Chef Ted Jackson
Ted Jackson joined Franke as the executive chef in 2022. He graduated summa cum laude from Johnson & Wales University, beginning his career with Stouffer Nashville Hotel & Conference Center. After leaving Nashville he worked in a variety of notable restaurants across the country. He later opened his own café and culinary event venues. In 2014, Ted moved to Charleston to open the former Westendorff, as General Manager/Executive Chef. He continued his career as the Director of Food and Beverage in senior living communities until he moved to Boeing as Executive Chef Manager 2019.
A Little Razzle Dazzle
Calm and quiet-spoken but not shy, strong in spirit but
easy-going and tender-hearted, proud, and loyal family
man, former professional boxer, comfortable in his own
skin, confident and relaxed without a trace of bravado….
these are just a few of the impressions one takes away
from a pleasant conversation with Aldolphus
Washington.
Aldolphus is a man who finds much to appreciate about
his life. His teenage sweetheart, Cynthia, became his wife
over three decades ago. They met working at McDonalds
and have been together 37 years, working together for 30
of those years! The Washington’s are proud of their four
boys, all grown and successful in their jobs. Some residents might remember one of their
sons, A.J., who worked for a while in the ALC Dining Services.
Aldolphus is especially proud of his four grandchildren, ages 14 and 12 (girls), and 5 & 4 (boys). He is grateful that they are all attending excellent schools and are doing very, very well. There is an extra-wide smile and a sparkle in his eyes
when he mentions an upcoming “date” with the two
granddaughters at California Dreaming.
About that professional boxing career: As a young man,
Aldolphus was coached at his community recreation
center by a retired SC Highway Department Supervisor
named “Stogie” Rowe, whom he describes as a loveable,
incredible man who “changed my life”. The highlight of
his boxing career was making it to the third round of the
1996 Olympic trials, for which he received a bronze
medal. After this, he made the transition to professional
cooking in order to provide a stable income for his
family.
The youngest of seven children, Aldolphus learned to
cook by spending time in the kitchen with his mom. He
says cooking is a “family thing”, something his entire
extended family enjoys doing, and something that has
always come naturally to him. After 20 years of cooking
at Kiawah, Aldolphus made the move to Franke at Seaside nine years ago. That was when someone by the name of Frankie Scavullo also left Kiawah and came (back) to work here. Aldolphus is the morning Lead Cook for ALC Dining
Services, and arrives on campus at 6:00 am, a time when
most of us are not even thinking of leaving our cozy
beds. Aldolphus really enjoys working with Chef Frankie. The
inside scoop from Chef Frankie is that every time someone
asks Aldolphus what he is cooking or what he added to make
something so good, he responds, “I just added a little razzle
dazzle, you know how I do!”.
Although Aldolphus prefers working in the kitchen to “outside”,
he has developed fond relationships with several residents
over the years, especially some of the “regulars’’ at breakfast
time. During his infrequent appearances outside of the
kitchen, he says the residents sometimes make him feel like
a celebrity. As well we should! Thank you, Aldolphus, for all
the great razzle dazzle.
Article by Donna Doughty December 2021 Franke Flyer Publication
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Active Lifestyle Community, we have a precious, rare gem
hidden away in our Dining Services Kitchen! As strong, beautiful, and multi-faceted as a
diamond, our evening Lead Cook, Saquaya Brown, has been
preparing meals for our community for over three years. And
she’s wise beyond her years. This lady has it all, and we are
so fortunate that she’s made Franke her second home.
In 2014, Saquaya and Kelly Newman (currently our morning
Sous Chef) were working for another employer when Kelly
left to take a job at Franke. There were no additional
openings at that time, but three years later Saquaya found a
Franke position posted on-line and jumped at it. Saquaya
has always loved to cook and enjoys the challenge of
learning new things every day. She is tenacious about
practicing until she has perfected a dish or a sauce, working most
recently for a couple of months on her soups until getting the tastes
and textures just right. That scampi sauce you had a few weeks
ago with your halibut? Saquaya is responsible for getting the butter
blended with the heavy cream just right.
“You will never learn until you mess up…more than one
time!” Saquaya describes the ALC kitchen as a safe, supportive
place where it’s okay to try something new, even if you mess up.
She loves that they work as a team, everyone gets along, and
everyone helps out. “We don’t complain, we just pitch in and get it
done”. She pointed out that the field of professional cooks is
dominated by men. She is often the only woman in the
kitchen. Where this may be an issue in other kitchens, at Franke
“Mr. Aldolphus” is her go-to person for all questions, her mentor and
teacher.
At home, Saquaya is the proud mother of
an almost four-year-old daughter, Queen,
and “the boys”, Khalil, age 8, and King, ageAnd yes, Queen definitely lives up to
her name, reigning like royalty in her
family! Although she is single, Saquaya shares parenting responsibilities daily with the children’s father. He cares for them in the evening while she works until 8 pm and they
frequently enjoy outings and activities as a family. She says, “I tell
people, our relationship didn’t work, but the family works”.
When asked if there was anything else we should know about her,
Saquaya replied, “I try to do right by people from the jump. I’m
honest, genuine.” That truth shines bright straight from her first hello
and radiates through the conversation. Not afraid to try, fail, learn.
Open to new experiences, new friendships. We hope she’ll start to
make an appearance from time to time at your dinner table, to say
hello and check on your meal. And if she asks how
you liked something she prepared, she wants your
honest opinion. Remember, Saquaya is as strong as
she is lovely and talented. She’s got this.
Article by Donna Doughty December 2021 Franke Flyer Publication
Brigette Goodwin has worked in the Franke kitchen for over 14
years, beginning in 2005. If you are good at math, you’ll already
realize that she took a two-year break. We will get to that story
soon enough, but for now, we’ll start with the kitchen. Her
official title is “Lead Steward”. A quick glance at an on-line
dictionary reveals definitions of “steward” that include “a person
who manages another’s property or financial affairs” or “a
person who has charge of the household of another”. You’ll
soon learn why both Franke residents and Brigette’s co-workers
are both incredibly blessed to have this hardworking, amazing
woman as steward of our kitchen. Brigette’s primary domain is the “dish pit” where she manages the operation of this huge dish cleaning machine you see pictured behind her. She keeps it so well cleaned and maintained that the machine company tech says it is the pride of their entire fleet of machines. We’re talking about taking it apart to clean the inside on a regular basis, descaling lime almost every week….and putting it back together again in good working order. But her dedication doesn’t
stop there. She mops down the floors, changing the mop heads every Wednesday. She
wipes down the walls, including behind the equipment. She takes out the recycling bin and won’t bring it back in until she washes it out. She washes all the brooms regularly
because they sometimes get small bits of food caught in them. Something caught in
a floor drain? Out comes the degreaser and the drains get cleaned. Housekeeping
short staffed? Brigitte is out in the lounge helping dust blinds and vacuum. “I just
keep doing things – that’s just me”, she says with a modest shrug of her shoulders. “I
was just raised up like that.” You see something that needs doing, then you just do it.
Brigitte extends that same dedicated care and attention to the human beings around her as well. The kitchen staff call her the “Mama” of the kitchen. They go to her when they need advice, to talk, to ask for her ideas and suggestions. Part Mama, part counselor, she’s the trusted and loving steward of her co-worker’s minds and hearts as well.
Family life has not been easy. Brigitte raised two sons and a daughter mostly by
herself as her first husband was unwell much of the time. She’s had the
experience of losing everything in a house fire. Her beloved second husband of 16
years died almost exactly a year ago from COVID. On that two-year break from
Franke, Brigitte brought beautiful Sanadrian, her husband’s granddaughter,
home from the hospital as an infant to raise as her own. It needed doing, and she stepped in and did it. From the way her face beams when she tells the story, it must have been love at first sight for both of them. Nay Nay, as she’s called, is now 11 years old
and is so well known to Chef Frankie and the kitchen staff that Brigette
says she is a “Franke baby”.
Also adding to her happiness and pride is
five-year-old granddaughter Joy. It’s Brigitte’s gift to be the one who notices, who takes action, who does what needs doing. Much rests on her strong shoulders and she is no stranger to heartache and tragedy. However, what you hear from her is gratitude for the life she has, her job, her family, her church, her friends. You sense the calm, deep faith that anchors and nurtures her, and you understand why she has so much to give. Thank you, Brigitte, for being a wonderful steward in every sense of the word.
Article by Donna Doughty January 2022 Franke Flyer Publication
When Ben Sherrill is in a kitchen, he’s a jack of all trades and a master of, well, quite a few of them! His love affair with the culinary arts started at age ten. His mom, a professional caterer, had been hired for a large Christmas gathering hosted by then US
Congressman Mendel Rivers. Ben helped his mom prepare food for this grand event, only to have it be canceled when Congressman Rivers had to have heart surgery (and
subsequently died a few days after Christmas). He remembers that his mom was directed to take all the food to a local orphanage. This unforgettable introduction to the world of
catering and cooking was the beginning of a nearly fifty-year career.
Ben grew up in this area. He completed two years of active duty in the Army right out of high school and lived for a few months in California upon discharge. His active-duty Army job as a driver took him to Germany. He enjoyed traveling a lot during that time, especially in Spain and Italy, and he loved “sampling the cuisine all over Europe”. He brought home a lot of new ideas about food and food preparation. Ben also served in the South Carolina Guard for nine years and returned to Germany a few times on TDY (temporary duty travel). After leaving active duty, Ben tried his hand at an electrical engineering program in Myrtle Beach, but quickly learned that he didn’t want to do that kind of work. Something about shocking himself one too many times! After returning to the low country, Ben has remained in this area and hasn’t strayed again from his first love of cooking and baking.
Over the years, Ben has collected at least a hundred and one stories about the events he has helped to cater. He’s pretty sure he’s worked weddings at every single plantation venue in Georgetown and Charleston counties. There have been quite a few political
events, including one for Nancy Pelosi and another for Mark Sanford. Other events have taken him to MUSC, Carolina Yacht Club, the USS Yorktown, and just about every hotel, college, and university in the area. Ben fondly recalls, while bartending at a
Marine Corps Ball at the Francis Marion, meeting a World War Two veteran who had been at Iwo Jima. Finally, Ben landed at Franke in 2012, and we
have all benefited from his many talents ever since then.
But if you have a favorite Ben recipe, ask for it soon. He plans to retire in July this year. He thinks he might like to volunteer at the VA Hospital helping veterans with their computer skills. He’d also like to do a little more traveling. Diabetes has slowed him down just a bit, and that travel will probably be within the United States. With so many stories, perhaps there is a book to be written? Thank you, Ben, for sharing your gifts with us! We wish you all the best as you plan retirement.
Article by Donna Doughty January 2022 Franke Flyer Publication
Burges Center Dining 