It is important that you or anyone else interested in food and wine in general or The American Institute of Wine and Food in particular get to know and communicate with members of the NorCal Board of Directors. Your input on events and programs is critical to the success of the organization and helps the chapter respond to your needs and interests. Board members are a good source for information on upcoming events and are very interested in your recommendations for future events. The board members also provide an avenue for your involvement in these activities, either as a volunteer or as a chairperson for an event.
Board members can be contacted through either the NorCal Hotline, 415-383-6070 or through the Chapter's email: AIWFNorCal@bigfoot.com
Following is the background and interests of most of the chapter's board members. We will provide the same information on additional board members as it is provided to us.
___________________________
Joe Agro
Through Joe's 35-year business career he has held various senior executive positions with national or worldwide responsibilities. In 1997 he retired to pursue other activities offering greater personal satisfaction, including music, the culinary arts, and theater. He is a working musician. Joe has extensive experience, both before and after his early retirement, conducting events, including speakers, food, and entertainment.
___________________________
Julian Brandes
Julian joins the AIWF board after enjoying several years as a member. An immigrant from South Africa, Julian founded a software company, SPL, in the Bay Area in 1981. SPL now employs over 600 staff worldwide.
A keen (assistant) cook and wine-lover, Julian hopes to apply some of the skills he learned in management to further enhance AIWF in Northern California.
_________________________
Ron Hildebrand
Ron Hildebrand has been a member of the AIWF NorCal Board for five years and a member of AIWF for ten. Ron is a major contributor, volunteer, and participant in most of the Chapter's ongoing programs. In addition, he is the creative talent behind much of the graphic design and artwork for the chapter, such as the Morsels newsletter, certificates of appreciation for donors, scholarship certificates, and invitations to events. Ron is an illustrator and graphic designer for his own company, Hildebrand Design.
_________________________
George Linn
George Linn has been a member of The American Institute of Wine & Food for over 10 years. He currently is NorCal Chapter Treasurer and simultaneously serving as the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer for the AIWF Headquarters Organization. He also is on the National Board of Directors and sits on the Board's Executive Committee. Previously he served as Chairperson of the NorCal Chapter. He has worked for American Express Company, the City and County of San Francisco, and is currently a director with audit responsibilities with the San Francisco Housing Authority. He also is active in community projects in the San Francisco West of the Twin Peaks area.
_________________________
Mark Russo
Mark Russo is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with over twenty years of corporate and advertising agency experience. He's a recognized Creative Director in advertising, developing campaigns for major national clients such as Oracle, AT&T, Inglenook Wines, and Tecate beer . A graduate of a renowned culinary institute in Italy, Mark opened an award winning restaurant in California, and also worked as executive chef at Chez Dantes in Newport Beach and La Jolla and at the Ferry Plaza Restaurant in San Francisco, where he studied food and wine pairing. Mark serves as an advisory board member for The Culinary Society of America, writes articles on the role of wine on the American table, and is pursuing a nationally syndicated newspaper column on wine and spirits.
__________________________
Ted Smith
Ted grew up on a fruit farm in southwest Michigan. In college he studied engineering and economics. Ted owned and operated four restaurants in Chicago, including two Landmark Town & Country Restaurants which together served over a million customers per year.
The first Town & country received First Award in the 1956 Institutions Magazine annual design competition. He has been living in Marin County for the last four years, a member of AIWF/NorCal for three years, and is currently on the board and chair of the Nominations Committee. .
___________________________
