“I have the utmost respect and adoration for Christa’s accomplishments on the Buffalo food scene. Her vision for coalescing the treasure trove of talented chefs, artisans, farmers and tastemakers into the story and heritage of Western New York is admirable. As a tireless ambassador, she helped elevate Buffalo to the national food conversation, and has engaged the James Beard Foundation in smart ways to share that story. I’ve been so thoroughly impressed in all my interactions with Christa. She brings an infectious passion, diligence, intelligence, and respectable grit to all her projects and collaborations.” — Izabela Wojcik, director of house programming, The James Beard Foundation
“Christa’s skill set and organizational talents are impressive. She mastered an entirely new field in short order. To say she is diligent, detail oriented, and persistent would be an understatement. I hope I have the chance to work with her again!” — Brian Sciera, senior vice president of leasing, WS Development
“Because of the deeply competitive nature of restaurants, chefs are not naturally collaborative. It takes a special person to unite their habitually insular world. Christa Glennie is just such a person, and is one of the most prolific community builders I’ve seen in action. I hate to think where WNY, and especially Buffalo, would be culinarily if not for her efforts. — Ivy Knight, journalist, New York Times, Food & Wine
“Christa is as gifted as they get. My respect for her shall remain boundless; I am smitten by her magic and the community she has created.” — Suvir Saran, awarded chef and author, Top Chef Masters
“Christa has literally helped put Buffalo’s food scene on the map. She has been the rare thought leader who also rolls up her sleeves and gets things done.” — Edward Healy, vice president of marketing, Visit Buffalo Niagara
“As senior editor and food writer for Buffalo Spree, Christa shaped and defined our food coverage with skill, intelligence, and—most of all—a bottomless well of industry knowledge. She left a mark on the magazine that, thankfully, remains. She also created a network between Western New York farms, restaurants, food purveyors, and diners that changed the local food scene forever and for the better. Her passion for raising the level of local food culture has inspired all who know her; it must also be said that she goes about that mission with disarming humility and an abiding respect for her colleagues and clients. Christa’s organizational skills are also a big reason why she’s able to accomplish as much as she has. I feel fortunate to have worked with her.” — Elizabeth Licata, editor-in-chief, Buffalo Spree magazine
“Today Buffalo gets on culinary destination shortlists, and Christa was instrumental in making that happen. Not by cooking, but by igniting community interest and giving the willing a stage. The weird thing is, she did it mostly because she thought it should be done, and put up with all the nonsense you get from trying to organize cooks. If you want someone who can bring management skills but also a heart, I recommend you seriously consider Christa Glennie.” — Andrew Galarneau, food editor, The Buffalo News
“Christa’s talents and abilities are too numerous to list, but her most impressive traits are the intangibles. She is a tenacious and dependable worker. Her knack for getting the most out of the people around her is truly amazing. Christa always has a plan and is very organized; she is also capable of motivating, inspiring, and mentoring both groups and individuals. She has been a leading force in the region’s service industry for a long time.” — Mike Andrzejewski; four-time James Beard semi-finalist, Best Chef Northeast
“I watched Christa’s vision for Nickel City Chef go from an idea to a highly successful series that sold out for a decade. Christa did everything from scratch, from creating the format, designing the logo, marketing the event, attracting sponsors and celebrity judges, and managing every challenge that can happen during a live cooking event.” — Kevin Telaak; president, Artisan Kitchens & Baths
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