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Meet Your Neighbor: Kevin Dimond
By Callie Thomas
When using words like honor, integrity and tenacity to describe 89012 resident Kevin Dimond, you would think we, or rather he, lived in another century. A bygone era as it were, from today’s fast-paced, “get it quick by whatever means possible” society. But that simply isn’t so. In fact, Kevin Dimond infuses a level of hospitality, ethics and class into our community today and every day, all the while mentoring others to do the same.
As General Manager of Aureole Restaurant at Mandalay Resort, part of the Charlie Palmer Group of dining outlets, Dimond utilizes his extensive hospitality and culinary skills which he gained at a very young age. “I come from a hospitality and hotel family, so I grew up with conversations about the industry across my dinner table every night,” he said. “I originally trained as a chef and learned the basics of the restaurant business. I went on [LR1] to the Culinary Institute of America, and later worked for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for 14 years. traveling around the world with the organization.”
Even with all the constant moving, Dimond was engrained with the Ritz-Carlton’s legendary service philosophy and their unwavering commitment to service in their communities. When Kevin arrived in Las Vegas in 2003 and was introduced to the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, it was as natural as breathing for him to become involved with the group. “It is a great organization whose primary mission is to provide college scholarships for local area high school graduates that might not otherwise have the means to go to higher education,” Dimond said. This past fall, he was named executive board president. In his role, he will continue the group’s mission by establishing college scholarships for local students seeking a career in the hospitality and culinary industries.
The Epicurean Charitable Foundation (ECF) was formed in 2001. It is comprised [LR2] of more than 40 top food and beverage executives who are dedicated to making a difference in the hospitality industry and the community through support of the local education system and related industry organizations, charities and associations.
For Dimond, the experiences he’s gained from his work with the Epicurean Charitable Foundation have been rich and rewarding on a variety of levels. Foremost are the opportunities to meet and work with other industry leaders in the community. “I really respect the members of our board and value the assistance I get from them. I work with Adam Odegard in Mandalay Bay, who’s also an ECF member, and when I visit him on issues of the foundation, he always has time and meaningful advice for me.”
Dimond also enjoys his involvement with the generous donors and other community organizations that have incorporated ECF into the network of causes that help to make the community stronger. But perhaps what remains paramount is the relationship that the foundation has with its scholarship recipients. “We not only provide college scholarships for 100% of the student’s tuition, but we also provide them with a member of our board as a mentor. We believe that this scholar/mentor relationship is an invaluable tool in making a real difference in our community and industry,” he said.
While Kevin has much to be proud of throughout his career and in giving back to the community, which includes acting with care, compassion, diversity and integrity, and building relationships that transcend the test of time, he is especially proud of his family, which includes his wife Kirsten and their three sons Paul, Clayton and Devin. [LR3] “Although I have seen and done many things, I have never felt more accomplished than when my son graduated from UNR, when I was coaching my son’s baseball team, playing with my youngest son and when my wife gives me a new tie.”
