Meet the man behind your meals

Cabrini hired Chef Nathan Selden as the new executive chef. Selden has 30 years of experience within the culinary field.

In 1980, Selden graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, which he described as the Harvard equivalent for chefs. For the past 25 years, Selden has worked in country clubs, restaurants, corporate catering and in-flight catering. All these positions are the types of contracted food services Tracy Eells, general manager for food-service, was looking for.

Selden is very passionate about his work. “I spend as much time in my career as I do in my personal life,” Selden jokingly said. He also believes he is a very well organized person. He sees this organization as a crucial step in having happier employees and nicer food.

Selden also cares about those he serves. While preparing for the busy lunch-rush, Selden was kind enough to set a few minutes aside for an interview. He did not rush answers and did not look at his watch to check on the time. Selden did this because he wants students and staff to know, “We care, I care a lot.”

Selden was one of four candidates up for the position. According to Eells, Selden was the top contender due to his previous history with Sodexo and his strong culinary background. To finalize Selden’s hire, he was asked to cook a meal from ingredients in a basket. It has been about three weeks since Selden’s hire. “So far, so good,” Eells said. “The staff really seems to enjoy working with him.”

Selden hails from the Lehigh Valley, an area about an hour north of Cabrini. He is married with two children and three grandchildren.

There are many visons Selden has for the future. One of those is to continue with the Fair Trade initiative that Chef Rodney set in place. In addition to Fair Trade, Selden has big plans with improving the food served. There will be a continued focus on the Mindful station.

According to Eells, a large focus will also be surrounding the pizza. A pizza oven and dough press are also new introductions this year. All pizza dough will now be made in-house. “[We’re] looking forward to moving forward with our quality of food,” Eells said.

Selden aims to continue a high level of culinary service, continued creativity and dining options. He looks forward to further utilizing food stations and running something different each day.