Meet Our New Board Members
John O'Donnell
General Mananager
Detroit Golf Club
John was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. A 1969 graduate
of Michigan State's School of Hospitality Business, his first
hospitality job was as a dish washer at Henry Ford Museum and
Greenfield Village. Most recently, John was the General Manager
at the Locust Club in Philadelphia prior to assuming his current
position as General Manager at the Detroit Golf Club. John and
his wife, Andrea, have three sons, Matthew, Patrick, and Sean.
John was active in the Pennsylvania and Virginia Restaurant Associations,
and served as president of the Philadelphia-Delaware Valley Restaurant
Association in 1995. John believes the MRA can best help the restaurant
industry by coordinating strength on state and federal issues
detrimental to small business growth. Government intervention
into small businesses is at the top of his list of challenges
confronting our industry.
Ronald F. Cichy, Ph.D., CHA, CHE
Director and Professor, MSU
School of Hospitality Business
Dr. Cichy is the Director and a Professor in The School of Hospitality
Business at Michigan State University. Prior to his current position,
he was the Director of Educational Services for the Educational
Institute of the American Hotel & Motel Association. He has earned
a Ph.D. from MSU's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition,
and an M.B.A. and B.A. from the University's School of Hotel,
Restaurant and Institutional Management. His industry experience
includes positions in both lodging and food service operations
as a hotel manager, food and beverage manager, banquet chef, and
sales representative. Dr. Cichy has written over 125 publications
for food service and lodging audiences. He believes that it is
critically important for educators, as well as industry executives,
to give something back to the industry. He is looking forward
to bringing the perspective of the hospitality business education
community to issues facing the MRA Board and the Michigan restaurant
industry.
Tom Brann
Tommy Branns Steak & Seafood
Tom started working in the food service industry while still
in high school at his father's restaurant. At the young age of
19, Tom opened his own place in Wyoming. Twenty-six years later,
Tom is still hands-on in his successful table service restaurant.
A long time member of the Association, in the last few years he
has become more and more politically active. Whether it be writing
his legislators or calling them direct, he is more than willing
to voice his concerns about government intervention and regulations
affecting the restaurant industry. Tom is an accomplished black
belt in karate, as well as a weight lifter in his spare time.
He is married to his wife Sue.
Craig Heath
HeathCorp Ventures, Inc.
Craig opened his first restaurant, Hector & Jimmys, in 1985,
and has been a member of the MRA ever since. In 1990 he opened
Brighton Bar & Grill, and in 1996 he added the Red Cedar Grill
in Williamston. Most recently he added a location in Ohio. "My
experience as both a corporate restaurant manager, a corporate
multi-unit manager, a single-unit entreprenuer and a multi-unit
independent operator has provided me a depth of experience I believe
I can share to help further the goals of the MRA," states Craig.
He is very excited about becoming a board member. "I wanted to
become a board member not only to share my experiences, but to
learn from fellow foodservice industry executives and make new
friends in our business," says Craig. Welcome aboard!
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