You won’t find what makes Parkhurst special in a mission statement. You’ll feel it in the moments around the table, in small kindnesses, and in connections that last.
At Parkhurst, that foundation has been shaped over three decades by team members who have grown alongside our organization. These individuals remember where we started and continue to influence where we’re going. Their perspectives reflect not only longevity, but a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver thoughtful hospitality in an evolving landscape.
This year marks 30 years of Parkhurst Dining, a milestone rooted in our foundations and carried forward by the people who show up, lead with care, and continue to raise the bar. While the industry has changed, our belief has not: exceptional hospitality begins with investing in the individuals behind the experience.
Team Member Appreciation Month is one way we bring that belief to life. It’s not a standalone initiative, but an extension of a culture built on care, opportunity, and shared purpose – one that recognizes the role our teams play in shaping both daily experiences and long-term success.
What does long-term commitment look like in a people-first workplace culture?
It’s reflected in growth that spans roles, responsibilities, and life stages. Team members can continue to evolve alongside the business while staying grounded in their goals, passions, and the purpose behind their work. It’s the ability to adapt to change, from new systems to new expectations, without losing the consistency of care that defines the Parkhurst experience.
It’s also something our partners experience every day: continuity, familiar faces, teams who understand the nuances of a campus or workplace – not from reading it in a handbook, but from years of shared experience.
In honor of our milestone year, we’re highlighting team members who have been a part of the journey for 30 years, sharing their reflections, defining moments, and the reasons they chose to stay and grow with Parkhurst. The stories that follow offer a closer look at how that commitment takes shape across Parkhurst through the lens of the people who have helped build, sustain, and move it forward.
Team Member Spotlight: Bill Jones
When Bill Jones looks back on his Parkhurst journey, he doesn’t just measure time in years. He measures it in evolution.
He began as a Director of Catering and later stepped into a Director of Dining Services role, experiencing firsthand the shift from manual processes to fully integrated systems. “When Parkhurst started, the internet and online-based applications were in the infancy,” Bill shared. “Remember, in 1996 the internet was a new thing, and look at us now with everything web based.”
From “bulky spreadsheets” and manual reporting to building vendor partnerships without established networks, Bill’s experience reflects a period of significant transformation. He also recalls when timekeeping relied on punch cards—long before today’s mobile systems streamlined the process.
What stands out isn’t just the change, but how teams navigate it together. For Bill, the throughline has always been the people. “There are many things about my job I love, including the people I work with on a daily basis and have worked with in the past,” he said. “I’ve had the ability to work with many different team members from different accounts and corporate offices on many diverse events.”
That perspective extends to how he views Parkhurst today—an organization that has grown while maintaining its core culture.
“The company has grown so much but still maintains a small company feel,” Bill said. “We treat team members with respect and value their input. Our leaders have not forgotten it is the team members and managers that make the company and drive our reputation in customer service.”
Among Bill’s proudest moments are the large-scale events, including catering three of the top ten parties in Pittsburgh, along with weddings, inaugurations, and Fortune 500 gatherings, but the impact goes beyond scale. It’s rooted in support.
“You can pick the phone up and call your district manager or the Corporate Support Center and ask for help, and it is provided.”
Team Member Spotlight: Neil Keene
Neil Keene’s Parkhurst story is, in many ways, a story about saying yes. Yes to the next opportunity, yes to learning by doing, yes to stepping into new rooms and rising to meet the moment.
He began at Highmark in downtown Pittsburgh, delivering catering and working at the register, later moving into catering service at the Carnegie Museums. A pivotal moment came when he stepped into a captain role, setting the stage for him to become a catering supervisor, working “literally hundreds of weddings and events.” From there, he helped open the Flying Dutchman café on the North Shore, “a little store that did way more business than anyone thought it would.”
What stands out most in Neil’s journey isn’t a single job title, but the relationships he built along the way. “One of the nicest things about working with Parkhurst is the lifelong friendships and connections I have made,” he shared. Those connections helped lead him to his current role as Catering Manager at Robert Morris University.
Today, Neil’s work reflects a blend of precision, trust, and high-touch hospitality. He partners closely with university leadership on donor lunches and special events, including private dinners hosted in the president’s home. “I get to work closely with the president of the University to host her donor lunches, catering events, and special dinners at her and her husband’s home,” Neil said. “I collaborate closely with our executive chef and I enjoy using the skills I have learned over the years to execute these upscale dinners.”
When asked why he has stayed with Parkhurst for 30 years, Neil returns to what has remained constant throughout his journey: people and appreciation.
“Without a doubt, my favorite thing about working for Parkhurst over the years are the people,” he shared. “I have been with this company for 30 years because in every location I’ve worked in, I have worked for some of the best people in the business. For me, I know it’s important to feel appreciated and I have had that feeling throughout my years with Parkhurst.”
Team Member Spotlight: Vanessa Long
Vanessa Long’s Parkhurst story begins even before Parkhurst arrived on campus.
She started working at Saint Vincent College at just 17 years old, while still in high school, several years before Parkhurst became the dining provider. When Parkhurst came on board, Vanessa stayed, and over the past 30 years, she’s grown right alongside the company.
Throughout that time, Vanessa has held roles across Mercyhurst’s operations, from kitchen prep and dish room responsibilities to setting tables in the Monastery before ultimately finding a long-term home in salads.
What stands out most in her story is the importance of the people around her. Vanessa speaks about the day-to-day experience as one rooted in collaboration and shared effort, where teamwork shapes both the pace and tone of the work.
Equally important has been the balance her role has provided over the years. She values the structure and flexibility that allowed her to be present for her family, including her now-grown children, while maintaining stability and confidence in her work. That balance has been a defining part of her experience at Parkhurst.
When reflecting on her time with the organization, Vanessa returns to something simple but meaningful: respect and gratitude. These consistent elements of her experience are a key reason she has chosen to stay through the decades.
Why this matters to our partners, our guests, and our future team members
When you work in hospitality, you quickly learn that people remember how you made them feel. They remember the catering captain who knows exactly how an event should flow before anyone asks. They remember the manager who can steady a busy day with calm, capable leadership. They remember the small moments of care that turn a service interaction into a relationship.
For client partners, long-tenured teams create continuity, which is difficult to replicate. These teams understand the culture, standards, and rhythms of a campus or workplace because they’ve helped shape them over time. For guests, it results in experiences that feel intentional and personal, and for prospective team members, these stories reflect something more enduring than a role. They reflect a career path grounded in growth, support, and pride in the work.
As Parkhurst marks 30 years, the milestone is only part of the story. The greater focus is on the people who have made that progress possible, because at its core, Parkhurst’s success has always been rooted in its people.
