CDM, CFPP of the Month - January 2026

Name: Dominick Patrevito, CDM, CFPP

Job Title: Vice President of Culinary Operations

Employer: Trilogy Health Services

Job Location: Louisville, KY

Years at Current Facility: 15 Years

Months in Current Position: 7 Months

CDM, CFPP Since: 2019

 

Why did you decide to become a CDM, CFPP?

I wanted to obtain this education and this certification as it is incredibly relevant to what we do as food service professionals in a health care setting.

What are your main responsibilities in your current position?

I oversee the day-to-day culinary operations and support functions within the culinary department. I work with 11 regional culinary support team members to ensure that the culinary operations and all things related to food service and nourishment are meeting our company’s and customers' expectations and standards. A few of the main things that I am responsible for are customer satisfaction scores, sanitation/annual survey outcomes, employee satisfaction and turnover metrics, overall culinary financial outcomes, and executing on goals and initiatives.

How do you organize your time at work to make sure you accomplish all your responsibilities?

I take good notes, and I keep an ongoing to-do list and a follow-up list. I think that it is incredibly important to keep track of these items and have some sort of system for this. I am always thinking and prioritizing what I have on my plate so that I am focusing on what is most important at that time. I have an expression that I use often, and it goes as such, “Be where you need to be, when you need to be there.” You can achieve this if you are prioritizing things accordingly.

I also work with a very skillful culinary support team, and we work together to achieve our goals. Every time that we work together as a group, the outcome is far better than it would have been had we worked alone.

What is an example of an innovative way you have made change at your facility and how did you implement it?

Last year, we implemented a “paperless” kitchen, tablet-based software system company wide. The software is known as Jolt. We no longer have paper temperature logs in our campuses, and everything is documented via iPad.  We rolled this out in waves, doing one or two divisions at a time. When implementing something or making a change of any magnitude, it is important to do it at the right pace.

What was your first job in the foodservice industry?

I was a dishwasher/salad prep team member at a private country club while I was in high school. I moved up to a cook’s role as a high school senior.

Who has been your biggest mentor in foodservice and how have they helped shape your career?

I have worked with a lot of great leaders throughout my career. Every one of them has helped me and has taught me so many valuable lessons on what it takes to be a good chef, a good CDM, CFPP, and a good leader. I feel like I have taken bits and pieces from all of them over the years, and I have used all of that to develop my own style.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your position and how do you handle them? 

I think the biggest challenges that I face at times stem from the totality of what I am responsible for in this position. I have a level of responsibility over everything within the culinary department.  The way I approach this is by prioritizing all tasks/topics and delegating some of those to members on our culinary support team. Delegating gives empowerment to your team members, and it helps sharpen their skills.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part is being able to help, support, and work with our food service directors and culinary support team. I love being on our campuses supporting our leaders and helping them grow and achieve their goals. Part of my role is to help them find success in what they do, which will result in our residents being happy with our dining experience.

How do you stay up to date with current innovations and trends?

I follow and read articles from various associations that correlate with senior living and health care food service. I have signed up to receive a lot of newsletters via email through those outlets. I also like to network and talk to other industry leaders, food service leaders, and business partners that I am in touch with.

How do you envision the foodservice industry changing in the next few years?

I can see several changes coming, and I will share a few of those. I can see changes in our menu coming.  With the baby boomers coming in, I can see some of the classic comfort foods coming off the cycle menu and being replaced with some more ethnic types of options. This next wave of residents we have coming in are going to want more options and have more variety with the menu offerings. I also see companies working towards allowing the new residents more choices while living in facilities. like having a choice around when they dine and having more menu choices for them. I see facilities getting away from having a “set” mealtime but having meal periods and some sort of “all-day” dining program. This list goes on, as there are many new things on the horizon.

What is your advice to those just getting started in the foodservice industry?

My advice to those getting started would be to really listen to those who are willing to take the time to teach and coach them. Those people will be your leaders and mentors. Ask them questions and ask them the “why” behind certain things. Be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as you can. The other piece of advice I would offer would be to always work hard and to always do the right thing.  Working hard and having a great level of integrity will be noticed by your peers and those who you report to. Work ethic and integrity are key, and having those will help you during your entire career. One more thing I would like to offer to the young chefs and professional cooks out there is to embrace and appreciate the classical cooking techniques and steps you learn. Many of these take more time and effort; however, the finished product will taste better, and it is worth the extra work.