Our Staff
Paul Schimmele
Paul Schimmele serves as Washington University in St. Louis’ Dining Services Manager. Paul can answer your questions about meal plans, hours of operation and locations, requests from student groups and more.
To connect with the WUSTL Dining Services administrative team, please email: diningservices@wustl.edu
Chris Ipanis, Operations Manager
Operations Manager
Chris Ipanis serves as Operations Manager for Washington University Dining Services on the Danforth Campus. In his role, he manages the operations of the three large dining facilities at the Danforth University Center (DUC), the Village and the South 40 Dining Facility. He also provides management oversight of the various satellite operations across campus.
Lena Pancake
Site Controller
Lena Pancake has been the Site Controller for Washington University Dining Services (Bon Appetit Management Company) since February 2002. She brings experience as a financial assistant. At WUSTL Dining, Lena oversees the financial operations of 24 dining facilities on the Washington University campus. She conducts weekly, monthly and yearly financial accounting close processes. She provides direction to operation managers on adhering to budgets, managing expenses, reducing and reviewing cost of goods sold and controlling labor.
Denise Massey, Human Resources
Employee Engagement
Denise Massey is manager of the Bon Appetit (Washington University Dining Services) Human Resources department. To learn more about job opportunities with Bon Appetit and WUSTL Dining, please visit altogether great.com
Rob Staggenborg
Marketing Manager
Rob Staggenborg enjoyed a lengthy career in education public relations and communications before joining the WUSTL Dining Services team. Rob served in the US Army for seven years, then worked as a print journalist in St. Louis before joining a local public school district as its communications director. He moved into the private school sector, becoming Director of Communications for two of the St. Louis area’s private schools.
Our Chefs
Patrick McElroy
Campus Executive Chef
Chef Patrick McElroy joined the Dining Services team in June of 2010. Chef Patrick has traveled the country, cooking for high-end hotel brands like Hyatt and Westin, top-tier restaurants like Ruth’s Chris and has cooked for two U.S. presidents. Chef Patrick has a passion for Asian cuisine driven by his time growing up in Korea.
Martell Smith
Executive Chef
Chef Martell Smith leads the largest culinary program on campus. Martell has gained valuable culinary experience leading large teams with casinos like Ameristar in St.Charles, Missouri, and Harlow’s Casino Resort & Spa in Greenville, Mississippi. He has also worked as a chef at historic Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Prior to joining the WUSTL Dining Services team, Martell served as the Regional Culinary Lead for California Pizza Kitchen.
Dan Legrand
Executive Chef
Chef Dan LeGrand has served in a variety of culinary roles in many of the WUSTL Dining Services cafes over the last 6 years. Prior to joining the WUSTL Dining Services team, he played an active role in his family’s business (LeGrand’s Market and Catering).
Hayes Green
Operations Manager
Hayes Green previously served as Executive Chef at The Village before transitioning into the Operations Manager role, also at the Village. With a strong culinary background, Green has a unique perspective of just what makes The Village cafe “tick.”
Tom Martoccio, Executive Sous Chef
Executive Sous Chef
Chef Tom Martoccio has experience as a culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu (St. Louis, MO), Banquet Sous Chef at the Ritz Carlton (St. Louis, MO), and the Chef of Café Eau and Marquee Café at Chase Park Plaza. Chef Tom prides himself in his ability to help change people’s lives through food.
Blake Mahon
Sous Chef
Mark Catubig, Satellites Manager
Satellites Manager
Mark Catubig serves as one of our Satellite Operations Managers. He has been with (WUSTL Dining) Bon Appetit since July 2013. He previously had served as the restaurant manager at Ibby’s Bistro at the Danforth University Center. As Satellite Operations Manager, Mark manages the day-to-day operations of five of our satellite locations on campus.
Mike Healy
Executive Chef
Chef Mike Healy joined the WUSTL Dining Services team in 2009 as the Catering Sous Chef. Chef Mike was also the featured Guest Chef of Taste of Tulsa and Good Morning Oklahoma Television. Previously, he worked as the Executive Chef at The Doubletree/ Westin Hotel Philadelphia, Chef Tournant at David Slay’s La Veranda in Beverly Hills and Sous Chef at Giovanni’s on The Hill. Chef Mike likes to use his talent to, “make what people want in the best way possible.”
Shawn Coffel, Satellites Manager
Satellites Manager
Shawn Coffel serves as one of our two Satellite Operations Managers. In this role, he supports the operations of North Campus, West Campus, Etta’s, Holmes Lounge, Stanley’s, Whispers, and Law Cafe. Shawn previously served as manager of the Bear’s Den dining facility in the South 40 House. Shawn brings several years of culinary experience with Ritz-Carlton and several resort companies.
Sara Cox
Research & Development Chef
Chef Sara Cox supports the WUSTL Dining Services efforts to develop a nutritionally sound dining program through recipe development and execution of the Dine with the Registered Dietitian program in concert with Director of University Nutrition
She has a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of Virginia, and has spent time as an Executive Chef for such restaurants as Café Bistro at Nordstrom (St. Louis, MO) and Grey House Grill (Birmingham, AL). Prior to joining the WUSTL Dining Services team, Sara served as a chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in St. Louis.
Jack Durham
Sous Chef
Chris Gapinski
Executive Sous Chef
Chef Chris Gapinski is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, but his work for several hotels, country clubs and casinos including Ameristar and the Renaissance Grand Hotel brought him to St. Louis. Chef Chris joined the WUSTL Dining Services team in 2015 and has infused the culinary program with his contemporary American cuisine.
Joshua Pratt
Sous Chef
Karl Wolak
South 40 Manager
Karl Wolak serves as manager of the South 40 Dining Facility. He comes to Washington University from a similar position with another local university.
Lonnie Hileman, Bear’s Den Manager
South 40 Manager
Lonnie Hileman serves as one of the managers of the Bear’s Den in the South. In her role she manages the cafe operations, staffing and special promotions.
Stephen Gray, South 40 Manager
South 40 Manager
Stephen Gray serves as one of the managers of the South 40 (Bear’s Den) dining facility. In this role, he manages the dining facility, staffing and special promotions.