Edward A. Evans, BS ’74, MBA ‘75
The Story
Hotel Ezra Cornell 49 – 1974
Ed Evans ‘74 – Engineering Director
Modeled after the Grand Old South, the 49th HEC, “A Touch of Southern Charm,” offered a return to gracious hospitality and relaxed living. The board of HEC 49 centered the weekend more on the “fun” aspects of HEC. “On the Rocks,” a musical comedy, was written and produced for the entertainment of the guests. The Friday buffet featured Southern regional specialties, and Saturday’s South of the Border luncheon tied into the theme. John Portman, developer and architect, and Les Thomas, utility consultant for the American Hotel and Motel Association, both spoke on the energy crisis in the hospitality industry. The low-energy approach to HEC 49 was also in keeping with the economic realities of that year’s OPEC oil crisis.
The Best Ever: Memories of Hotel Ezra Cornell
Born and raised in Ithaca, Ed Evans began mowing lawns at the age of 12 to earn spending money. One of his clients was one of the owners of a hospitality company, Mnorx Inc., which operated several establishments in Ithaca. This early job evolved into various responsibilities, including house sitting, washing and detailing cars, caring for pets, and maintaining the company’s properties. His interest in hospitality grew as he became more involved in the operations of Mnorx Inc., helping to build a restaurant, clear land for housing development, and working in various roles within the restaurant operations.
Family Ties to Cornell
Ed’s connection to Cornell University was strong, as his family had deep ties to the institution. His uncle was a Cornell-educated doctor, another uncle was a nuclear engineer for GE, his father was a Cornell-educated professor of veterinary anatomy, and his mother was a lab technician in Human Ecology and later in Plant Science. Being part of a Cornell family, with parents who were friends of Dean and Mrs. Beck, Ed developed an interest in the Hotel School, where, if accepted, he could attend tuition-free as the son of a faculty member.
1965 Passport photo
Parents Howard & Erica
with Ed and sister Gail, BS ‘77 Ag
Parents – Howard, Cornell ‘46 and Erica, University of Washington ‘48
At 99, my mom still walks between one and two miles each day and is constantly baking cookies as gifts for the residents and staff at Kendal of Ithaca. Earlier in life (in her 60’s and early 70’s), she served on the Town of Dryden Planning Board, swam daily at Helen Newman and was an annual participant in Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare, a 1.2-mile swim across Cayuga Lake.
My father was very active in Boy Scouts and in setting up the Camp Barton Nature Lodge. He served as a Cornell University Faculty Trustee, Chairman of the Anatomy Department and Secretary to the College (Vet School). He was an Emeritus Professor who came to his office daily until he was 96…he died two years ago, just shy of his 101st birthday.
While at Cornell, Ed worked extensively at local hospitality venues, the Boxcar, Loading Dock, and Warehouse. Summer jobs included assistant manager positions at restaurants and clubs, as well as a stint serving as Dean’s assistant. Ed was actively involved with Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) every year, ultimately serving as director of engineering for HEC 49 in 1974. Despite a full work schedule, graduate studies, and HEC commitments, Ed graduated on schedule with his BS Hotel in 1974 and his MBA in 1975.
Wedding Day – May 31, 1975 – two days before Ed graduated with an MBA from Cornell’s Johnson School. Ed & Brenda (McNeill, Ithaca College ‘74) catered their own wedding, remembering the day as being 90 degrees with 95% humidity. They celebrated their 50th anniversary this year.
One week after our wedding, we arrived in Philadelphia where I would begin my job at Rosemont College as a food service manager trainee. I was pleased to receive this offer from Saga Foodservice at an annual salary of $9,500 – the extra $500 was because I had an MBA.
Philadelphia was my first exposure to the Cornell Hotel Society. It was a very active and welcoming chapter with many events designed simply to bring alums together. Owners were incredibly generous providing either no cost or ridiculously low-cost food and beverage experiences. This was where I first saw the comradery, the generosity, the hospitality and the love for the School.
Hotelies at HEC (mid-90s)
Rich Stewart ’71, Tom Horn, Ed Evans ’74, and Marc Bruno ’93
One of many unofficial CHS functions following an HEC formal Banquet – at the Hot Truck
There is no one who deserves this honor more than Ed. He epitomizes Hotelie for Life as well as Hot Truck for Life. Only Ed would take a group of execs in black tie attire to the Hot Truck on West Campus during HEC weekend. He would always be sure to bring back a PMP (poor man’s pizza) to leave at someone’s door in the Statler. It’s a great memory as a student to have been invited to the Hot Truck with Ed and the Aramark execs after the main gala of HEC in 1996.
~Carl Mittleman ‘97
Chief Operating Officer
Aramark International
HEC is not complete without an alumni run to Glenwood Pines
A Challenging Job Market
In 1975, Ed entered the job market during a challenging year for employment. He interviewed for three opportunities and accepted an offer for a position as a foodservice manager trainee with Saga Foodservice, now Sodexo, at Rosemont College in Philadelphia, where he managed dining and catering for the college’s 475 female students. Four years later, during his tenure as director of dining services for Colgate University, he was asked to move into a regional personnel director role, covering a region that included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. This role marked the beginning of his career in human resources, organization development, and leadership training. His career with Saga progressed, and ultimately, Ed was officed in the Pacific Northwest with HR responsibilities for K-12 foodservice nationally and campus dining in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska.
Saga Foodservice to Marriott Corporation to Aramark
Ed’s career took a significant turn when Saga was acquired by Marriott in 1986. Only one of three from Saga to move to Marriott headquarters, Ed relocated to Washington, DC, to manage the integration of Saga’s 44,000 employees into Marriott, and to oversee occupational safety and management recruiting for the newly created Marriott Management Services Group. Marriott provided Ed with the opportunity to learn how a diverse and large hospitality organization ran. The values on which the Marriott family founded the company were very similar to Saga’s, but on a much larger scale. Leadership recognized Ed’s potential, and he was promoted from vice president of human resources for education and health care foodservice to vice president of human resources for Residence Inns.
Ed’s next big break came in November 1990 when he answered a call from the president of foodservice from ARA/Aramark. He joined Aramark as vice president of human resources for business services in January 1991. Over the next 14 years, Ed held a number of leadership roles that contributed to the company’s growth and success, most notably in the hiring, developing, and talent assessment that drives the success of any service organization. He had gained a diverse set of experiences, made lifelong friends, and hired and supported some incredibly talented Cornellians. Thanks to Joe Neubauer, Aramark’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Ed had the opportunity to share in the financial success of the company as an owner, which provided him with the opportunity to retire (for the first time) in 2004.
1996 – NRA Education Foundation at Pebble Beach
Ed with Herman Cain, President & CEO of the NRA and
John Zillmer, President of Business Services for Aramark.
Retirement: Another Chance to do New Things
Retirement did not last long as Dean David Butler and Associate Dean Leo Renaghan convinced Ed to take on the responsibility as founding director of what is now the Pillsbury Institute of Hospitality Entrepreneurship. Although only there for a short time, Ed managed to assemble a great advisory board, several of whom are still serving 20 years later.
Allied Waste to Univar to Four Seasons
During this eye-opening year, Ed was recruited by his former boss and colleague, John Zillmer from Aramark, who had been named chairman and chief executive officer of Allied Waste in Scottsdale, Arizona, to join as his chief human resources officer. After four years, the company merged with Republic Services, and Ed retired again. Nine months later, when John became executive chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Univar, a 10-billion-dollar chemical logistics company based in Seattle, Ed became his chief human resources officer. When John retired and the new chief executive officer decided to relocate the company to Chicago, Ed managed the relocation and once again retired to Martha’s Vineyard.
John Zillmer served on the board of Ecolab, which was owned 26% by Cascade Investments (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). The head of Cascade was a member of the Ecolab Board, as well as the board of Four Seasons Hotels, of which Cascade owned a 47.5% stake. Four Seasons had hired a new chief executive officer (a Hotelie), and his recently named chief human resource officer had decided to leave. Aware that they needed someone from outside the organization without deep Four Seasons roots, with a history of fixing things and without any long-term aspirations, Ed was asked to interview for the position. He was selected and accepted with a plan to be there three to five years and set up residency in Toronto.
Reflecting on his Four Seasons experience, Ed says: “It was, for me, the most amazing three years of my career and an incredible way to end it. To have experienced Bill Marriott and then to have experienced Issy and Rosalie Sharp is about as good as it gets.”
Mentor, Executive Coach, Advisor
While all three roles aim to support individual development, mentors, executive coaches, and advisors offer distinct types of guidance. Mentors share experience-based wisdom, coaches facilitate goal achievement through focused development, and advisors provide expert recommendations on specific issues. Throughout his career, Ed has been a master at all three, volunteering his personal time to mentor, coach, and advise students and professionals alike. He is a 26-year veteran executive coach for the school’s MMH Leadership Development Program, a weekend-long event that connects current students in the Master of Management in Hospitality program with top tier alumni from the school.
Over 30 years ago, I witnessed an Ed Evans classic. An eager, bright eyed young Hotelie approached Ed at the Aramark Career Fair booth in the Statler Ballroom, looking for an internship for the upcoming summer. After speaking with Ed for a few minutes, the young Hotelie conveyed that he had tried to intern with Aramark the prior year, but his application had been rejected by the local team in his hometown. Ed then excused himself for a minute, walked over to the bank of payphones, spoke with someone on the phone for a minute, then returned to the booth. He then said to the young Hotelie – “Congratulations on your summer internship, you start June 1st.” Incredulously, the young Hotelie thanked him profusely and headed off to class.
That young Hotelie was me, and you gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I thank you profusely again Ed.
~ Marc Bruno ‘93
Chief Operating Officer
Aramark
MMH Leadership Development Program
Executive Coaching Teams
LDP Coach Ed Evans with MMH Student Team – Fall 2022
Ed’s mentorship has cultivated countless careers, and while not limited to, his impression is especially evident across Hotelies, Aramark and Four Seasons. He seems to just know when to use humor or logic and when a swift kick in the rear will be more effective – and is deft at delivering in any of these modes. The real magic comes from the questions he asks and how he leads people to self-discovery rather than lecturing. If you pay close attention, you’ll spot Ed’s signature grin when you catch up to where he has been leading you.
~Abigail Charpentier ’95
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer
Aramark
MMH Student Cohort with LDP Coaches Abigail Charpentier ’95, Ed Evans ‘74, Heather Jacobs ‘94,
Arthur Keith ’84, Joe Lavin ‘75, Vickie Littler Kozhushchenko ’96, John Longstreet ’77, Bill Minnock ’79,
Liz Ngonzi ’98, Richy Petrina ’01, Taylor Scott, Shalinder Singh MMH ’04, Sheetal Singh,
Ted Teng ‘79, Mark Woodworth ’77, MPS ’78.
Beck Center, Statler Hall
I met Ed Evans in 2000, as he was a Board Advisor for HEC 75 and I was the Service Director. Ed left an indelible impression on me as a Corvette revving, straight shooting, brilliant and generous Hotelie. With his friend John Sharpe ’65, Ed taught us to work hard, keep it simple, and to have fun. Fast forward to 2016 when Ed and I reunited at Four Seasons, where he joined the company as the CHRO. Through meaningful connections, he enriched the culture and legacy of the brand. Ed’s complete sense of self, empathy and innate understanding of human nature make him the best life and career coach. He has helped me and countless others to realize our potential. With both challenge and encouragement, he helped me land my first Vice President role. I am forever grateful to Ed for his example, his mentorship and most of all his friendship. With love, appreciation and ESADMF! (He will know what that acronym is!)
~Chrissy Gamble ’01
VP of Planning and Integration, Global Operations
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Service to Cornell
Ed has a long history of engagement with and service to Cornell:
- Life member of the Cornell University Council
- Assessor/executive coach for MMH program for 26 years
- HEC Board advisor 10 plus years
- Dean’s Lecture Series speaker, December 1998
- SLDP sponsor for many years
- Guest speaker in HR/Leadership curriculum for many years
- Summer Internship provider
- Hotelie West (USA), first recipient
- Sponsor of many CHS and Hotel School events
- Host & sponsor of MMH Entrepreneurship Panel /roundtable session in Skaneateles 2023
- Tower Club/1865 Society member
Ed with Dean David Dittman – 1988
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series – “Donuts with Dittman”
Retirement: This Time for Real!
After three very full years with Four Seasons and 14 years of being an every-other-weekend husband, Ed rejoined his wife, Brenda, full-time in Skaneateles, New York, to be close to her mom and his parents, and to enjoy their vintage powerboats and antique autos. Ed notes, “I have survived my probationary period as a full-time spouse, although not without counseling and course correction.”
Ed rejoined Rotary International and served as president of the local club. He unwittingly ended up running for election as a Village of Skaneateles Board trustee and is now serving his second four-year term, responsible as liaison for the Department of Public Works, wastewater treatment, electric department, and water for this 1.67 square mile village of 1200 residences.
Ed & Brenda enjoying the Goodwood Revival
Ed & Brenda – Skaneateles Lake
Pearl & Opal – newest additions to the family
Three generations: Ed & Brenda; son Parker, wife Christie and sons Isaac and Logan;
daughter Melissa, husband Gerardo, and sons Jack and Remi.
Great friends, antique cars and fine cigars.
Ted Teng ’79, Giuseppe Pezzotti ’84, Ed Evans ’74
