Charles Fairchild, Director of University Dining & Auxiliary Services, oversees and directs responsibilities for all Campus Dining Operations, Campus Bookstores, the Campus Mailroom and Campus Print Services.

Fairchild has been working in the hospitality industry for 31 years and was drawn to this career because of the endless opportunities it provides.

Fairchild said, “I have a passion for food and making people happy. Seeing the joy [on] people’s faces after a great meal is something I love.”

He appreciates “exceeding customers’ expectations” and that “drives [him] to do better every day.”

A typical day for Fairchild consists of direct interactions with his teams and staff. He can receive up to one hundred or more emails a day that all need to be addressed, attend multiple team calls, review the financials for four different departments, and be a continuous cheerleader for his people.

Fairchild said, some skills that he uses during his day are “creativity, endurance, innovation, marketing, passion for food, being able to teach, [being able to] take constructive criticism, financial acumen, public speaking, integrity, following through, following up, customer service, organization, and extreme patience among many other things.”

He enjoys getting students’ feedback “on the quality and variety of the foods and overall experience in all [the] dining locations.”

One difficulty of the job is very long hours which can cause him to miss family time and not have personal down time, but it is balanced by his ability to make someone’s day a little better.

When asked for a story about his job, Fairchild said, “I was on the Culinary Team for two Olympics with Aramark [Corporation, an American food service, facilities, and uniform services provider to clients in areas including education, healthcare, business, prisons, and leisure, and had] unbelievable experiences.”

Fairchild also said, “I was the Executive Chef at Blossom Music Center for 5 years and prior to a Cleveland Orchestra concert a major thunderstorm hit the area. The high winds virtually destroyed the entire pavilion restaurant hours before we were to open for dinner. The entire Blossom Team worked feverishly to repurpose the catering pods and we opened for dinner on time and each guest had an amazing experience. I have been truly blessed with an amazing career and have been part of so many great events around the globe.”

As to his current position Fairchild said, “I truly enjoy being part of the BW community. I say this humbly, as I am honored to be part of something greater which is the students of Baldwin Wallace University.”