Hall of Fame
Marilynn Louise Small
by Helen Hatton
Marilynn Louise Small has just retired from Kraft Kitchens after 35 years, 11 months - what a career! She studied at McGill University - Macdonald College, interned at Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Her first position lasting 3 years at St. Michael’s hospital entailed responsibility for 6000 meals daily. No wonder Marilynn promptly responded to an ad by General Foods, because she believed here she could bring a nutrition influence to the Canadian food industry. Radical thinking for 1970!
In 1976, Marilynn worked as a Product Manager and learned “Market Speak.” This experience led to the idea of a written recipe strategy to speak to clients in their own language. Credits to Marilynn and the Kitchens as Marketing now perceived them as business partners rather than home economists preparing tasty recipes.
Marilynn has had a long list of diverse responsibilities including food styling – still and TV, script writing for TV & radio, teaching, recipe and product development, responding to consumer letters, organizing educational symposia and training and development of staff.
Other accomplishments include participation on Metric Commission committees, cookbooks, influencing on-pack Diabetic Food Choice Values, organizing General Foods’ participation in Nutrition Month for 15 years, and spearheading the voluntary nutrition on many product packages. She has worked on every Kraft brand except Delissio Pizza.
Marilynn’s other passion is sailing. At the early age of 13 she and her father spent the summer renovating and sailing the Blue Nose Ferry. She was not just a passenger - she also wrote in the log book, learned and actually steered the Blue Nose while underway and earned her Quarter Master’s Papers!
Marilynn Small is one of the smartest and most accomplished people I’ve ever met. She’s fun and funny, completely unflappable, and just great to be around. We’re lucky to have her! Warmest congratulations to Marilynn Louise Small, our 2006 Hall of Fame member!
Condensed from Original