Thom Pastor

About Thom Pastor

For 15 years I have led food, nutrition, and support service operations across healthcare settings ranging from a 16-bed critical access hospital to a 292-bed Level II trauma center. Today I direct the largest healthcare foodservice operation in Alaska at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). The program spans hospital, clinic space, office buildings, and hotels, with a large team across clinical nutrition, retail, production, and catering - and a culturally essential Traditional Foods Program serving patients, families, and visitors throughout extended stays.I was recruited to lead a self-operated conversion and build a program aligned with ANTHC\'s mission. That meant aligning a large team around shared purpose, establishing accountability and equity across operations, and driving meaningful improvements in financial performance, patient safety, and customer experience.I am a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serve as Immediate Past President of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice. I also serve on advisory councils for both Stanford Health Care\'s Food is Life, Food is Health initiative, and Harvard\'s Menus of Change.I am a contributor to the ANFP textbook and have toured operations at dozens of institutions across the country. I lead by learning, and I build teams that do the same.

Experience

1. Director of Food and Nutrition Services

   Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)

   Jun 2024 — Present · Anchorage, AK, US

   Recruited to lead the stabilization of the department following its transition from contract management to self-operation.Strategic Transformation: Defined the post-conversion framework and actively cultivating a high-impact management team, while instituting rigorous business planning and financial discipline.Traditional Foods & Cultural Stewardship: Evolved the program to center on culinary and cultural stewardship, ensuring donations are honored through effective menu integration and peak-quality usage. Served as primary partner with World Central Kitchen to provide essential Traditional Foods to evacuees from Typhoon Halong.Multi-Venue Operations: Directing food, retail, and logistics for the ANMC Hospital and multiple patient lodging assets.Capital Planning & Asset Strategy: Serving as the SME for culinary infrastructure in the new patient tower design while leading a strategic equipment modernization initiative. Developing a procurement framework that prioritizes serviceability to mitigate critical regional infrastructure risks.Retail & Vending: Transforming the enterprise footprint by launching new coffee/market concepts and unifying vending standards across non-hospital facilities.

Education

• The Culinary Institute of America

  AOS, Culinary Arts

• Harvard Business School Online

  Credential, Business/Commerce, General

• Western Governors University

  Bachelor's degree, Healthcare Management

• Western Governors University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration, Management and Operations

Skills

• Food Service
• Cuisine
• Menu Costing
• Food Preparation
• Event Planning
• Hospitality Management
• Recipe Testing
• Menu Development
• Sanitation
• Restaurant Management
• Food Safety
• Banquets
• Sauces
• Food Styling
• Wine
• Ingredients
• Menu Engineering
• Recipes
• Food & Beverage
• Gourmet
• Food
• Pastry
• Customer Service
• Catering
• Fine Dining
• Nutrition
• Hospitality
• Restaurants
• Chef
• Mediterranean
• Cooking
• Culinary Skills
• Baking