Restaurant Beatrice and Dallas College team up to launch women’s leadership program
Chefs Michelle Carpenter and Terance Jenkins of Restaurant Beatrice. (Courtesy photo) In a press release Monday morning, Dallas College and the James Beard-nominated Restaurant Beatrice announced a collaboration to launch the Women in Restaurants Leadership Program (WRLP).
The eight-week, tuition-free program is open to anyone looking to advance in the restaurant industry and supportive of the WRLP mission.
The initiative will include seminars, training and intern-type opportunities for its participants. The program was conceived by out Restaurant Beatrice owner and chef Michelle Carpenter with co-executive chef Terance Jenkins. “Not only is this program impactful for students trying to improve their lives but it can also advance the industry in Dallas by producing better qualified professionals,” Carpenter said in a press release.
Steve DeShazo is the senior director in the Office of Workforce Initiatives at Dallas College who sees that Dallas College has a role in making an impact on the local restaurant industry through this inaugural program. “The Beatrice team knows firsthand that the independent fine dining restaurant space is probably one of the most challenging segments of the industry,” he said in the release. “This program, developed by the industry, for the industry, helps students make those connections with some of the finest restaurant groups in town, leaving them feeling supported, empowered and confident.” Dallas College’s Steve DeShazo. RELATED: Restaurant Beatrice basks in James Beard nomination, but there’s work to do to reform the restaurant industry The goal of WRLP is to help retain and advance more women in the industry while also creating a more positive restaurant culture.
