2010 ACF Central Regional Conference

The 2010 ACF Central Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter, took place in the auto-racing capital of the world, Indianapolis, March 26–28. Terms known widely by locals and race fans alike took on new meanings during the conference. An apron no longer meant a paved portion of a racetrack separating the racing surface from the infield, and a bite was no longer the term used to describe the turning or adjusting of a car’s jacking screws at each wheel.

From start to finish, the conference was nonstop for the more than 400 attendees, with numerous professional-development and networking opportunities, from the sold-out American Academy of Chefs dinner at Meridian Country Club to the trade show with more than 50 exhibitors. 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, which tied perfectly into the announcement of the 2011 Central Regional Conference destination, LoCicero’s hometown of New Orleans. View the photos.

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 travel expenses to the national convention. Congratulations to all the award recipients and honorees for their outstanding contributions and goodwill, and to all the competitors for a job well done.

Chef of the Year | Pastry Chef of the Year | Chef Educator of the Year | Student Chef of the Year | Chef Professionalism Award | Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award | ACF Student Team Regional Championship | Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl | Chapter of the Year | Chapter Achievement Awards | President’s Medallions | Cutting Edge Awards | Rene Roncari Senior Chef Humanitarian Award | One-Pot Win A Lot | Make-It-Mini Dessert Trio

Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions

ACF Central Region Chef of the Year Award Winner

J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC
Executive Chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis
Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Competitors

Alex Darvishi, CEC, AAC
Executive Chef, Houston Country Club, Houston
ACF Professional Chefs Association of Houston

Randall Emert, CEC, CCA
Executive Chef, Great Oaks Country Club, Rochester, Mich.
ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC
Executive Chef, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago
ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

Pastry Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Splenda®

ACF Central Region Pastry Chef of the Year Award Winner

Nguyet Nguyen
Pastry Cook, The Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Competitors

Gary Hjellming
Pastry Chef, Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center, Chaska, Minn.
ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter

Jimmy MacMillan
Executive Pastry Chef, University Club of Chicago, Chicago

Chef Educator of the Year

ACF Central Region Chef Educator of the Year Winner

Timothy Meyers, CCC, CCE
Chef-Instructor, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

Competitors

Paul Santaularia, CEC, CCE
Instructor–Culinary Arts, Northland Career Center, Platte City, Mo.
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Kurt Struwe, CEC, CCE
Chef-Instructor, Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall, Minn.
ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter

Student Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.

ACF Central Region Student Chef of the Year Award Winner

Brett Jacobs
Apprentice, Elcona Country Club, Bristol, Ind.
ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association

Competitors

Jeremy Brown
Apprentice, The Gatesworth, St. Louis
Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Sheena Maisch
Student, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Chef Professionalism Award, Sponsored by Minor’s®

ACF Central Region Chef Professionalism Award Winner

John Reed, CEC, CCA
Owner, Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie, Ill.
ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

Competitor

Thomas Hiestand, CEC
Executive Chef, Naperville Country Club, Naperville, Ill.
ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.

Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award

ACF Central Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award Winner

Gregory Wozniak, CEC, AAC
Retired, Milwaukee
ACF Chefs of Milwaukee Inc.

Competitors

Dean Jaramillo, AAC
Retired, Lake Zurich, Ill.
ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.

Robert Walter, CEC, CCA
Assistant Director, Goodwill Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Ill.
ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

ACF Student Team Regional Championship, Sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.

ACF Central Region Student Team Regional Championship Winner

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

Competitors

ACF Culinary Arts Society of Oklahoma, Platt College
Coach: Travis Williams, CCC

ACF Fox Valley Chapter, Madison Area Technical College
Coach: John G. Johnson, CEC, CCE

ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter
Coach: Jason Anderson, CEC, CCE, CCA

ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association, Johnson County Community College
Coach: Felix Sturmer

ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine, Oakland Community College
Coach: Kevin Enright, CEC, CCE, AAC

ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis
Coach: Anne Loger

ACF Professional Chefs & Culinarians of the Heartland
Coach: Brian O’Malley

Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
Coach: Paul Kampff, CEC

Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, Sponsored by American Technical Publishers

ACF Central Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl Winner

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

Competitors

ACF Fox Valley Chapter, Nicolet Area Technical College
Coach: Vicki Mendham, CEC, CCE

ACF Louis Joliet Chapter, Joliet Junior College
Coach: Frederick N. Ferrara, CHE

ACF New Orleans Chapter
Coach: Karl Tipton, CEC, CCE, AAC

ACF Professional Chefs and Culinarians of the Heartland
Coach: Janet Mar

Blackhawk Technical College, ACF Blackhawk Chapter of Professional Chefs
Coach: Katie L. Thomas, CEPC

Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
Coach: Vicki Davenport

Delgado Community College
Coach: Nancy J. Burback, CEC, CCE

El Centro College
Coach: Beth Sonnier

Johnson County Community College, ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs
Coach: Natalie Jones, CSC

The ACF of Greater Baton Rouge, John Folse Culinary Institute–Nicholls State University
Coach: Dean J. Terrebonne

Waukesha County Technical College, ACF Chefs of Milwaukee Inc.
Coach: James Holden

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 Windy City Professional Culinarians, Inc.

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 Foods, Inc.

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 Foodservices

Jennifer Kelm
Apprentice, Lake Quivira Country Club, Shawnee Mission, Kan.
ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association