Creative Dining Services promotes employees

A food service and hospitality company advanced two of its employees to positions of greater responsibility.

Zeeland-based Creative Dining Services promoted Susan Golder to associate vice president of marketing and business development and Jane Newton to associate vice president of people services, effective July 1.

Golder

Susan Golder Courtesy Creative Dining Services

Golder has three decades of sales and marketing experience at organizations including Time Warner and Volunteers of America and co-founded her own firm in 2013. She joined Creative Dining Services in 2018 as director of marketing. Under her leadership in her new role, the sales and marketing teams will combine into one operation.

“Susan has elevated our brand and marketplace awareness to new levels,” said Jim Eickhoff, president and CEO of Creative Dining Services.

Golder said she is thankful to work at a place with a culture of integrity, candor and transparency.

“We strive to enthusiastically do what we say we’ll do, be dependable and not shrink away from accountability,” she said. “I hope that every team I lead will celebrate interdependency with humility, a hunger to win, a playfulness and an appreciation for excellence. My personal intent is to block and tackle so that everyone on our team can do their best work with the greatest level of fulfillment.”

Golder holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations, advertising and applied communications from Western Michigan University.

Newton

Jane Newton Courtesy Creative Dining Services

Newton joined the Creative Dining Services team two years ago as director of people services after working in human resources for companies including Amway, General Mills and Thirty-One Gifts.

Creative Dining Services said Newton “cultivates a work environment where each team member can thrive and be valued for their unique gifts.” Under her leadership, the company has carved career pathways for more dishwashers to become chefs and more housekeepers to become food service directors so that all team members “feel valued, fulfilled, empowered and have access to reach their professional potential.”

“Her efforts are making a measurable impact on corporate culture and with team members who feel appreciated,” Eickhoff said. “Jane has elevated our services and focus on employees over the past two years resulting in increased employee satisfaction levels across the board. Additionally, Jane has been championing our DE&I initiatives, providing a seat at the Creative Dining Services family table for all current and prospective employees.”

Jane holds a bachelor’s degree in human resource management, a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources and a certificate in organizational inclusion and diversity from Michigan State University. She serves as a sustaining member of the Junior League of Grand Rapids and recently was appointed to the TrueNorth Community Services board of directors.

Creative Dining Services

Founded in 1990, Creative Dining builds and runs custom dining programs for colleges and universities, corporations, assisted living communities and conference centers. The company serves thousands of people daily at over 70 locations in 14 states with more than 2,000 employees.