Chefs, Foodservice Professionals and Culinary Students Honored at American Culinary Federation Northeast Regional Conference

Chefs, students and foodservice professionals gathered for professional development and culinary trend seminars at the 2014 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Northeast Regional Conference. The conference took place at The Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings, Warwick, R.I., April 11-14.

More than 25 chefs, students, foodservice professionals and chapters were presented with American Culinary Federation awards during the conference. Award competitions took place to determine ACF Northeast Region Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Student Chef of the Year, Student Team Championship and Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl.

The conference theme was “Embracing a Sustainable Future,” and many of the demonstrations and seminars focused on how to incorporate green and sustainable cooking concepts into restaurant kitchens and onto menus. Attendees enjoyed a keynote address from John Bowen, chancellor, Johnson & Wales University, and educational seminars and culinary demonstrations from presenters, such as Mark Eggerding, vice president of product sales support, US Foods, and Nicholas Calias, CEC, executive chef/food and beverage director, The Colonnade Hotel and Brasserie Jo, Boston.

The following ACF Northeast Region competition award winners will compete for their respective national titles at the 2014 ACF National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., July 25-29.

ACF Northeast Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions

Joshua Wickham, CEC, CEPC, executive chef, Rock Fork Hunt & Country Club, Gahanna, Ohio, ACF Columbus Chapter

ACF Northeast Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá European-Style Butter

Susan Notter, CEPC, pastry arts program director, The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts—YTI Career Institute, Lancaster, Pa., ACF Harrisburg Chapter

ACF Northeast Region Chef Educator of the Year

Keith Buerker, CEC, CCE, culinary arts professor, SUNY Cobleskill, Cobleskill, N.Y., ACF Capital District—Central New York

ACF Northeast Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award

Hartmut Handke, CMC, AAC, retired, Dublin, Ohio, ACF Columbus Chapter

ACF Northeast Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S

Americo DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Union Oyster House, Boston, ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

ACF Northeast Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.

Geoffrey Lanez, CC, student, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., ACF Rhode Island Chapter

ACF Northeast Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers

Students representing ACF Eastern Long Island Chefs Chapter, Riverhead, N.Y.

ACF Northeast Region Student Team Regional Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.

Students representing ACF Rhode Island Chapter that attend Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.

The 2014 ACF Northeast Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding contributions to ACF, goodwill in their communities and/or culinary excellence.

ACF Northeast Region Chapter of the Year

ACF of Greater Buffalo New York, Buffalo, N.Y.

ACF Northeast Region Chapter Achievement Award

ACF Columbus Chapter, Columbus, Ohio
ACF Epicurean Club of Boston, Boston
ACF Philadelphia Delaware Valley Chefs Association, Philadelphia

ACF World of Thanks

ACF Rhode Island Chapter

ACF Northeast Region Cutting Edge Award

David Goldstein, corporate executive chef, Acosta Sales and Marketing, Feasterville, Pa., ACF Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey
Perrin Long, CEC, CCE, AAC, culinary arts instructor, Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, N.H., ACF Piscataqua Chapter
Timothy Michitsch, CEC, CCE, AAC, culinary educator, Lorain County JVS, Oberlin, Ohio, ACF Akron-Canton Area Cooks and Chefs Association
Michael Murray, CEC, banquet chef, Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Scarborough, N.Y., Chefs Association of Westchester and Lower Connecticut
Gary Sheldon, CEC, AAC, corporate chef, Sysco, Westbrook, Maine, White Mountain Chapter of the ACF
Drew Smalbach, CEC, executive chef, White Manor Country Club, Malvern, Pa., ACF Philadelphia Delaware Valley Chefs Association

ACF Northeast Region President’s Medallion

Americo DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Union Oyster House, Boston, ACF Epicurean Club of Boston
Geoffrey Lanez, CC, student, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., ACF Rhode Island Chapter
Robert Milam, CEC, AAC, chef instructor, Boone Career-Technical Center, Danville, W.Va., ACF West Virginia Chapter
Michael Roddey, CEC, CCA, CCE, CDM, owner/chef consultant, Gastronomic Services & Consulting, Duncansville, Pa., Southern Allegheny Chefs Association
Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC, executive chef, The Country Club, Pepper Pike, Ohio, ACF Cleveland Chapter Inc

ACF Northeast Region Achievement of Excellence Awards

Maryland Club, Baltimore
Osteria Procaccini, Pennington, N.J.
Philadelphia Country Club, Gladwyne, Pa.
Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel, King of Prussia, Pa.
The Circular at The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pa.
The Country Club, Pepper Pike, Ohio
The North End Bistro, Princeton, N.J.
Union Oyster House, Boston

Approximately 500 chefs, students and foodservice professionals attended ACF’s Northeast Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Rhode Island Chapter. During the conference, attendees were able to advance their professional development through business seminars, cooking demonstrations focused on how to incorporate green and sustainable cooking concepts into restaurant kitchens, culinary competitions and awards. Learn more about the conference at www.acfchefs.org/Northeast, or at Facebook.com/ACFChefs or on Twitter @ACFChefs.

Regional and national sponsors of the 2014 ACF event series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Technical Publishers; Barilla Foodservice; Barry Callebaut; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; California Avocado Commission; Campbell’s Culinary & Baking Institute; Central Region State Beef Councils; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab; Evo, Inc.; Fabbri USA 1905, LLC.; Fortune Fish Company; Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; Gordon Food Service; Idaho Potato Commission; J.R. Simplot Company; JTM Food Group; Johnson & Wales University; Jones Dairy Farm; Kern Meat Co., Inc.; Lactalis Foodservice; Lang Manufacturing Company; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; Mercer Cutlery; MINOR’S; Monini North America, Inc.; Mooney Farms; Moore Food Distribution; National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative; Ole Tyme Produce Inc.; Par-Way Tryson, makers of Vegalene; Performance Foodservice; Plugrá European-Style Butter; Publix Super Markets; RC Fine Foods; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Rosenthal Sambonet USA Ltd; S&D Coffee; Saint Louis Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation; Sartori Company; Sysco; The Beef Checkoff; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; US Foods; Valrhona; Villeroy & Boch; Vitamix Corporation; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With nearly 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef, Certified Sous Chef and Certified Executive Pastry Chef designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.