Today we’d like to introduce you to John Clark.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After applying nine times, I was finally hired by the Walt Disney World Company in 1978. That was the start of an amazing career where I got to meet some of the top chefs in the world, travel to work on amazing projects, and have the opportunity to mentor some very talented people. Although I worked for a large organization each business unit was run like an individual location. So while I had the resources and creative content of the Disney organization to draw from I was able to have the creativity and accountability of a location that I operated as my own business.
From Major Events like opening Disneyland Paris and Shanghai Disneyland to feeding the teams for the NBA Bubble during Covid, I worked with people who made the impossible happen and always focused on creating happiness and the best experience for our guests.
Perhaps the most challenging event I did was the Covid NBA Bubble. Covid had shut down everything including Walt Disney World. It was decided that we would host the NBA Playoffs and Final. We had to source product when the supply chains were shut down, find cast members that would be willing to work with the strict Covid protocols, and operate within a very tight footprint. Incredibly we were able to somehow pull it off. A little pixie dust goes along way when you have some very dedicated team members that are used to making the impossible happen.
The NBA Bubble was probably my most challenging event but I was also lucky to have some amazing experiences that many people don’t have. I had the privilege of meeting and working with some of the most amazing people all over the world. I cooked for Julia Child, Paul Bocuse, Jane Goodall, President Jimmy Carter, and Governor Jeb Bush just to name a few. I had to opportunity to give back to our community through volunteering at Give Kids the World, mentoring young culinary talent from the Pro Start High School Competition and other local organizations. Some of my warmest memories are of taking my kids with me to work at the Coalition for the Homeless and feeding our church choirs during the Christmas Services. As they were growing up it was important to me to teach them that giving to others was an important part of life.
I have carried that philosophy through into my retirement. When Gilchrist, our favorite winery and local restaurant in Suttons Bay, MI suddenly found themselves without their culinary team due to unforeseen events my wife volunteered me to step in and help out for a few weeks. It was great fun for me to be back in the kitchen and it was even more special as I was able to work with my son Zachary for the first time as a culinary professional.
I have also had the opportunity to work with my other son Joshua for an event at The Culinary Vegetable Institute at the Chef’s Garden in Milan, Ohio. They host one of the tops culinary events for chefs called Roots. Farmer Lee Jones invites chefs and speakers from across the nation to talk pertinent topics to the Food and Beverage Industry and to sample some to the top produce grown in the country. Both Josh and I had the privilege of helping to prepare a multi-course feast focused on fresh produce. No one knows his dirt like Farmer. He is so passionate about the food the farm grows and the quality in flavor and nutrients show in his products.
I learned much at my time with Walt Disney World that I carry with me now. Be it helping at fundraisers like Lobsterfest for the Northport Lighthouse, helping out a neighbor like Gilchrist if needed, or being part of Green Suttons Bay which is trying to make our environment a little better by reducing plastics and waste there is still magic in the world. I still believe we can make the impossible a reality through the goodness and hard work of those around us.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey I have been on has been challenging, exciting, rewarding, and at times tough. I worked for an amazing company through some of the most challenging times. During 9-11 we had to quickly close the Theme Parks and then find creative ways to feed all of our guests that were unable to leave our Resorts due to travel being shut down. Covid was a challenge that I never imagined working through. There were major ups and downs in the economy and workforce. What I learned that through any challenge you needed to be there to lead and support your team. Keep everyone focused on the task at hand and help to filter out all of the outside noise. You have to lead with your head and your heart at the toughest of times and help your team celebrate what they accomplished at the end. My wife has always been there for me to keep me grounded and pointed in the right direction. To give me a clear perspective when the tasks at hand had seemed overwhelming.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While working at Walt Disney World I was known for my creativity, culinary skills, and being a mentor. I utilize those same skills today. Although I am retired I am active in our community and my past experience enables me to help out where needed be it a fundraising event, a conference for culinary professionals, or lending my experience to form viewpoints on making our community more environmentally friendly. Very few people have had the opportunities that I have had to create skills that can be molded to fit so many different situations.
What’s next?
Next year we are planning on going to Antartica. I will then have been on all of the continents and have lived on 3 of them. I want to continue to make a difference in my community and industry volunteering where I can have a positive impact.
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