Bekah Galang

DRIVEN TO CONNECT AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL & EQUITABLE FOOD SYSTEMS

c 937.418.1867

galangre@gmail.com

Detroit, Michigan

BA | RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE OF ARTS & HUMANITIES | NATURE & CULTURE

Honors College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 2007-2010

ORGANIZATIONS

Keep Growing Detroit
• Board Chair 2022-2023
• Board Secretary 2020- 2022
• GRP Member & volunteer 2014- present

Slow Food Detroit Central City
• Founding board secretary 2014-2016
• Youth Delegate for Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto 2014 & 2016

AWARDS

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD 2021 RCAH | Michigan State University

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BUSINESS LEADER AWARD 2020
Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Detroit City Football League Scripps Park 2014- present

Dally in the Alley volunteer 2014 – present

Detroit Food Academy Social Enterprise Consultant 2021

Make Food Not Waste Innagural Event Planning Board 2019

Everybody Eats Conference Organizer 2010-2013

MSU RCAH & Honors College Mentor & Volunteer

REFERENCES

JACKIE VICTOR
CO-FOUNDER
AVALON INTERNATIONAL BREADS (313)806-1934 jvictor@avalonbreads.net

PHIL JONES
COMMUNITY CHEF
PHARMACY FOODS (313)409-7805 chefphiljones55@gmail.com

ASHLEY ATKINSON
CO-DIRECTOR
KEEP GROWING DETROIT (313)401-3347 ashley@keepgrowingdetroit.org

Versatile food systems professional with experience in marketing, retail operations, and project management. Successfully led & facilitated teams, implemented initiatives to drive business growth and enhance brand presence, and coordinated events of different scales, demonstrating passion and strong leadership abilities

WORK EXPERIENCE

RETAIL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR | Avalon Bakery 2/19- 1/24

Strengthened a legacy Detroit business and facilitated an organized company vision, goals, and mission

Planned, designed, and opened new market cafe locations including all permitting, food safety regulations, and licensing

Transitioned flagship cafe into a commissary, redesigning the kitchen and centralizing production that enabled smaller Avalon cafes to grow and focus on service and quality

Controlled all HR processes including writing and completing trainings for staff and managers, standardizing staff evaluations and wages, and sup- porting managers on all HR functions

MARKETING DIRECTOR | Avalon Bakery 2/21- 1/24

Organized and managed all digital and physical marketing assets

Worked with all locations and teams to create community events and seasonal specials

Produced and scheduled all content for accounts, reflecting the marketing mission to strengthen business through connecting community

GENERAL MANAGER | Avalon International Breads 2/17- 2/19

Created and implemented systems for operations on and offsite including open book financial and goal tracking, regular costing and pricing analysis, inventory and local sourcing, food safety, customer service, and product quality

Managed a team of up to twenty team members with fifteen operating hours per day, seven days per week including hiring, training, evaluating, rewarding, disciplining, and firing

Collaborated with a talented team to create a new breakfast and lunch program building on Avalon’s classics and relying on the seasonality of local ingredients

Strengthened community and increased sales of a beloved twenty-year-old business, driving the customer service mission of ‘providing a source of healing and compassion in a world sorely in need’

BREADUCATOR & SPECIAL PROJECTS | Avalon International Breads 4/14 – 2/17

Built and launched a company-wide new hire orientation

Created over 100 food safety standard operating procedures and manufacturing production standards

Provided organizational assistance in strategic planning, sales analysis, and systems engineering

Initiated and rejuvenated annual community programming

Systematically evaluated potential partnerships with coffee vendors

Facilitated monthly marketing meetings along with corresponding staff trainings to effectively manage seasonal campaigns

Planned, designed, and opened outlet cafe location

Set up Avalon Hearth to Home Mail Order business and strengthened the existing catering program and corresponding systems

Cultivated business to business relationships to institute local sourcing

BEER NERD, KEYHOLDER, & CHALK ARTIST | 8º Plato, Detroit, MI | 9/15-8/18

SERVER TRAINER & CHALK ARTIST | HopCat Detroit, Detroit, MI | 12/14- 10/15

KITCHEN STAGIARE | Oreade, Monteverdi, Castiglioncello del Trinoro, Tuscany, IT | 10/14

PROJECT MANAGER & EVENT OPERATIONS MANAGER | Dine Drink Detroit, Detroit, MI | 8/13-10/16 & 9/23-present

CO-OP ACADEMY COORDINATOR | Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, Detroit, MI | 4/13-7/14

Curated the academy to start worker-owned, good food businesses and executed for a one-year cohort

Cultivated strategic partner businesses and organizations to support, mentor, and advise the program

FOOD PROGRAMS MANAGER | Food Bank Council of Michigan, Lansing, MI | 3/12-3/13

PREP COOK, SERVER, FARMER | Fork in the Road Artisan Diner, Lansing, MI | 11/11-4/13

KITCHEN & FARM APPRENTICE| Pond Hill Farm, Harbor Springs, MI | 7/10- 10/11

GARDENHOUSE MANAGER – AMERICORPS | Allen Neighborhood Center, Lansing, MI | 10/10- 9/11