College Announces New Director of Dining Services

After a months-long search process, the college will welcome Bill Connor, a 20-year veteran of the professional food service world, as the new director of dining services, effective March 29. The role has been vacant since former director Joe Flueckiger’s departure in the fall of 2023.

Connor comes to the college following stints directing dining programs at Johns Hopkins University and, since 2020, Westfield State University, which as of 2024 is ranked the sixth-best dining program in Massachusetts by Niche, which awarded the school a B+ rating. In contrast, Amherst, which was not among the colleges given a numerical ranking, has a C rating for its dietary offerings.

“Bill believes that college dining is one of the most fundamentally unique aspects of higher education,” said Ralph Johnson, Executive Director of Campus Operations. Johnson further noted Connor’s dedication to approaching college dining from a holistic perspective by recognizing its multifaceted role and the possibilities it offers for creating community on campus. “[Connor] intends to embed these priorities into his work at Amherst,” Johnson said.