Andy Alander is the Sous Chef at UMD Dining Services, joining in August 2021. Prior to joining UMD, Andy had a long and successful career in and out of the food service industry. He worked as the Operations Manager at Downtown Computer in Duluth, the Assistant Fire Marshall at Rice Lake Volunteer Fire Department, the Foodservice Director at St. Ann’s Home, a Production Supervisor at Essentia Health, an Executive Chef at Tycoons, and a Chef de Cuisine at Northland Country Club.
Andy is an honors graduate of the Arizona Culinary Institute where he earned a degree in Culinary Arts, Baking, and Restaurant Management. He also received the Life Saver Award in 2019 from the Rice Lake Fire Department for successfully resuscitating a pulseless patient in cardiac arrest!
When he isn’t working, Andy enjoys reading, tabletop and role-player gaming, rucking, and powerlifting, and playing outside on his farm.
Andy says he enjoys working for UMD Dining Services because after over a quarter of a century in food service, primarily in restaurant settings, he has finally come to find a healthy work/life balance. He said he has found a degree of personal and professional happiness that he hasn’t experienced in many years. His short time at UMD has already given him a number of opportunities for professional development in an environment that fosters growth and is caring and supportive. “I wish I would have come to work at UMD a decade ago,” said Alander.
