City Tech alumna Brown to be honored

Diane Harris Brown, director of educational and community programming for the James Beard Foundation (JBF), will be awarded the distinguished alumna and outstanding industry professional awards by New York City College of Technology's hospitality management department.

Diane Harris Brown (photo courtesy of Andy Ryan)

Brown, a 1982 graduate of City Tech, will receive the award at the hospitality management department's reception for the June 2009 graduating class, to be held May 11. While attending City Tech, Brown, along with some classmates, started a community service initiative to feed the hungry on Christmas, a program that is still available to City Tech hospitality management students in collaboration with Christian Help in Park Slope.

At JBF, Brown administers scholarship money to institutions offering culinary studies and manages JBF's monthly literary series, "Beard on Books." She also serves on the board of directors for Spoons Across America, a nonprofit organization that teaches about the benefits of healthy eating.