Experience
2004 - 2005
Executive Chef
Maravilla Senior Living CommunitySanta Barbara, CA
2003 - 2003
Business Development Manager
Rancho Temescal & The Heritage Valley InnPiru, CA
2001 - 2003
Director of Food & Beverage Operations/Executive Chef
Coast Santa Cruz HotelSanta Cruz, CA
1999 - 2000
Chef de Cuisine
BLU, Shangri-La HotelSingapore
1998 - 1999
General Manager/Executive Chef
Crescent Shores Grill, Hotel La JollaLa Jolla, CA
1994 - 1995
Saute Cook
The Highlands InnCarmel, CA
1992 - 1992
Roundsperson
The Four Seasons Biltmore HotelSanta Barbara, CA
Education
2013
Ph.D., Hospitality Administration
Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
Advice from Cynthia Mejia
Quotes about career path, skills, and teamwork from an industry leader.
One of my most memorable mentors, and gone too soon, was Chef Walter Scheib from the Greenbrier in West Virginia in the early 1990s.
He told me ‘when opportunity meets preparedness’ would be the times when my career would take a step forward. The timing aspect of this advice has always stuck with me.
Attitude and hospitality/service orientation of a person are the traits I look for when hiring.
All other things being equal, a candidate stands out with a great can-do attitude and excellent service orientation.
I find inspiration from traveling and eating.
Visiting other regions, countries, and cultures is nourishment for the heart and mind.
First in the hospitality industry, and then later in hospitality management higher education, I sought out female mentors who could demonstrate career progression and navigation.
Especially in those early days, and even now, it was difficult to access high-level female leaders. It’s so important for me as a leader to be open and available to women moving up the ladder, to tend to their career aspirations.
I don’t think you can totally avoid burnout in our industry, but rather, I think burnout can be managed and mitigated.
It’s important to set up systems that automate processes, and also to train and cross-train team members. Empowering the team to make decisions and to lead is fundamental in dispersing the workload, so that when emergencies do occur, more team members know how to do more tasks. The highest compliment you can receive as a manager is that your department or unit runs well without you being there. That might seem counterintuitive, but it’s a sign of shared competence, good planning, and effective management. These strategies help to manage burnout by giving a manager time away and a well-deserved break once in a while.
Roles in Culinary
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