Marianne Bacon is a Lansing native, with over 20 years of food & beverage experience. She first discovered a love for hospitality at the University Club of MSU, where she worked in the banquet & a la carte departments learning the art of fine dining. Later, Marianne went on to work at a variety of restaurants and bars throughout the Greater Lansing area.

 

She was hired by Michigan State University as a State Room restaurant Dining Room Manager in 2011 and was promoted to oversee the department as the Operations Manager in 2016. She also joined MSU’s Student Life & Engagement division, Culinary Services leadership team in 2020, combining a passion for food & beverage with a love for serving and collaborating with fellow Spartans. Marianne is a Certified Human Resource Specialist and a Certified Sommelier. She serves on Sparrow Foundation’s Women Working Wonders (W3) as a Tri-Chair for their annual fundraiser “Art a La Carte” to benefit women’s heart health. Marianne continues to pursue the art and knowledge of wine and relishes in creating unique dining experiences

Executive Sous Chef Sarah Kops has been with the culinary team at Kellogg Center since 2012. Since her first job at 15 years old as a dishwasher, chef Sarah has been passionate about working in a kitchen. Before coming to Kellogg, Chef Sarah spent over 8 years working with Destination hotels and resorts as a corporate travel chef for over 30 properties with four diamond ratings.

 

She was the first female chef with Destination hotels in Tahoe, California. As a Michigan Native, she decided to return to the mitten state to be around family and friends back home. When hired with Michigan State University, she became the first female chef for The State Room restaurant.

 

Sarah now oversees the culinary operations for all outlets under the Kellogg umbrella, a part of MSU’s Culinary Services for Student Life & Engagement.

Dear Fellow Rotarians,

 

In light of the recent surge in COVID numbers, your Board of Directors is asking that all members attending in-person meetings wear a mask when not eating or drinking. We are also working with the Lansing Center to provide more spacing at our tables. We recognize that our commitment to in-person meetings during this “new normal” carries some risks but feel that these two precautions – masking and slightly more distancing – may help protect the health of all of us.

 

Thank you,

Club Board of Directors

The following member has recently elected to resign from our Club:

On a typical bone chilling January Friday our club gathered at the Lansing Center for our weekly Rotary meeting. President Sue Hansen rang the bell and the official meeting commenced. Gabrielle Lawrence gave brief invocation honoring women in a nod to our guest speaker. John Dale Smith then led us in God Bless America.

 

Micki O’Neil took charge of the roaming microphone to introduce our guests and visiting Rotarians. We had a number of student guests from Everett High School, Rebecca Bahar-Cook’s husband and daughter and our District Governor Rita Lamoreaux.

 

Sandy Draggoo declared the club is in good health, with no other Rotarians having any news to share.

 

Pat Munshaw called for volunteers to serve on the foundation’s local grant review committee, anyone with interest contact Pat or Cathy to get your name on the list for consideration.

 

Sandy Draggoo retook the podium to share the December birthday’s report on behalf of Jason Burnette who was unable to attend our meeting. Sandy announced the December Birthday club members submitted $895 to date with more contributions expected. Jason’s question for the month was if you could be a superhero, who would it be and why? Answers ranged from the Invisible Man, Black Panther and Ironman. The one that stood out the most was Michelle Reynaert as Wonder Woman based upon her childhood wardrobe of Superhero Underoos® and her mom’s bracelets to deflect the bullets from the sinister villains that lurked in her home, nothing was noted about an invisible jet, which was disappointing. Happy Birthday Rotarians.

 

Rebecca Bahar-Cook Introduced our main event, Meaghan Bergman, Director of Michigan Women’s Historical Society and Hall of Fame. Meaghan took to the podium to thank the club for the opportunity to speak and took a few moments to recognize Rebecca Bahar-Cook as a mentor and confidant in formative years and our clubs own Sandy Draggoo, Women’s Hall of Fame member.

 

Meaghan remarked that her organization has experienced some challenges due to the COVID crisis but is taking these challenges in stride and moving forward. Meaghan oversees new initiatives of the organization such as HERstory and UGOGirls for Change both of which celebrate and support telling the stories of women who have and more importantly the betterment of the future for all women. While the latter UGOGirls is designed to support and empower young women in middle school and high school to help them succeed in their life endeavors and goals.

 

Meaghan’s vision is a future for women’s career and life choices that move beyond traditional roles and bias built and defined around gender, making that issue irrelevant in the world we live in today. For example, Meaghan noted that the current COVID pandemic has driven large numbers of women from the workforce to care for family, which perpetuates the gender defined roles in our society.

 

Meaghan closed by imploring that she welcomes all to come by their offices at 105 W. Allegan for a discussion about issues women encounter and must endure, but more importantly for a discussion and ideas to change from where we are today and where we need to be tomorrow.

 

After several great questions, President Sue brought our meeting to a close. Personally, as I set down my pen, I realized that I had just fulfilled the lifelong dream of our many Editarians by using the term Underroos® in a weekly report. On behalf of those unnamed Editarians, I thank you Michelle.

 

Tim Adam's email is:  TAdams@manercpa.com