Pi Beta Phi - University of Colorado

C o l o r a d o a l p h a Inside: alumna Spotlight 2 WelCome, neW memberS 4 alumnae update 6 Angel Update Colorado alpha Welcomes new house director and head Chef h ouse Director Heather Robinson and Head Chef Kate Mulligan both have roots in the East, but both found a new home away from home in Boulder at Colorado Alpha. Although neither were involved in the Greek system during their undergraduate years, they are proud to be a part of Colorado Alpha house and be witness to the members' hard work and achievements at the University of Colorado now. Heather, originally from Marlton, NJ, grew up going to the shore and spending a great deal of time at Long Beach Island; at the age of 16 she got started in property management as the housekeeper for her grandfather's beach rentals. She graduated from The College of New Jersey, formerly known as Trenton State College, with a business degree. After college, she became a trading system trainer for Bloomberg Financial before becoming a photographer. Heather ran a photography studio and darkroom for eight years in Princeton, NJ, before relocating to Breckenridge, CO, where she was property manager for a Vail resort for several years; she then moved to Boulder to become a pilates instructor. In Boulder, she met Christine Mollenkopf, Texas Beta '92, through pilates and was informed about the Colorado Alpha House Director job opportunity. "Christine thought I would be a good fit for the position," she said. Heather accepted the position and hit the ground running this past spring. At the chapter house, you can find Heather helping in the kitchen, meeting with service technicians, chatting with the undergraduate sisters or helping the women of Colorado Alpha plan an event. "My duties include managing the house and staff and keeping a safe and secure environment within the house," she said. "I am the go-to person in case of an issue, and I make sure the day-to-day activities run smoothly." While she is still new to Colorado Alpha, Heather's favorite experience so far was the surprise Easter egg hunt and the taco food truck provided for the undergraduate members during finals week this spring; she hopes to continue those as traditions. She would also like to incorporate pilates and cooking classes for the women at Colorado Alpha, something that is certainly possible with the help of coworker and Head Chef Kate Mulligan. Kate is from Connecticut and received her undergraduate degree in environmental sciences from Sweet Briar College in Virginia; she gained culinary education and experiences in Italy (Apicius), France (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie) and New York (Culinary Institute of America) before accepting her position at Colorado Alpha. She loves having a garden of her own and cooking for friends, so the head chef position at Colorado Alpha perfectly aligned with her interests. After her former husband, who is also a chef, encouraged her to explore her culinary talents, she decided to study in Florence, Italy, where she lived for two years. Although she was offered a job at a restaurant in Florence, she decided to come back to the U.S. and spent the next two years studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After that, she felt the best way to learn and apply her culinary knowledge was to work in a restaurant. "It was a scary, high-end, fast-paced restaurant," she stated. "I had to cook everything on an 800-degree flame!" After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, Kate moved to Southern France to attend a pastry school and immerse herself in the French culture. There, she attended classes in a picturesque castle, took weekend trips to explore the French countryside and surrounding areas and served as the translator for her class. Kate moved to Colorado last August on a whim and has been pleasantly surprised with all that Colorado has to offer. Kate accepted the position at Colorado Alpha because she felt it was different and more dynamic than other culinary jobs. "In the restaurant business, you don't know who is eating your food or if they even liked it," she shared. "This job has more contact with the consumer and it's nice to get feedback from the women and hear them cheer 'Hooray!' about a dish—it just melts my heart." Overall, Heather and Kate enjoy the sense of community they feel in their place at Colorado Alpha. Kate keeps an open line of communication with the undergraduate members by allowing them to give their feedback and educating them on the food she serves. She generally doesn't plan more than two days out because she firmly believes that food should be (Continued on Page 4) Fall 2016 Kate Mulligan and Heather Robinson

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