Press Release

Richard Rosendale Receives Certified Executive Chef Certification from the American Culinary Federation

St. Augustine, Fla., April 1, 2008 - Richard Rosendale, of Westerville, Ohio, has earned the certified executive chef (CEC) designation from the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Rosendale is executive chef and owner of Rosendales in Columbus, Ohio, a member of ACF National Chapter and team captain of ACF Culinary National Team USA.

Rosendale, CEC, opened Rosendales, a modern American restaurant, in Columbus in March 2007. Rosendale was formerly top chef at the award-winning Tavern Room at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. He has competed in numerous national and international culinary competitions, amassing more than 35 medals.

Rosendale was honored as the U.S.A.'s Chef of the Year™ for 2005 at the ACF national convention, and was one of five chefs who represented the United States at the 2004 Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) in Erfurt, Germany. He graduated first in his class in an ACF apprenticeship program in 1997 at Westmoreland Community College in Youngwood, Pa. In addition, he is a certified professional ice carver. Rosendale and the ACF Culinary National Team USA will compete in the 2008 IKA, "culinary Olympics" in October.

ACF operates the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States and currently certifies nearly 9,000 professionals worldwide. Candidates for ACF certification must have a high level of work and educational experience, and pass both a written and practical examination. In addition, candidates must complete coursework in food safety, nutrition and supervisory management.

Certified chefs in restaurants, hotels and other foodservice operations demonstrate commitment to quality foodservice and must renew their certification(s) every five years. ACF has awarded more than 20,000 certifications since 1973 and is the only certifier of U.S. master chefs and master pastry chefs. For more information on certification, visit the ACF Web site at www.acfchefs.org.

ACF Culinary National Team USA is a top contender on the world culinary stage, placing fifth overall and winning two gold medals at the EXPOGAST 2006 Culinary World Cup international culinary competition in Luxembourg, November 2006. Additionally, the team took home two gold medals at the Salon Culinaire Mondial in Basel, Switzerland, in 2005, which is held every six years.

The team's history at IKA is long and distinguished. When Americans began competing as an official team in 1956, they were clearly the underdogs. However, American cookery soon established itself as world-class cuisine. The 1960 team captured the first world championship honor for the United States, and ACF Culinary Team USA repeated the distinction in 1980, 1984 and 1988 by taking the prestigious hot-food competition all three times and establishing a new world record for the most consecutive gold-medal wins. The team's most recent IKA win came in 2004, when the team took home the gold medal in hot-food cooking, reestablishing ACF Culinary National Team USA as the leader in international cooking.

Members of ACF Culinary National Team USA are: Edward Leonard, certified master chef (CMC), American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF Culinary National Team USA manager and executive chef at Westchester Country Club, Rye, N.Y.; Joachim Buchner, CMC, executive chef, Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase, Md.; Jamie Keating, certified chef de cuisine (CCC), chef/owner, Gourmet Events and the River Mill Event Center, Columbus, Ga.; Mellisa K. Root, pastry chef, Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, Las Vegas; Richard Rosendale, certified executive chef (CEC), ACF Culinary Team USA captain and chef/owner, Rosendales, Columbus, Ohio; and Daniel Scannell, CMC, executive chef, Carnegie Abbey Club, Portsmouth, R.I.

Sponsors of ACF Culinary Team USA are Kraft Foodservice, Tyson Food Service, Uncle Ben's, Unilever, Club Managers Association of America, KitchenAid, Chef Revival, Fortessa, Friedr. Dick, Westchester Country Club, and Blodgett.

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

• Richard Rosendale Receives Certified Executive Chef Certification from the American Culinary Federation