Ward brings fresh ideas to Assumption dining services

Having first worked at a local Wendy's as a grill cook at the age of sixteen, Mike Ward would have never imagined that he would one day have a career in food services. Born and raised in Natick, Massachusetts, he left to join the military directly following his high school graduation. He returned eight years later, with his job waiting, and accepted the position as Assistant Manager, while taking courses as a part time student at Dean College in Franklin. His aspiration towards full service grew stronger as time passed, and Ward became interested in learning the trade of real table service. Putting his efforts to receive a degree in Business aside, he geared his attention towards food.Moving forward, becoming the General Manager for Bertucci's and later a Kitchen Manager at Chili's, he was able to learn the tools of the trade. With his work day ending at 3 a.m., and five children at home, the restaurant business was becoming less exciting to Ward. Eager to learn more and excited to try something new, college dining became his focus for the next nine years. His hard work and enthusiasm towards change has brought him to Assumption College, and the response from the community could not be better.

First working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Ward enjoyed his first experience in the college environment. With two years at MIT under his belt, he wanted "to get new, creative and fresh," he says, and knew he wanted to try something else. Transferring to the University of New Haven in Connecticut, and moving his family of seven as well, he thought this position would suit him better. There he worked for a service company that was later bought out by Sodexo, and he was unfortunately unable to continue his work. Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island was his next step, where he worked as the Director of Retail Operations on campus. Shortly following, an opportunity came for Ward to return back to his roots. He was now living his dream where he had first began preparing for his future, and Dean College became his home for the next four years.

A job opened up at Eastern Connecticut State in Willimantic, CT, and Ward chose to try it out. Having spent the past several years at various institutions throughout New England, Ward began to wonder if college dining was all he had in him. Leaving Eastern Connecticut State, Ward decided to step out of his comfort zone. Diving into the world unknown, Dominos Pizza, was Ward's next stop, becoming the director of nine franchises in New England.

Dominos Pizza was a delivery service, with very little interaction with the public, and Ward realized this right away. Truly missing dealing with people on a daily basis, and having very little time to focus on anything else besides work, Ward knew Dominos was not the answer. Giving it a fair shot, Ward stepped down from his position after a little less than three months. At a standstill, he was really unsure of where he would end up next. Having kept close contact with his friends from Sodexo throughout his time spent at Dominos, the company informed him about a job opening.

Arriving in Worcester, MA in August of 2008, Ward came to Assumption College on an interim basis until a General Manager was found. "I fell in love with the place. It has a great community, a fantastic team and an amazing opportunity," Ward says. It did not take long until the college noticed his potential and desire to make Assumption better. When offered the General Manager title in November, he could not resist. Finally being close to his family in Webster, working in an environment where he felt welcome, Ward asked himself, "Why didn't I find this sooner?"

During his time spent observing the college while on his interim position, Ward noticed many aspects that he hoped to improve. Once becoming the General Manager, he was able to move forward with his plans, and begin working towards his goal of creating a new, improved and more enjoyable dining experience for Assumption.

Beginning with Taylor Dining Hall, there were many things he loved. The front of the house, or the dining area where the students eat was spot on, and there was nothing Ward disliked. The problem in his mind was located in the serving area where students received their meals. "What I would really love is a few sticks of dynamite to change the look of the service area in Taylor. Reposition a few things, take on a different appeal, make it more current and add a couple of new stations," Ward says.

He knew that right now that was not an option, so he instead chose to focus first on the things he knew he could change. The menu was where he began. Adding variety to the choices, Ward and his team added new salad bar toppings, daily specialty sandwiches, more entrée options, and the action station with sushi, unique salads and sandwiches made before the student's very eyes. "I absolutely love what Taylor has become," sophomore, Stephanie Alonso says. "Compared to last year I think the food and the service have really improved, and I actually enjoy eating at Taylor now." Just one of many positive reactions from the student body, Ward is making progress in the right direction.

Charlie's is another location where Ward saw enormous potential. "My early career was fast food, so speed was important to me while making changes to Charlie's," Ward says. Before beginning the changes, he asked himself "How do I make it faster, how do I perfect the quality, and how do I really focus in on service? Luckily, I had each of these pieces to work with." Changing the overall flow of the facility, making it more convenient and quicker for students, Ward added more workers at each station in hopes that it would eliminate the long lines. Bringing more brand names to the choices, half gallons of Garelick Farms milk is offered and more types of Ben and Jerry's Ice cream can be purchased. A larger variety of snacks and drinks are offered, and a brand new smoothie station is the most recent addition to Charlie's.