MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. -- Foodservice equipment maker Alto-Shaam welcomed two new additions to its staff. Kellee Johnston was named marketing manager, and Medardo “Tito” Rodriguez is now regional sales manager for the South East Region.
Rodriguez has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality and foodservice industries.
Graduating from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale with a culinary-arts degree, Rodriguez began his career as a sous chef for Hotel Intercontinental Resorts in Miami. There, he gained his certificate in Hospitality Management, eventually becoming the executive sous chef and managing the 100,000-square-foot banquet facility.
Spending time with his three children, and wife of 20 years, eventually convinced Rodriguez to leave behind his chef’s coat for a more stable career in sales. However, he never left his culinary roots as his experience in the kitchen and strong management skill set benefited him as he moved into equipment sales.
Previous to joining Alto-Shaam, Rodriguez was a certified chef trainer for a competitive combi oven manufacturer and transitioned into a regional sales role in the south Florida Market. With Alto-Shaam, Rodriguez will be responsible for executing corporate sales growth strategies in southeast markets, including; Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Reporting to the vice president of marketing, Johnston will manage the marketing department.
Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in public relations and advertising, Johnston has held marketing communication roles in a variety of industries. Most recently, Johnston was the marketing communications manager for Rite-Hite, a world leader in the development and sale of loading-dock safety systems.
In her new role at Alto-Shaam, Johnston will be responsible for developing a global digital strategy, including demand creation. She will also oversee product rollouts, content creation, print and digital advertising, as well as brand management.
Meanwhile, more than 170 golfers gathered under sunny skies at Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex, Wis., to participate in Alto-Shaam’s fifth annual Jerry Maahs Memorial Golf Outing on Aug. 10. Far surpassing previous years, participants raised a total of $56,000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
Alto-Shaam founder, Jerry Maahs, passed away from Lymphoma in 2006. The following year, Alto-Shaam employees organized the first of what has become an annual charity event in an effort to help find a cure for this common blood disease. Since its inception, Alto-Shaam employees and friends have raised a grand total of $123,129 for cancer research.
For more than 50 years Alto-Shaam, Menomonee Falls, Wis., has specialized in creating industrial systems and equipment that are the core of successful and profitable foodservice programs in many different industries.
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