Jacob Staroska, Foodservice Supervisor for The Mayflower Community, has been licensed as a Certified Dietary Manager (CDM). He recently completed the necessary testing requirement after meeting the educational and experiential requirements.
A Grinnell native, Jacob began working in The Mayflower Community as Foodservice Supervisor in December 2020. He is a graduate of the Des Moines Area Community College Culinary Arts program and has earlier foodservice work experience in two Des Moines senior living communities as well as a restaurant.
Jacob appreciates his certification. “In ever-changing field such as ours, it is important to be able to adapt with every new resident. As a CDM, I will be able to advance the dining experience on an individual resident basis and work with residents to meet their nutrition needs. I am thankful for the Mayflower and Scott Gruhn for allowing me to further my education and knowledge by becoming a Certified Dietary Manager.”
In his Mayflower role, Jacob has responsibility for supervision of Foodservice staff, assisting with planning and execution of daily meal production and special events, and coordinating with Mayflower’s consultant dietitian to ensure dietary needs for Health Center and Assisted Living residents.
Scott Gruhn, Mayflower’ Director of Foodservice, says of Jacob, “Mayflower Foodservice has evolved and innovated since its start in the late 1960s. For us to continue to offer the quality and service we have proven, it is important for us to also recruit and develop staff. Jacob came to us with an extensive skill set. The CDM certification gives Jacob and Mayflower, another level of expertise in this constantly changing environment of health care and retirement living.”
Under State of Iowa Nursing Facility requirements, each licensed organization must employ a Certified Dietary Manager or the equivalent in its Foodservices operations. Specifically, this person must be accredited by the certifying board for dietary managers of the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) as a result of successfully completing the nationally-recognized CDM Credentialing Exam certification and achieving certain other requirements.
These educational and training requirements range in length, at a minimum, of 18 months to four years and include on-going continuing education. (See:https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483 and https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/481.31.pdf)
— Bob Mann, Mayflower Sales & Marketing Director