Meet Joyce Kirkeide, Culinary Director
How long have you been in your position? Can you tell me a bit about your training/previous positions?
I have been at Episcopal Homes for 3 years. Before coming to Episcopal, I worked for 25 years as a District Manager for a foodservice management company. My territory was primarily in Minnesota overseeing 8 – 12 accounts, a combination of small hospitals, independent living and full senior campuses. Early in my career as District Manager, Episcopal Homes was one of the locations that I covered, so I did have the opportunity to work with the previous culinary leadership.
What qualities make a good leader?
Being supportive, a good listener and making sure to follow through
What are the most important skills you use as a leader?
I try to be supportive of my team, especially during the pandemic.
Please share an accomplishment you are especially proud of:
I think at this point, my/our (my team) biggest accomplishment is working together to keep people safe during COVID and being flexible to adjust our days to meet the needs of the people we serve. I would not claim that it is my biggest accomplishment but rather “our” because it truly was a team effort, pitching in every day to make it all happen.
Please share a goal(s) for your area for 2022:
We are working on many projects but one that may be of special interest is that we are currently working to freshen our offerings for caterings and in each of the areas we serve. We have many different points of service and we are excited to be out of the zones, quarantines and shutdowns so we can get back to focusing on our customers and moving forward with fresh ideas.
A short sentence or two about you personally:
When I am not at work, my husband and I love to explore new places and simply enjoy being outside doing outside things. I have to mention that our favorite spot in Minnesota is Grand Marais. We have a two-year-old Golden Retriever named Jack who loves to do whatever we do. I also love to read and be crafty in my spare time.