Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance Turns 10

Boston is Host of Tenth Anniversary Annual Conference and Student Showcase

The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) has reason to celebrate, as this year marks the national non-profit's tenth anniversary of successfully promoting the economic and social benefits of diversity and inclusion in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry. Founded by Gerry Fernandez in 1996, MFHA develops programs, products and strategies for integrating a diversity of cultures into these sectors, thereby providing foodservice and hospitality establishments with the resources to advance, remain competitive and attract top talent.

"MFHA has seen incredible growth in support and influence over the past decade," says Fernandez. "Our tenth anniversary is a chance to both celebrate the organization's accomplishments and strategize on the future to ensure even more success for inclusion in the next decade."

According to the National Restaurant Association 2006 Forecast, employment in the restaurant industry is expected to grow from 12.5 million to 14.4 million over the next ten years, increasing openings across all occupations, from managers to servers to chefs. "In order to ensure that there is a workforce to support this growth, MFHA's mission is more important now than ever," continues Fernandez. "Our work will promote growth on all levels, from hourly employees through industry leaders."

Over the past decade, the rapidly growing multicultural workforce has led to an increased need for workplace training and professional development. The foodservice and hospitality industry knows it must respond in order to attract and retain a diverse pool of talent. One service MFHA provides is acting as a resource to the industry by building a bridge of communication between employer and employee with its services and products such as English to Spanish Workplace Language Guides, Best Practices for Managing Diverse Executive Talent Guide, and Sed de Saber, an English as a Second Language program for the Hispanic workforce.

MFHA's decade of success is marked by increased employment rates and earnings, advancements in the career profiles of minorities, improved national economic performance, greater minority business ownership and enhanced cross-cultural communication. The non-profit organization is proud to announce some of the last decade's milestone accomplishments:

- Garnered the support of premier sponsors Cargill, Coca-Cola Company, General Mills Corporation, Nation's Restaurant News and PepsiCo, Inc. to create the MFHA charter in 1996

- Held the industry's landmark gathering of professionals of color in Chicago, Ill., in 1997

- Published the first-ever Diverse Supplier Directory for the Foodservice & Hospitality Industry to ensure that minority groups do not face barriers within the industry in 1999

- Debuted Showcase of the Stars, a nationwide dynamic and interactive school-to-career program, in Chicago in 2000, and held events in multiple cities since

- Released original Benchmark Survey of Diversity Practices to measure the industry's progress in 2001

Each year, MFHA hosts a three-day conference that is the only diversity event in the country focused solely on the foodservice and lodging industry. This year's conference, entitled "Celebrating a Decade of Diversity," will serve as the highlight of the anniversary's celebrations, when multicultural community leaders and industry members gather at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Mass., from August 6-8, 2006.

Topics for discussion include immigration policy and implications for the workforce, the role of the white male in diversity discussions, and the new agenda for minority businesses. The conference will also launch MFHA's new industry-specific products like its Multicultural Customer Serv