who needed our service was given a hot, nutritious, and comforting meal. And how great is that?
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