Press Release

John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, AAC, Receives Champion Award from Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau

St. Augustine, Fla., April 1, 2008 - John Kinsella, certified master chef (CMC), certified culinary educator (CCE), American Academy of Chefs (AAC), president of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and senior chef-instructor at Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State in Cincinnati, received the Champion Award from the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau at their annual meeting, February 27 at Duke Energy Center, Cincinnati.

The Champion Award recognized Kinsella for his work with the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau and involvement securing conventions in Cincinnati. One upcoming event, the ACF's Northeast Regional Conference, will draw 500 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to Cincinnati, April 5-7.

Kinsella is a leader not only through ACF, but also in his hometown of Cincinnati, where he was voted culinary educator par excellence by the readers of Cincinnati Magazine. Kinsella has been a member of ACF, the premier professional organization for culinarians in America, since 1975. In 2005, he was elected as the federation's president.

His roles within the foodservice industry have included: president, ACF Greater Cincinnati Chapter; team manager, Bahamian National Culinary Team, 2000-2004; manager, Team Midwest, Culinary Olympics, 2000; Cincinnati's Chef of the Year, 1988, 2000; recipient of Her Majesty's Armed Forces Combined Services medal for services to the culinary profession, 2001; and member of the Les Amis d'Escoffier Society of Chicago Disciples of Escoffier, a world-renowned chefs organization, 2008.

"Cincinnati has been a major part of my life, both as a culinarian and a resident," said Kinsella. "It is my pleasure to help attract culinary professionals to this vibrant city."

Established in 1945 to promote the Greater Cincinnati area as a convention and leisure destination, the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is supported by nearly 500 businesses that invest in the efforts of the Bureau and help make Cincinnati USA an appealing destination by offering their services, attractions and facilities to visitors, meeting planners and convention delegates.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With 20,000 members spanning more than 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and also holds the presidium for the World Association of Chefs Societies, the largest international network of chef associations with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.

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High resolution photo available by calling Patricia Carroll at (800) 624-9458, ext. 147.

Contact: Patricia Carroll
Communications Director
(800) 624-9458, ext. 147
pcarroll@acfchefs.net

• John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, AAC, Receives Champion Award from Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau