Robert F Nelson, CAE

Campus Dining: 2030 and Beyond, Thursday, April 9, 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Robert Nelson, a Certified Association Executive (CAE), is chief executive officer  of the National Association of College & University Food Services, an  organization dedicated to promoting excellence in college dining. Prior to  NACUFS, Nelson led Nelson Strategic Consulting, a firm focused on strategic  problem solving, and creating high impact strategies and governance systems. 

Robert also served for almost two decades as the President and Chief Executive  Officer of the National Coffee Association (NCA) of U.S.A. Nelson and his team  transformed the association into a strategic thinking entity, resulting in a  financially healthy, internationally influential, growing organization, successful at  advocating for the industry. During his tenure, he worked with the private sector  and governments worldwide to design and facilitate strategy development and  strategic problem-solving think tanks to address complex challenges and issues  ranging from acrylamide to producer sustainability to small farmer access to  credit. In fact, his strategic response to a global economic crisis resulted in a  Harvard Business School case study. 

While at the NCA, Nelson served as a member of the official United States  government delegation to the International Coffee Organization, where he  actively participated in multi-lateral negotiations. Further, Nelson sat on Harvard  University’s Institute of Politics Global Food Policy Advisory Board and is a  graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Seminar on Agribusiness.  

Nelson has successfully advocated for businesses interests in front of  governments at the local, state, national and international levels for over a quarter of a century. In addition, he has developed successful voter referendum  strategies. 

For a decade, Nelson served at the Florida Restaurant Association, where he  was Senior Director of Government Affairs, Information, and Education. In  addition to his executive level positions in association management, Nelson held  corporate level management positions with two restaurant chains: York  Restaurants of General Mills, Inc. and RAX Restaurants.  

He is the recipient of the Colombian Manuel Mejia Medal of Merit and The  Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Public Service (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania).

Dr. Beth McCuskey

Campus Partnerships: The Gateway to Student Success, Tuesday, April 7, 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm

Dr. Beth McCuskey is Vice Provost for Student Life at Purdue University, leading programs, places, and services that integrate with academics to create a transformative residential learning experience. She emphasizes student leadership, arts and culture, and well-being. Dr. McCuskey began her career in student housing and dining at West Virginia University, later serving at the University of Wyoming. She joined Purdue in 2010 to lead Housing and Food Services and became Vice Provost in 2014, embedding a philosophy of “academicizing” across Student Life. She holds a clinical faculty appointment in Purdue Polytechnic and has served as president and foundation board chair for ACUHO-I. Her publications include co-editing Foundations: Strategies for the Future of Collegiate Housing and the forthcoming Handbook of Well-being in Higher Education from Oxford University Press. She is committed to helping students discover the transformative power of their Purdue home.