“A group of professionals who are passionate about getting the REAL scoop and providing creative solutions to the opportunities facing the hospitality, supermarket and contract foodservice industries. A team dedicated to helping clients realize their greatest potential while maximizing the employee experience and bottom line profits.”

CRS Proudly Supports:

Morreen Rukin, President

[email protected]

Morreen Rukin founded Creative Restaurant Solutions, Inc. in 1997. Recognized as a dynamic consultant and leader, Morreen has built a team of experts who consistently deliver results with their industry knowledge, creative approaches, and dedication to superior customer service. Before starting CRS, Morreen acquired 15 years of deep and diverse experience in the industry, starting her career at Houlihan’s, working her way up to Assistant General Manager and eventually overseeing all management training and development for the Mid-Atlantic region. She maintained her focus on hiring and retaining top talent at Darden Restaurants, recruiting managers for 200 Red Lobster locations and decreasing costs per hire by over 50%. Morreen went on to become a Director at Mid-Atlantic restaurants, a Boston Market franchisee, where she managed the conversion of all 110 units from Boston Chicken to Boston Market and also designed and implemented the commissary program, oversaw management and employee training for new products, and wrote a more self-directed MIT program. Fueled by her desire to impact companies in key areas of training and operational efficiencies, Morreen started her own company in 1997. Creative Restaurant Solutions, Inc. helps companies decrease operating costs, increase efficiencies, and put more fun back in the business through operational consulting, creating and conducting training programs with an impact, and gathering employee and manager feedback through exit interviews and other surveys. With a consistently growing presence in the industry, CRS, Inc. has worked with clients such as ARAMARK, Legal Sea Foods, Texas Roadhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Darden. Morreen earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from University of New Hampshire and also holds a Master’s in Education with a focus on Instructional Design from Pennsylvania State University. An advocate for giving back, she has been recognized as a top fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand (a children’s cancer research foundation), American Cancer Society, and National MS Society. Morreen is active in the Women’s Foodservice Forum, and has served on the Mentoring, Entrepreneur, and Membership committees, culminating in serving as chairperson for the Membership Committee. The Philadelphia Business Journal recognized Morreen as one of the 2007 Women of Distinction. Most recently, Morreen was recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s “Best 50 Women in Business.” Additionally, Morreen co-authored Dream, Inc. – Million Dollar Business Strategies from 32 Successful Philadelphia-Area Entrepreneurs.


christin m-3843 Christin Myers, Chief Operations Officer

[email protected]

Christin Myers is a speaker, leader and coach passionate about helping others achieve their goals. She is delighted to have recently returned to CRS in the role of Chief Operating Officer. Christin first worked for CRS as Director of Retention Strategies from 2005 to 2011. During that time, she led the restaurant industry’s leading exit interview program, creating, executing, and analyzing powerful exit interviews, training completion interviews, and surveys for over 30 restaurant brands. She was also instrumental in the success of the training and operations division, developing content and providing editing support. In 2011, Christin took a role as Director of Training & Coaching for Beyond Insurance, where she led all learning initiatives for the Beyond Insurance Global Network (BIGN). She developed and facilitated agency workshops and webinars and coached insurance agency team members. She was instrumental in enhancing every element of the BIGN offering and was named its Executive Director in 2014. In addition to setting strategic direction for the Network, she served as consultant, coach, and confidante to many agency leaders across the country. Prior to joining CRS in 2005, Christin spent 3 years as a Staffing Supervisor at Careers Express, an independently owned staffing firm. There she recruited, screened, interviewed, and coached hundreds of candidates each year for temporary and permanent positions, and served as account coordinator for dozens of clients in multiple industries. Christin also created and delivered content for resume-writing, interviewing, and job search classes presented both in the office and at organizations throughout the Philadelphia area. Christin received her Bachelor’s degree in English/Secondary Ed from Marywood University, and started her career as a high school English teacher. She has developed her passion for elevating others through several years as a volunteer and leader within Women’s Foodservice Forum and through various leadership roles (including President) in Koinonia Speakers, a local Toastmasters group.


donita-3793 Donita Calef, Exit Interviewer Donita received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She was an Accountant with Yves Rocher, a European skincare company, for 8 years after her graduation. She then made a career change and became an Accounting Recruiter. She has over 27 years of experience in accounting and recruiting. Donita has been with CRS since September 2015.

clea_j-4466 Jeff Cilea, Reports Leader Jeff received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Villanova University. Jeff worked at Drexel Technical for 15 years, first as a Recruiter, eventually being promoted to the Director of Recruitment. Jeff has 16 total years of staffing & recruiting experience, as well as 10 years of HR, market research and sales experience. Jeff has been with CRS since October 2012.

Mike Guarnieri, Exit Interviewer Mike graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English. He then earned his Master’s degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing from West Chester University.  While going to school, he held several jobs in the retail and warehouse industries. Mike has been with CRS since March 2017.

 

VT3_3901 Kim Kondla, Exit Interviewer Kim has been the VP/CFO of a staffing company, the National Director of Field Services for a market research firm, and the Leadership Development Program Manager for an international industrial supplies distributor. In addition to working at CRS, Kim is the CSO for an education company that produces live seminars and other products that foster personal growth, as well as a language Instructor for a local university and a non-profit agency. Kim has been with CRS since July 2014.

heather m-3877 Heather Mascaro, Exit Interviewer Heather earned her degree in Restaurant and Hotel Management from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, and also has a Business degree and HR certification. She spent over 15 years in restaurant operations, most recently as a Banquet Director at Cedarbrook Country Club. Heather has been with CRS since August 2012.

  VT3_3912 Joe McDonald, Interview Leader Joe received his Bachelor’s degree in English Lit/Creative Writing from West Chester University. He was the recipient of the John Feely Hopkins award and graduated as the top Creative Writing student in 2007. After college he went to The Devereux Foundation and worked as an HR Assistant, eventually being promoted to Recruitment Specialist. He worked as a Recruiter for 3 years. Joe has been with CRS since August 2012.

milman_i-4447 Iulia Milman, Proofing Leader Iulia has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Resources. While going to school, she held several jobs in the restaurant and food service industries. Upon graduation, she moved to the United States from Romania and worked in Human Resources for a small restaurant company. Iulia has been with CRS since November 2013.

Jenny Rosback, Exit Interviewer Jenny spent most of her career in Leadership and Organizational Development engaging leaders and teams in learning opportunities.  As both an internal and external consultant, Jenny’s focus has been in large and small group facilitation, and helping organizations develop a culture in alignment with the vision and values that supports a company’s strategic direction.  These days, Jenny is excited to put that experience to work for CRS as well as local non-profit groups and the populations they serve.  Jenny has been with CRS since November 2017.

  mary-4488 Mary Sperling, Administrative Leader Mary earned her Associate of Applied Science degree from Paul Smith’s College and her Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University, studying Hospitality Management. She started her career as a restaurant manager in Columbus, OH. Mary worked her way up to the Regional Manager position with The Cooker Restaurant Corporation, responsible for the Mid-Atlantic region. She then became Managing Partner of Sweetwater Tavern, Centreville, VA. Mary has been with CRS since September 2013.

maureen-3817 Maureen Valko, Administrative Coordinator Maureen graduated Penn State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. Maureen’s background is primarily customer service and sales. She has worked in many industries, including hospitality, insurance, staffing and crafting. Maureen has been with CRS since September 2015.
Ryan Abel, Exit Interviewer Ryan earned his Associates degree in Business Administration from Delaware County Community College and is currently studying Finance at West Chester University. His goal is to be a financial advisor after graduation. Prior to CRS he worked at a small family run grocery store for more than five years. Ryan has been with CRS since April 2019.