Meet Andy Cox, Smith’s Next Director of Dining Services

Andy Cox, the general manager and director of sustainability for dining services at The Hotchkiss School, has been appointed Smith’s next director of dining services. His appointment is effective June 15, 2015.

Cox will succeed dining services director Kathy Zieja, who is retiring next month after 38 years of service at Smith.

Cox, who has worked at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., since 2011, has a strong background in sustainability, farm-to-table programming and health-conscious cooking—skills he also developed as executive chef at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Unidine Corporation and in multiple restaurants in the Chicago and Boston areas.

How will Cox translate his experience to his new post? We sat down with him to get to the-meat-and-potatoes about what drew him to the job at Smith.

What excites you about coming to Smith?
A number of things, actually! I’m excited to work in an area with a close-knit community that’s so focused on locally sourced food. The size of Smith is also exciting; I’ve always wanted to work with a number of dining locations where I can use variety and creativity to students’ benefit. I’ve also been told it’s a great place to work, which was evident from all the staff I met during my interview.

What was the best part of your visit to campus?
The students were incredible, and all were eager to collaborate with the next director. I had the chance to meet with house and student government leaders, and it was clear that Smith students are passionate about the house and dining system. Everyone I met was very open about their own hopes for dining services, and I’m looking forward to making sure that every student, no matter where they live or what their dietary needs are, has exceptional dining opportunities.

What have you been most proud of in your career?
I’ve done a lot of work around sustainable dining operations—things like waste and water reduction efforts. But I’m most proud of tripling the local purchasing The Hotchkiss School was able to do for their dining operations. That meant more money stayed in the local economy, and that students had more access to nutritious, fresh meals.

How else does sustainability play into your vision of where college dining operations like Smith’s are headed?
The more local procurement we can do, the more opportunities there are for staff to play a role in sustainable dining. For example, there’s more in-house processing needed to create a local menu cooked from scratch. There’s also the chance to work directly with farmers to understand their needs and how we can help them meet their own sustainability goals. Things like Smith’s composting program, seasonal menus based on what’s available locally, and staff dedicated to high-quality service help grow the local food movement across the board. The more partnerships we can create in our own community, the better we can serve as environmental stewards.

What’s your favorite thing to cook?
We worked hard at The Hotchkiss School to incorporate more international flavors. Even though I had no formal training in ethnic cuisines, I worked at several fusion restaurants and really love southeast Asian flavors. Light noodle bowls and curries are probably my favorite thing to cook, especially one-pot meals with Vietnamese, Thai and Korean influences.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
That’s easy. My wife and I had just hiked through Baxter State Park in Maine, and we ate at a restaurant called Hugo’s in Portland. I felt like I was eating out of the state’s backyard.