SAGA FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Bill Laughlin, Bill Scandlin & Harry Anderson (Founders)
Opportunity knocked on their door in 1948 when Hobart College decided to close their on-campus cafeteria after it lost money three years in a row. Now college seniors, the trio stepped in and convinced Hobart's President to let them take over the cafeteria's operations. With a clear understanding of what the students wanted, a simplified menu and free second helpings of food, they had a winning combination. This college experiment gave birth to Saga Corporation, the innovative food service company that insisted on excellence while setting a new standard of care for satisfied customers and employees. Within a few years it was time for Saga to expand. Hunk Anderson went to Oberlin, Ohio, Bill Laughlin went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Bill Scandling remained at Hobart.
While at Kalamazoo, Bill met and married Jayne DeWitt, and began family life along with her children Norm, Les and Marianna. In 1962 the three Saga founders decided to regroup to one corporate office and decided on Menlo Park, California. Ultimately, Saga grew to over 50,000 employees and 500 locations within the contract food service and restaurant industries. In 1978, after 30 years of running the Corporation, the three founders retired from active management. Willie Locke, as he was known to many in the Saga family, moved his office to Leland Stanford's old hunting lodge in Woodside, where he continued to pursue his business and philanthropic ideas for a better world. This included keeping the Saga family connected with yearly Christmas parties and in the summer, an occasional wild west hoedown for alumni and their extended families.
Bill Laughlin was a change agent. He never boasted or took much time celebrating his many successes, but rather focused on ways the outcome could be better. During his lifetime, he sat on over 40 Boards of Directors and was a consultant to world leaders. He used his success in business running SAGA Foods as a springboard to make the world a better place through caring. He was as comfortable talking with world leaders as he was in the kitchen visiting with the dishwasher. READ MORE
Director and President of SAGA Foundation since 2006, Mr. Bartoshuk has over 40 years of business and philanthropic experience. Originally from Michigan, the entrepreneur and real estate broker has lived in the SF Bay Area since 1978. David has served on several nonprofit boards and is the founder of Summit Asset Management Corporation. He lives in Redwood City, CA with his wife Barb. They have two children, Megan and Nathan, and a dog named Tucker.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- SAGA Director
Julie has been a SAGA Director since 2006 and currently Vice President of SAGA Foundation. Ms. Johnson worked with our founder for over 40 years. Over the years, she worked with him on community philanthropy and his global peace efforts. Julie currently resides in Bakersfield, California, where she enjoys golf and frequent visits her two daughters, Jill and Sarah, and their families.
Before joining SAGA's Grantor Committee, Sherie held Executive Human Resources positions at Dolby Laboratories, Hewlett-Packard, and Apple Computer. Her BA in psychology is from San Jose State University, and her MBA is from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She lives in Menlo Park and has two children Mark and Jennifer, and two granddaughters Vivien and Josephine.
Wilbur Price Laughlin was born to Helen McDermott Laughlin and Paul Laughlin in Manhattan, New York on March 4, 1925. As a 4 year old, his world turned upside down when his family lost everything in the stock market crash. After his parents divorced, little "Willie" and his mom moved to Mamaroneck, NY, where they lived in a boarding house with six other divorced women. Willie's mother took work as a seamstress and Willie eventually got a job delivering papers in the neighborhood. This is when Willie's entrepreneurial spirit first took flight. Figuring he could expand his paper route by hiring additional boys to work for him, he then focused on extraordinary customer service to the wealthiest families in the area. Willie not only expanded his territory, he also sent his profits soaring. When his income had surpassed that of his supervisor, he was promptly fired.