Swartzendruber-Landis joins AMBS as Caterer in Residence
Published: August 28, 2025
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — Tara Swartzendruber-Landis, BA, of Goshen, Indiana, began Aug. 4, 2025, as Caterer in Residence for Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana.
In her new role, Swartzendruber-Landis serves as the primary point person for all dining events at AMBS. Her responsibilities include preparing food, overseeing kitchen volunteers and student workers, maintaining compliance with Health Department codes, keeping track of inventory, and working with individuals and groups requesting catering.
“We’re excited to have Tara join the AMBS community, and we appreciate her willingness to dive right in, providing meals and hospitality to start our new academic year,” said Deanna Risser, MBA, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer. “Her past experience makes her well suited to this role, and we look forward to experiencing her creativity with fresh, local food.”
Swartzendruber-Landis brings extensive experience in food service and management and strong administrative skills to her new role. From 2017 to 2025, she served as Food Service Director/Farm-to-School Coordinator for Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen, developing a food program with an emphasis on natural, locally grown, nutritious food. At Bethany, she received and led the implementation of a grant from the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program of the United States Department of Agriculture; her work on the project was featured in Elkhart County media outlets, the Indiana Department of Education newsletter and the national School Nutrition Association newsletter. She also created and taught a curriculum for students in grades K–12 on subjects such as nutrition, healthy food choices, local food, food culture and culinary skills.
From 2012 to 2017, Swartzendruber-Landis was Recipe Editor and Food Stylist for Edible Michiana in Goshen, a quarterly local food magazine focused on southern Michigan and northern Indiana. She also provided food styling services for two MennoMedia cookbook projects.
From 2006 to 2011, she served as Program Director of the Nationalities Senior Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, overseeing a program focusing on the socialization and social service needs of older adult immigrants and refugees. As part of her work, she provided oversight for a Congregate Meal Program, which used produce from a community garden that she established there. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized the community garden as an example of positive brownfield reclamation and a model for accessible gardening for older adults.
Swartzendruber-Landis has a Bachelor of Arts in Religion/Bible from Goshen College.
Located in Elkhart, Indiana, on ancestral land of the Potawatomi and Miami peoples, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs — all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world. ambs.edu
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