State & regional economic development officials visited CState’s Culinary & Food Science program
Tim Derickson, the Managing Director of Food and Agribusiness with JobsOhio, visited Cincinnati State’s Culinary and Food Science (CFS) bachelor’s degree program on February 6 to tour the program labs, and learn more about how program graduates can assist Ohio’s food and agribusiness workforce and economy.
Derickson was joined by Trevor Wellbrock, Director of Business Development at REDI Cincinnati, and Sarah Daligga, a REDI Cincinnati Project Manager.
- JobsOhio is the state’s unique private economic development corporation, and serves as a catalyst for high-growth business investments and job creation. Derickson oversees the sector of JobsOhio that includes hundreds of companies that cultivate, process, package, distribute, and market foods and beverages enjoyed around the world.
- REDI Cincinnati is an economic development organization that serves as the first point-of-contact for companies locating or growing in the Greater Cincinnati region.
CFS Program Chair Grace Yek said, “We had a wonderful time ‘talking shop’ with our visitors, for more than three hours!”
After the visit, Derickson said in his weekly newsletter that his tour of College labs and kitchens was “truly quite impressive.”
“I met Tim when some of our CFS students and I attended the Southwest Ohio Food Industry Celebration held in Fall 2023, and he expressed interest in getting a first-hand view of our program,” Chef Yek said.
Conversation topics during the visit included how the CFS program started and how Cincinnati State’s program is joining ranks with other Ohio bachelor’s degree programs in food science, how the program aligns with regional and state food and agribusiness concerns, and consumer trends that are affecting the food industry.
The visitors also talked to Justin Edsell, a junior in the CFS program, about his perspective as a student.
