The new Education Director for NACS CAFÉ, Caldarola has been involved with the hospitality industry for 40 years.  Her experience in the restaurant/foodservice segment includes training, R&D, management and senior operations assignments with ARAMark, Pizza Hut, Inc., Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants, Duff’s Famous Smorgasbord, Friendly Ice Cream, and AFC Enterprises – Chesapeake Bagel Bakery and Church’s Chicken. 

She gained retail and entertainment experiences as a senior operations manager and as regional sales and marketing director with Thorn EMI’s Rent-A-Center and RAC Entertainment divisions.  Her non-profit experiences were in the role of the Hospitality Education Foundation of Georgia Executive Director, and Education Director for the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association.

Caldarola is active in the Women’s Foodservice Forum, serves as a member of several industry committees at the National Restaurant Association Solutions group, serves on the Culinary Program Advisory Committee for the Art Institute of Atlanta and represents the NRA and GRA on the State of Georgia Environmental Health Foodservice Regulations Industry Advisory Work Group. She is a past lecturer at the University of Georgia, Department of Foods and Nutrition and currently teaches International Business, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership & Ethics at American Intercontinental University-Atlanta. 

She holds a PhD in Business Admionistration, an MA in Human Resources Development and an MBA. She is a Registered Dietitian, is a certified food safety instructor, and is a certified Myers-Briggs consultant.