A native of St. Louis, Walter "Haze" Dennis came to the Bay Area in 1992 and settled in the Silicon Valley in 1995.
His food service experience dates back to the tender age of 12 when he worked on the Mississippi River in a very busy tourist snack bar restaurant. He has been working formally in the industry since 1987. He has been at Mission College since 1996 and has served as the Department Chair in Hospitality Management since 1998.
"This industry has been wonderful to me and so by aiding in ushering in the next generation of industry leaders, I feel I am doing what I was meant to do."
While at Mission College he steered the multi-million dollar renovation of the dedicated Hospitality Management building and the recent addition of the 30-foot fully equipped food trailer with a full array of cooking options
His most valuable work experience comes from four years in correctional food service management. "I learned a great deal professionally, but more important were the social lessons learned."
Additionally, Haze spent six years as a dining services manager and as the assistant general manager of concessions at Stanford University Dining Services, now Housing and Dining Enterprises. Haze was in on the ground level as Stanford Dining Services took over the concession operations for all athletic venues on the Stanford campus. Fall 2013 began Haze's tenure as a lecturer at Cal State East Bay's Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism department. "The students at CSUEB are amazing and committed. I am extremley proud to be a member of this award winning hospitality program, and can proclaim that the future of this industry is in great hands."
He earned his AS in Hospitality from St. Louis University in 1989, BS in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from UNLV in 1992, and an MS from Cal State East Bay in 2013. Haze is an avid traveler and has been a life-long comic book collector.
His advice for students is, "Just as the coursework may snowball on YOU if you get behind, it is the same for me with grading all your work. My solution to this would be for me to do a little bit each day and designate time each week to tend to your group. For YOU all, I would suggest the same and that you get and remain organized."