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Chefs and Students Honored with 2013 ACF Southeast Region Awards

St. Augustine, Fla., March 5, 2013—The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., the largest association of professional culinarians in North America, held its 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, Ky., March 1-4. More than 25 chefs, students and chapters were honored at the conference. Many of these award winners will compete against their regional counterparts at the 2013 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas, July 21-25.
The 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Kentucky Chapter, brought hundreds of chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to Louisville. The conference provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through business seminars, cooking demonstrations featuring the latest trends and techniques, cooking competitions and awards.
At the conference, the ACF’s Chef & Child Foundation, in partnership with Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressings & dips, awarded $10,000 to ACF North Carolina Chapter, winner of the ACF Southeast Region $10K Challenge, for the significant impact chapter members made in their local communities by hosting Lunch Break for Kids fundraisers and outreach events for Childhood Nutrition Day. In addition, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF’s honor society, gave a $1,000 grant to the ACF Southeast Region Student Team Regional Champion, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, N.C., to assist the team with expenses to travel to the national competition in July.
ACF Southeast Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
JohnMichael Lynch, chef de cuisine, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.
ACF Southeast Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá® European-Style Butter
Geoffrey Blount, CEPC, baking and pastry arts program chair, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
ACF Southeast Region Chef Educator of the Year
Leslie Eckert, CWPC, CCE, culinary chef-instructor, The Art Institute of Tampa, Tampa, Fla.; ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc.
ACF Southeast Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award
Klaus Friedenreich, CMC, AAC, chef-instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Orlando, Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter
ACF Southeast Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S®
Christopher McCook, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Athens Country Club, Athens, Ga.; Classic City Chefs & Cooks Association
ACF Southeast Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
Kendall Knies, student, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.; ACF Kentucky Chapter
ACF Southeast Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers
Students from Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, N.C.; coached by Michele Prairie and Patrick Sanecki
ACF Southeast Region Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
Students at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter: coached by Eric Backer, CEC
ACF Southeast Region Flavors of the Mediterranean–A Minute® Rice Competition, Sponsored by Riviana® Foods
Clyde J. Christmas, executive chef, Durham, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
The 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding contributions and goodwill.
ACF Southeast Region Chapter of the Year
ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc., Tampa, Fla.
ACF Southeast Region Chapter Achievement Award
ACF Central Florida Chapter, Orlando, Fla.
ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc., Atlanta
ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter, Roanoke, Va.
ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc., Tampa, Fla.
Classic City Chefs & Cooks Association, Watkinsville, Ga.
ACF Southeast Region Cutting Edge Awards
Beverly Allman, retired, Vinton, Va.; ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter
Anthony Gates, executive chef, Spring Island, Okatie, S.C.; ACF Chefs of the Low Country
Eric Karell, CEC, AAC, executive chef, St. Ives Country Club, Duluth, Ga.; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.
ACF Southeast Region ACF President’s Medallions
Josef Jungwirth, CEC, CCA, director of culinary services, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Miami; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.
Jeffrey A. Rotz, CEC, CCE, AAC, consultant/educator, Chefs Helping Chefs, LLC, Eustis, Fla.; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.
Dennie Streeter Veasey, CEC, CCE, private chef, Winston-Salem, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
James J. Zeisler, Sr., CEC, CCA, program head of culinary arts, Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke, Va.; ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter
ACF Southeast Region American Academy of Chefs Southeast Region Service Award
Jeffrey A. Rotz, CEC, CCE, AAC, consultant/educator, Chefs Helping Chefs, LLC, Eustis, Fla.; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.
ACF Southeast Region $10K Challenge
ACF North Carolina Chapter
National and regional sponsors of the 2013 ACF events series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Roland Food Corp.; American Technical Publishers; The Beef Checkoff; Campbell Soup Company; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Central Region State Beef Councils; Clemens Food Group; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab®; Gordon Food Service®; Idaho® Potato Commission; Idaho Preferred®; Johnson & Wales University; JTM Food Group; Kentucky Beef Council; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; McCormick For Chefs; MINOR’S®; Mississippi Beef Council; Mississippi Seafood Marketing; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; North Carolina Beef Council; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; PreGel AMERICA; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; RC Fine Foods; Riviana® Foods; S&D Coffee; Sysco®; Tennessee Beef Industry Council; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; Victorinox Swiss Army; Virginia Beef Industry Council; Vitamix® Corporation; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef® and Certified Executive Pasty Chef® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.
To arrange interviews or for high-resolution photos, contact Jessica Ward at jward@acfchefs.net or 904-484-0213, or Patricia Carroll at 904-484-0247 or pcarroll@acfchefs.net.
St. Augustine, Fla., March 5, 2013— The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., the largest association of professional culinarians in North America, held its 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, Ky., March 1-4. More than 25 chefs, students and chapters were honored at the conference. Many of these award winners will compete against their regional counterparts at the 2013 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas, July 21-25.

The 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Kentucky Chapter, brought hundreds of chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to Louisville. The conference provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through business seminars, cooking demonstrations featuring the latest trends and techniques, cooking competitions and awards.

At the conference, the ACF’s Chef & Child Foundation, in partnership with Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressings & dips, awarded $10,000 to ACF North Carolina Chapter, winner of the ACF Southeast Region $10K Challenge, for the significant impact chapter members made in their local communities by hosting Lunch Break for Kids fundraisers and outreach events for Childhood Nutrition Day. In addition, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF’s honor society, gave a $1,000 grant to the ACF Southeast Region Student Team Regional Champion, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, N.C., to assist the team with expenses to travel to the national competition in July.


ACF Southeast Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food SolutionsJohnMichael Lynch, chef de cuisine, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.

ACF Southeast Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá® European-Style ButterGeoffrey Blount, CEPC, baking and pastry arts program chair, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
ACF Southeast Region Chef Educator of the Year
Leslie Eckert, CWPC, CCE, culinary chef-instructor, The Art Institute of Tampa, Tampa, Fla.; ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc.

ACF Southeast Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement AwardKlaus Friedenreich, CMC, AAC, chef-instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Orlando, Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter

ACF Southeast Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S®Christopher McCook, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Athens Country Club, Athens, Ga.; Classic City Chefs & Cooks Association

ACF Southeast Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.Kendall Knies, student, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.; ACF Kentucky Chapter

ACF Southeast Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical PublishersStudents from Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, N.C.; coached by Michele Prairie and Patrick Sanecki

ACF Southeast Region Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.Students at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter: coached by Eric Backer, CEC

ACF Southeast Region Flavors of the Mediterranean–A Minute® Rice Competition, Sponsored by Riviana® FoodsClyde J. Christmas, executive chef, Durham, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter


The 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding contributions and goodwill.

ACF Southeast Region Chapter of the YearACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc., Tampa, Fla.

ACF Southeast Region Chapter Achievement AwardACF Central Florida Chapter, Orlando, Fla.
ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc., Atlanta
ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter, Roanoke, Va.
ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association Inc., Tampa, Fla.
Classic City Chefs & Cooks Association, Watkinsville, Ga.

ACF Southeast Region Cutting Edge AwardsBeverly Allman, retired, Vinton, Va.; ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter
Anthony Gates, executive chef, Spring Island, Okatie, S.C.; ACF Chefs of the Low Country
Eric Karell, CEC, AAC, executive chef, St. Ives Country Club, Duluth, Ga.; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.

ACF Southeast Region ACF President’s MedallionsJosef Jungwirth, CEC, CCA, director of culinary services, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Miami; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.
Jeffrey A. Rotz, CEC, CCE, AAC, consultant/educator, Chefs Helping Chefs, LLC, Eustis, Fla.; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.
Dennie Streeter Veasey, CEC, CCE, private chef, Winston-Salem, N.C.; ACF North Carolina Chapter
James J. Zeisler, Sr., CEC, CCA, program head of culinary arts, Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke, Va.; ACF Southwestern Virginia Chapter

ACF Southeast Region American Academy of Chefs Southeast Region Service AwardJeffrey A. Rotz, CEC, CCE, AAC, consultant/educator, Chefs Helping Chefs, LLC, Eustis, Fla.; ACF Gulf to Lakes Chefs & Cooks Association, Inc.

ACF Southeast Region $10K ChallengeACF North Carolina Chapter


National and regional sponsors of the 2013 ACF events series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Roland Food Corp.; American Technical Publishers; The Beef Checkoff; Campbell Soup Company; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Central Region State Beef Councils; Clemens Food Group; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab®; Gordon Food Service®; Idaho® Potato Commission; Idaho Preferred®; Johnson & Wales University; JTM Food Group; Kentucky Beef Council; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; McCormick For Chefs; MINOR’S®; Mississippi Beef Council; Mississippi Seafood Marketing; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; North Carolina Beef Council; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; PreGel AMERICA; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; RC Fine Foods; Riviana® Foods; S&D Coffee; Sysco®; Tennessee Beef Industry Council; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; Victorinox Swiss Army; Virginia Beef Industry Council; Vitamix® Corporation; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.


About the American Culinary FederationThe American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef® and Certified Executive Pasty Chef® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

To arrange interviews or for high-resolution photos, contact Jessica Ward at jward@acfchefs.net or 904-484-0213, or Patricia Carroll at 904-484-0247 or pcarroll@acfchefs.net.

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