JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday. Meet Christie Maas, a Food 2.0 dining facility portfolio manager in the Air Force Services Center.
Maas, one of several 2.0 portfolio managers, oversees and provides direction and support to all Department of the Air Force 2.0 dining facilities across the enterprise.
“Our team is also instrumental in developing food and beverage concepts, programs, menu items and menus to support Air Force Food and Beverage operations,” she said.
We asked Maas, who is from Dallas, Texas, to tell us more about herself and the work she does for the DAF.
What do you love about your job?
Connecting with Airmen and helping and empowering them to become even more knowledgeable and confident in their daily duties.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
Success of an operation. Knowing the hard work dining facility teams put in, them leaning on me for guidance and seeing them succeed, that’s what keeps me motivated.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force and Space Force enterprise and your customers?
We provide direct oversight and guidance to installation-level Food 2.0 leaders. That oversight and guidance ensures our DFACs offer the best in service and menu items to support warfighters and all the guests who use our DFACs.
Describe a project or event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
There isn’t any one project that really comes to mind; however, I love when we go out to open a dining facility that was closed for a long time and see Airmen react to a 2.0 facility. Seeing them happy and grateful for the upgrade really feels good.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
The lethality and readiness of our Airmen and Guardians is significantly increased as a result of the extensive amount of healthy and nutritious menu items available to them in our Food 2.0 DFACs. The Food 2.0 staff, the AFSVC nutritionist, in addition to our contractor teammates Sodexo and Aramark, dedicate a great amount of thought and research into our menus to ensure we’re offering the healthiest possible meals that will benefit Airmen, Guardians and families. Additionally, the Food 2.0 program enhances the sense of community as anyone who has access to the installation is welcome to visit our DFAC and enjoy the wonderful service and menus offered.
Is there anything else you’d like to add which might help people understand the importance of what you do for the Department of the Air Force?
The entire Food 2.0 team and I take great pride in advising our operations during all phases; program implementation, initial opening training, grand opening and continual follow-on assistance once a DFAC is open and guests are enjoying the large variety of healthy, nutritious menu items available to them. Not only do our efforts have an impact at the installation level, but the entire Department of Defense as well with Food 2.0 now at 27 locations and more scheduled to open over the next several years.