He also uses their input to keep his job new and exciting. “It can be a challenge to stay fresh when you’ve been in one community for six years, no matter where you are. But every year I see something exciting come from his dedication,” says Director of Dining Services Helene Fletcher.

Fletcher says Badin initiated three or four new culinary programs, such as recipe compliance and culinary classes, for his cooks. This year, he hopes to expand the staff training and development program to include Charlestown’s sister community, Oak Crest. “He knows that if you pool your resources, you’ll be more successful,” Fletcher says.

Badin tries to balance the back-of-the-house programs with ones that involve the whole community. Most recently, the dining team held a chocolate bake-off and a gingerbread house contest, judged by the dinner guests. “He engages the staff to use their creativity, but he also pulls in everyone from the community to make it a fun and exciting event,” Fletcher says.

The bottom line
Badin’s the first one to admit that the higher up you go in the culinary world, the further you get from the kitchen and that adrenaline rush. But that’s the way he likes it.

“It’s not enough to be a decent chef. You have to be a decent manager, because that’s what it’s really all about—putting the right people in the right spots,” he says.

It’s no surprise that Badin strives to embody the same qualities of one of his favorite chefs, culinary instructors, and cookbook authors: Madeleine Kamman. “She’s highly skilled, and her cookbooks are really good. Almost everything she does works,” he says.

Although Badin has never written a cookbook himself, he recently had the chance to be in one. From the Chef’s Kitchen features a collection of recipes and chef profiles from Erickson communities across the country. (For ordering information, click here.)

The cookbook allowed Badin to step out of his office and back into the kitchen to share some of his chef secrets and favorite recipes with others.

His cooking tip: “Balance colors, flavors, and spices to keep it interesting, because people don’t just eat with their mouth; they eat with their eyes.”