Greta Knoblauch:  

. (Think Betty Crocker) I worked there for 8 years, totally enjoying my job. However, on a snowy day in February when I was the only one who managed to get in, I got a call from a head hunter. Although, I was not looking for a new job, I trip to San Francisco sounded alright as I looked at the foot of snow outside of my office window. Before I knew it, I was on a plane to San Francisco to my new job at Quaker Oats. I was going to work for the Golden Grain division. I thought that I was going to go for a year or two at the most and ended up there for 8 years. It was the best job that I ever had. I loved the people. I worked on the Rice-A-Roni and Near East brands. My job was to develop new recipes, package directions and content for the web site. I was also on the new product team developing new products and was in charge of the photography for print and film. However, all good things come to an end. Quaker decided to move the division to Chicago. I decided that I didn’t want to take the relocation package. So off the PR I went instead. I took a job at Ketchum Public Relations in San Francisco. I was the manager of their world wide test kitchen working on a lot of their commodity boards – CA Strawberry, Potatoes board, Almond board, National Cattlemen’s and Dried Plums board (AKA Prunes). I got to help produce a local bi-monthly TV spot with the local newswomen and local celebrity chefs. However, after 2 years I really needed a change in my life. After much sole searching, I decided I wanted to give something back and I was going to go into education. So I packed up my bags, sold my house and moved to Fresno CA to get my teaching credential. So for 2 years, while going to school at night, I taught at a local inner city school – Fresno has major inner city problems (gangs, poverty and drugs). 90% of my students were on some sought of state assistance. The ethnic make-up of the school was 60% Hispanic and 35% Hmong and the remaining everyone else. I loved teaching but due to budget cuts (CA state budget crises is the worst in the nation) my position was eliminated. So a week after getting my 1st pink noticed in my life, I got a call from a head hunter about a job at Campbell Soup in Philly PA. I took the job and moved back to NJ. After 6 months, I new that it was not the area that I want to work in any more. So, I moved back to Fresno and took a job at Rich’s as their West Coast Culinary Instructor. I like the job at Rich’s as it allows me to teach without the paper work. I am also teaching adults that want to be their and want to learn. I have chefs from all over the western part of the country, Asia and Latin America. I also get to travel about 25% of the time to work with people around the country at their restaurants. Some days I still think about finding a vocational job teaching a culinary program, but for now I am pretty settled. (Or until the next head hunter calls me.)