Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst says he is always open to items that might further diversify the Duke dining experience. But his open-minded culinary prowess was put to the test on a recent worldwide tour for the U.S. Air Force's 46th annual Hennessy Competition, where he was asked to sample dishes ranging from dog to salad.
Each year, the Air Force awards the John L. Hennessy Trophy to the installation with the best food service program. To help judge the winner, it calls on civilian experts--this year, that included Wulforst, a board member for the Society of Foodservice Management.
Between meal evaluations, Wulforst said he saw "what the average American wouldn't get to see." Traveling with full colonel status to active bases during wartime allowed him to have many exciting encounters with classified military operations.
"A lot of what I did, I can't even tell you about," Wulforst said.
For instance, his visit to Edwards Air Force Base in Miroc, Calif., the second largest installation in the Air Force, was highlighted by weapons system testing, flight simulation and interaction with military personnel.
To participate in the program, however, Wulforst had to take an extended leave from Duke--leaving Jan. 19 for a 32-day tour of eight bases in the United States and abroad.
He said he had finally decided to take advantage of a unique and important opportunity. Due to the recent privatization of much of Duke's dining facilities, he said he felt he could safely leave Martha Davidson, dining services business manager, to monitor and evaluate contractors while he was away.
Wulforst's experience began in the United States, but the competition eventually took him as far as Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea and what Wulforst remembers as the "very tense environment" of Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. "We didn't go anywhere without armed guards," he said.
Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson, the base commander at Edwards, which won the single dining facility category, emphasized the importance of interaction with the evaluators during their stay. "We tried to make them feel welcome and show them what Edwards was about. Understanding the environment in which the airmen live and work is important to us," he explained.
Pearson praised Wulforst's efforts. "His perspective adds credibility to the win. He's respected in the field," he said, adding that Wulforst's point of view as a civilian was key. "Sometimes, we don't have a broader view of what makes this a good environment, which is exceedingly important in evaluation."
For Wulforst, being asked to participate in the Hennessy Program was "a humbling experience."
"Seeing the commitment and devotion of the military folks... really made me a different person," he said. "I feel very committed to the community, and it made me proud to be an American."
It also made him proud to be a Dukie. "Duke is on the map," Wulforst said. "Everywhere I went, people knew Duke."
At Edwards, he presented a hat signed by men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to an eager staff of thrilled sports fanatics. "When we found out he came from Duke, a lot of us were really excited," said Staff Sgt. Tony Criado, military supervisor for Joshua Tree dining services at Edwards.
Wulforst is now back at Duke, but his involvement with the Air Force is not quite finished: He will travel to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association show May 18, where he will reunite with Pearson to present Edwards' trophy.
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