Dining chief out since Oct.

University officials confirmed the reported departure of the former head of Campus Dining Services Peg Lacey yesterday.

Vice President for Business Services Lee Nunery said that the former dining services managing director left the University on Oct. 31.

Structural changes in Campus Dining Services since Philadelphia-based food service management company Aramark took over Penn's dining this summer led to the elimination of Lacey's executive director position.

The role was replaced by a contract/relationship manager position, now filled by former Telecommunications Director Laurie Cousart.

"We don't need that position anymore with the Aramark partnership in place," said University President Judith Rodin, who also confirmed that Lacey is no longer a University employee.

Rodin said that Aramark has a "broader area of expertise," so the company made structural changes, including the elimination of four senior management positions and the creation of the new contract/relationship manager position.

"This is a different role altogether," Nunery said. "It's a different slant."

Although Nunery would not confirm specifics about Lacey's departure, he did say that two other former dining services employees departed voluntarily.

Cousart, who worked for nearly 15 years in Penn's telecommunications department, assumed her role as contract/relationship manager the week before last.

"Right now, I'm working on a part-time basis," she said, noting that she will start working full-time as head of campus dining in mid-December.

Cousart left the University in late February after telecommunications -- which is in charge of campus phone services -- merged with Penn Information Systems and Computing and broke away from Business Services.

"I was ready to do something new," Cousart said.

As telecommunications director and director of campus card services, Cousart was instrumental in creating the PennCard in its current form -- a plastic, computerized debit card with a its own ID number instead of a social security number.

"A number of people were interested in the position of contract/relationship manager," Nunery said. Cousart "has a great view from her work in telecommunications about the relationship between students and administration."

"It looked like an interesting opportunity," Cousart said. "And it was great to be back at Penn."

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