Team
The Spec Ingredients Team
Linda M. Kirchen
Spec Ingredients, CEO
Linda M. Kirchen formed Spec Ingredients in 2004 and serves as its President and CEO. She has over 40 years experience in the food industry in both commercial and retail operations. After starting “at the bottom” of a family baking business, she learned every job within the operation and rose to President and CEO of Barger Bakery, Inc., headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bakery’s customers included major corporations, food service companies and restaurants, with a retail operation at its main plant. After 47 years, the corporation became Barger Bakery East, with kiosks at shopping centers and store locations throughout the Greater Milwaukee area.
For eight years following the bakery business, Linda worked at Dawson Sales, headquartered in the Chicago and Oakbrook areas. She developed her expertise in the food ingredients market working with commercial customers in Illinois and other states. She formed Spec Ingredients in 2004 serving as a commercial ingredients broker, representing numerous principals across the country, and getting more and more involved in the field of natural and organic ingredients, which is the specialty area for Spec Ingredients.
Linda served as the President of the Milwaukee Bakers Association at the time of its 100-year anniversary and was the Vice President of the Wisconsin Bakers Association earlier in her career. She was a member of FEW (Female Executive Women) and of the International Food Technologists.
She received her college education in business and marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and from Prospect Hall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She holds an Associate degree from the Waukesha Technical College in production baking and took additional coursework at Marquette University.
Walter Sava, Ph.D.
Walter Sava joined the firm in 2008 as the Director of Food Service Markets, after thirty (30) years of senior level administrative experience in both the non-profit and private sectors. He served as Executive Director of several large non-profit organizations in southeastern Wisconsin, supporting programming and services to Hispanic communities in the areas of health and nutrition, education, cultural arts and community development from pre-school to older adults.
As the Executive Director of Centro de la Comunidad Unida/United Community Center and La Casa de Esperanza, he was successful in raising capital and operating funds for the agencies, developing and growing among other things, large food service and catering operations, including two full-service restaurants, Café el Sol and Café Esperanza.
For six years, Dr. Sava was the General Supervisor of Community Services with Wisconsin Electric Power Company, a position in which he developed and implemented programs and services to customers in communities throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
His many contacts in the Midwest, nationally and internationally have gained him access to many corporations, governmental agencies, research groups, universities, colleges and school districts. Throughout his career, Dr. Sava has served on many boards and committees devoted to the betterment of people and communities. He has been honored with the Thurgood Marshall Legacy Award, an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Carroll College, the Frye Award from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Hispanic Man of the Year award from UMOS and was named a Fellow of the prestigious Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters.
He received a Ph. D. from University of Wisconsin and a M.A. from University of North Texas and a B. A. from East Texas Baptist University.
Therese Schaefer
Administrative Assistant
Therese Schaefer has been with Spec Ingredients for over 4 years. Her specialties are customer service, order entry, trade shows, administration, and accounting. A Milwaukee native, she attended Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After several years as an Administrative Assistant for a local Alderman, Therese spent some time raising her children. She comes from a background where she was working for an aviation company for almost 38 years, making sure all FAA documents needed for recertification of Flight Instructor Certificates, was completed. She also assisted in the coordination of the actual seminar at which the Flight Instructors receive the updates required by the FAA every two years. The need for accuracy and attention to detail is critical and one of her strengths.