AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION FOUNDATION
PRESS RELEASE

Award Winners Announced at 2007 ACF Western Regional Conference

More than 400 Chefs and Cooks Attended ACF's Conference in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., April 18, 2007 -The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., the largest association of professional culinarians in North America, honored its members and chapters at the 2007 ACF Western Regional Conference held at the Coeur d'Alene Golf and Resort Spa, April 15-17, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

The 2007 ACF Western Regional Conference award recipients listed below will compete for the national title against their winning regional counterparts at the 2007 ACF National Convention in Orlando, July 21-24.

ACF Pastry Chef of the Year sponsored by Splenda®
Loan Co; pastry chef/bakery supervisor, San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco; ACF San Francisco Chapter

ACF Chef Educator of the Year
Jerald Chesser, CEC, CCE, AAC; professor, The Collins School of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.; ACF Southern California Inland Empire Chefs & Cooks Association

ACF Hermann G. Rusch Chef's Achievement Award
Bill Sy, CEC, AAC; academic advisor, Culinary Arts, The Art Institute of Phoenix
Phoenix; ACF Chefs Association of Greater Phoenix

ACF Chef Professionalism Award sponsored by Nestlé FoodServices
David Goodwin, CEC, CCA, AAC; executive chef, Carson Valley Inn, Minden, Nev.; ACF High Sierra Chefs Association

ACF Student Culinarian of the Year sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
Carol Chandler, CC; student, University of Montana, College of Technology, Missoula, Mont.; ACF Montana Chefs Association

Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl
ACF Washington State Chefs Association; Skagit Valley College, Culinary Arts; Alexandra Cantu; Breanne Davies; Taylor-James French; Christine Greenlaw; Brittany Rathburn; Dani A. Cox, CCC, CWPC, CCE, coach

ACF Student Team Regional Championship sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
California; ACF Orange Empire Chefs & Professional Cooks Association; Orange Coast College; Brodie Curtis; Marissa Gerlach; Conrad Malaya; Suzanne Nottage; Brent Omeste; Jeremy Peters, coach

The 2007 ACF Western Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding abilities, contributions and goodwill.

ACF Chapter of the Year
ACF Colorado Chefs Association

ACF Chapter Achievement Award
ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of California
ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon
ACF Colorado Chefs Association

ACF Chef & Child Little Oscar Award
ACF Southern Oregon Chapter, Medford, Ore.

ACF President's Medallions
Peter Aiello, CEC, CEPC; owner/caterer, Alpine Chef Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.; ACF Pikes Peak Chapter Inc.
Jill Bosich, CEC, CCE, AAC; executive chef/energy programs advisor, Southern California Gas Company, Downey, Calif., ACF Orange Empire Chefs & Professional Cooks Association
Janet Crager, CEC; executive chef, Country Side Village, Grants Pass, Ore.; ACF Southern Oregon Chapter
Giovanni Delrosario; director of culinary arts, Los Angeles Harbor College, Wilmington, Calif.; ACF National Chapter
David Goodwin; CEC, CCA, AAC; executive chef, Carson Valley Inn, Minden, Nev.; ACF High Sierra Chefs Association
Leslie Hall, CSCE; educator, Medford School District 549C, Medford, Ore.; ACF Southern Oregon Chapter
Rod Jessick; executive chef, Coeur d'Alene Golf and Resort Spa, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
Patricia Curfman, CEC, AAC; executive chef, Patti Cakes Inc., Stayton, Ore.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon
Scott LaCrosse; executive chef, Radisson Sacramento, Sacramento, Calif.; ACF California Capital Chefs Association
Robert O'Brien; executive chef, Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nev.; ACF Chefs of Las Vegas
Sir Roy Joseph Salazar, CEC, CCE; chef instructor, California Culinary Academy, San Francisco; ACF San Francisco Chapter

The Flat Iron Chefs Challenge sponsored by the Beef Producers of Idaho, Montana and Washington
Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, AAC; food and beverage manager, Space Needle, Seattle, Wash.; ACF Chefs of Las Vegas

Chosen for its breathtaking beauty and attractions, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho was the location of the ACF Western Regional Conference, hosted by the ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest, bringing an estimated 400 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to the city.

The conference provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative business seminars, forums, clinics and cutting-edge demonstrations. In addition, the conference offered participants the opportunity to learn about the latest cooking trends and techniques.

Sponsors of the 2007 ACF Western Regional Conference included: American Lamb Board; Beef Producers of Idaho; Boyd Coffee Company; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Inc.; Contessa Premium Foods, Inc.; Food Services of America; GFF, Inc./Girard's Dressings; Guittard Chocolate Company; Idaho Preferred; J. R. Simplot Company; SYSCO Food Services, Inc.; UNCLE BEN'S INFUSED Rice; and The Vollrath Co., LLC. National partners included: Custom Culinary, Inc.; Nestlé FoodServices; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Splenda®; Tyson Foods, Inc.; and Unilever Foodsolutions. Demo/seminar sponsors included: Basic American Foods; Mind's Eye Resource Management, LLC; Nestlé FoodServices; Thomson Delmar Learning; and Washington State Potato Commission. Chef Designs is the ACF event merchandise preferred provider.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With more than 19,000 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 only 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 8 million members globally. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.

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PHOTOS CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING PATRICIA CARROLL AT pcarroll@acfchefs.net OR BY CALLING (800) 624-9458 EXTENSION 147.