DIANE DREY
Has been involved in the food industry for
over thirty years as President of a bottled water manufacturing company operating in New York metropolitan area. In 2008
she sold the business to an international firm and joyfully entered early retirement. Diane holds an MBA in Finance and is a graduate of the Harvard Business
School OPM executive education program.
Since "retirement" Diane has become a volunteer business counselor with Score (www.score.org)
a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration. She advises entrepreneurs wishing to start or expand their company
on finance, marketing, personnel development and strategic planning.
Diane's passion has always been traveling, and she has traveled extensively.
In early 2009 she
spent two months touring southwest China and visited the Sichuan Institute for Higher Cuisine. She recognized the school was
a hidden treasure and westerners would greatly enjoy studying at the school, but at that time classes were only given in Chinese. She started this program to give English speaking
people the opportunity to study authentic Sichuan cuisine as did well known food writer Fuchisa Dunlop.
While Diane organizes the cooking program
with the School, participants will also have the benefit of local Chengdu residents and tourism professionals who will lead
the non-cooking activites. Diane's main goal is to create a memorable experience for all participants and spread the
love of Sichuan cuisine around the world.
Diane believes life improves when you
add a bit of Sichuan peppercorn.
