What ACF Has Done For Me

For more than 80 years, chefs, students and foodservice professionals have benefited from membership and involvement in ACF. Here are some of their stories.

Tell us Your Story

Do you have a story about how involvement in ACF has greatly impacted your career? Did connections you made through ACF help you land your first job? Did competing in an ACF competition propel your career? If so, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to share your story with us.

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Paul Carrier, CCC

September 29, 2011

ACF has been a big part of my career, dating back to when I joined ACF Midwest Chefs Minneapolis Chapter back in 1989. Nothing can replace the personal experiences I have had at regional conferences and the many monthly chapter meetings I have attended to further my knowledge about the trade. Over the years, I have maintained my certification, and I value it very much in my position, which is to train others for careers in this rapidly changing field. Having a regional network of chefs will help me further my knowledge in the next decade.

Paul Carrier, CCC, is a culinary-arts instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, and is a member of ACF Chefs of Milwaukee Inc.

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Matthew Johnson, CEC

August 7, 2011

My culinary career started when I was 16 years old, working for a certified master chef (CMC). This was a great way to be brought up in kitchens. Growing up in a kitchen run by an ACF member is a great way to learn the proper techniques in our industry. Later, the school I went to was staffed by ACF-certified chefs. I became a junior member of ACF when I joined the student hot-food salon team. This opened my world, showing me how important it is to strive for more in your personal and professional life. The amount of knowledge I received as a culinarian through competition has changed the course of my career. It teaches discipline, focus and teamwork, and it also allows you to spend time with other professionals that can grow your network.

Eleven years after I started cooking, I am now an executive chef and certified executive chef (CEC) through ACF. I owe a lot of my success to the organization, its competition circuit and its certification program. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done or gone through even if I could.

Matthew Johnson, CEC, is executive chef at Emagine/Star Lanes, Royal Oak, Mich., and is member of ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association.

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Paul Riedman, CEC

July 24, 2011

I join ACF Long Island Chapter more than 10 years ago. ACF creates a support system that will carry you through your entire career. You get out what you put into ACF. It supplies education, resources and networking among people who are committed to our profession. I have been able to attain my CEC and my ACE designations with the help of the ACF national office staff and ACF Long Island Chapter. Without the support of my peers and ACF resources, I would not have been able to attain my goals.

ACF creates a standard that can be measured. The ability to certify chefs and recognize them for improving their knowledge and skill set helps keep our profession on the cutting edge. ACF will help any member get to where they want to go in our profession.

Paul Riedman, CEC, is executive chef at Stonebridge Golf Links and Country Club, Smithtown, N.Y., and is a member of ACF Long Island Chapter.

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Kelly Conwell, CSC

April 18, 2011

I attended the WACS board meeting held in Belgrade, Serbia, in conjunction with the Balkan Culinary Cup 2011 National Competition. It was a wonderful experience. The Serbian Chefs Association was a wonderful host and went out of its way to make sure we were all taken care of while we were there. One day, I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of Belgrade by the president of the association. I went with the chef to live TV coverage of the Balkan Culinary Cup to talk about WACS, ACF and why it is important to nurture relationships. What a great time of mentorship and experience it was for a young chef to see so many cultures and diversity at one competition. I was also able to talk to the editor of their national food magazine, like The National Culinary Review.

It was also a great pleasure to attend part of the board meeting. It was educational hearing all the different perspectives from around the world, whether they agreed or not. I heard many great points and got a lot of advice on some of the programs and how to get young chefs more involved, not only in WACS, but also ideas for ACF. I was also invited to attend the World Chefs Tour Against Hunger in South Africa this August. It would be an amazing opportunity, and I hope I will be able to go.

It’s with great thanks to you [Michael Ty, CEC, AAC] and ACF for believing in me as a young ambassador to represent ACF and all young chefs. I am working closing with the development team on some great opportunities in the near future for young chefs, as well as developing a great program for the Bill Gallagher Young Chefs Forum in South Korea. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity you and ACF have given me. This is an experience I will never forget.

Best Regards,

Kelly Conwell

Kelly Conwell, CSC, is a member of ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association. She was 2009 ACF Student Chef of the Year and currently serves as a Young Chefs Ambassador for WACS.