bake - January/February 2022 - 8

practical marketing
Certification
& Education
The Retail Bakers of America has made an important move that
expands the role for staff member Marissa Velie, who recently
stepped into her new position as the RBA Certification & Education
Director. She started with the RBA in September 2018 as
the Certification Director. During that time, she has successfully
grown the RBA Certification program, as well as creating the
BakeryX program that currently welcomes more than 60 students
per year.
" My goals are to increase the number of educational events,
and slowly get back to more in-person events, " Velie says. " We
want to gauge what is needed in this changing industry and respond
to the industry's knowledge needs. "
Velie began her baking career at The Culinary Institute of
America in Hyde Park. After school, Velie headed for Boston
where she worked at Flour Bakery and later baked her way
through kitchens in New York, serving as pastry chef at The Castle
on the Hudson in Tarrytown, as well as The Roundhouse at
Beacon Falls in Beacon, N.Y.
Velie also earned her master's degree in Food Studies at New
York University, where she focused her research on culture and
gender in the professional kitchen. Most recently, she has worked
as an adjunct professor at The Culinary Institute of America and
teaches Baking Ingredients & Equipment Technology. She currently
resides in Ohio and co-owns a BIGGBY Coffee franchise.
" Marissa has shown her love and dedication to the baking industry.
Our team is so excited to have her expertise and energy
as we continue to grow as an association. She is a gem, " says
Bernadette Shanahan-Haas, RBA Executive Director.
In her new role, Velie will be creating industry-specific training
programs and developing small business programs for our RBA
members and partners. She will continue her work on setting
industry standards through professional certification, industry
research, and school programs. Velie will also be stepping into
the RBA partnership with IBIE as an integral member of the IBIEducate
Task Force.
" It is a privilege to work with so many talented bakers through
RBA's certification program. I am constantly amazed by the skill
of our baking community and how much we can learn through
collaboration. There is so much to share and learn and I'm looking
forward to expanding my role, developing RBA's education
programs and working with the IBIE team, " she says.
08 < JAN-FEB 2022 | bakemag.com
In 2021, on the certification side, RBA certified one new certified
baker and one new certified master baker, moving the total
of certified master bakers (CMBs) to more than 300.
" One of the most critical things ahead is recruitment and retainment, "
Velie says. " There is always a need and demand to
hone in on baking skills. "
She values the work the RBA provides to elevate the knowledge
and expertise of the industry, and looks forward to a new
future in which more bakers are updating their training online.
" We are helping to create a more desirable work environment,
and developing a sense of community in the bakery, " she says.
" That makes a difference in retainment. "
RETAIL BAKERS OF AMERICA
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - January/February 2022

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