From start to finish, the conference was nonstop for the more than 400 attendees. Central Region Vice President David Russell, CEC, AAC, offered his usual combination of humor and ACF business during season 5 of “Cooking Today” at General Session, and motivational speaker Charles Marshall wove the Taste Success conference theme into his inspirational message, “Shattering the Glass Slipper.” Guest chef Duke LoCicero of Café Giovanni in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter shared his insight on the recovery of the Big Easy, where the 2011 Central Regional Conference will be held.
A sincere thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors, whose support was instrumental to our success, and to the AAC for donating $1,000 to the ACF Central Region Student Team winner to assist with national convention travel expenses. Congratulations to all the award recipients and competitors.
Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions
J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
Pastry Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Splenda®
Nguyet Nguyen, pastry cook, The Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
Chef Educator of the Year
Timothy Meyers, CCC, CCE, chef-instructor, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
Student Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
Brett Jacobs, apprentice, Elcona Country Club, Bristol, Ind.; ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association
Chef Professionalism Award, Sponsored by Minor’s®
John Reed, CEC, CCA, owner, Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award
Gregory Wozniak, CEC, AAC, retired, Milwaukee; ACF Chefs of Milwaukee Inc.
Student Team Regional Championship, Sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
ACF Louis Joliet Chapter, Joliet Junior College: James Bingham; Matthew Cappellini, CC; Lindsey Cizewski; Molly Meehan; Lauren Mulvey; and coaches Kyle Richardson, CEC, CCE, AAC; and Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE
Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, Sponsored by American Technical Publishers
Kendall College, ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.: Allison L. Chikos; Erika Giffin; Sarah Roberts; Jacqueline Wallner; Edward E. Whitney; and coach Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE
ACF Central Region Chapter of the Year
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
ACF Central Region Chapter Achievement Awards
ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
ACF Louis Joliet Chapter
ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
ACF of Iowa
ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association
ACF Central Region President’s Medallions
Charles Duit, CEC, AAC, food service director, Buckner Retirement Services-Calder Woods, Beaumont, Texas; Texas Chefs Association
Jim Lund, CEC, ACE, executive chef, Rational USA, Montrose, Minn.; ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
Paul Santaularia, CEC, CCE, culinary-arts instructor, Northland Career Center, Platte City, Mo.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
Charles “Eddie” Wilson, executive chef, Clabber Girl Corporation, Terre Haute, Ind.; ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter
Cutting Edge Awards
Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director, Texas Chefs Association, Dallas chapter, Hurst, Texas; Texas Chefs Association
Luis Fernando Mojica, student, Elgin Community College, Elgin, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, executive sous chef, Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, East Lansing, Mich.; ACF Capital Professional Chefs & Cooks Association of Greater Lansing
Lindy Robinson, dean, business division, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
Rene Roncari Senior Chef Humanitarian Award
Bernard Urban, CEC, AAC, chef-ambassador, Ben E. Keith Co., Conroe, Texas; Texas Chefs Association
One-Pot Win A Lot, Sponsored by Riviana
Robert Stricklin, CEC, AAC, executive chef, College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo.; ACF Springfield/Branson Chefs Association
Make-It-Mini Dessert Trio, Sponsored by MARS Foodservice
Jennifer Kelm, apprentice, Lake Quivira Country Club, Shawnee Mission, Kan.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
