2000 A. Reed Hayes, president and chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation , addressed The Culinary Institute of America s commencement on Friday, July 7, 2000. During the ceremony, his son Christopher was presented the award for highest grade point average among the graduates, earning a 3.87. You are the future of the industry that is near and dear to my heart. Growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania taught Hayes the hard work and discipline that served him well in the foodservice industry.
Customers are the same way.
They don t care about your problems, they just want a great dining experience. As a teenager, Mr. Hayes once had a four-hour talk with Harry Truman after knocking on the former President s hotel room door. Pay attention to everything happening around you and to you, because you never know where your inspiration will come from. The reception area in the CIA s Student Recreation Center is named in his honor.