May 2019

Greetings American Academy of Chefs Fellows!

April showers bring May flowers - and a very busy spring season, as well!

I’m pleased to report our regional dinners have resulted in an ongoing series of great successes thanks to both Chef Tom Biglan, CEC, AAC and Chef Chris Dwyer, CEC, CCA, AAC. Our Annual Induction Dinner also promises to follow suit. We’ve had a very busy year so far and it looks like this steady pace of events and gatherings will continue for quite some time.

We’re looking forward to our annual induction which will be held during the 2019 ACF National Convention . The annual meeting, induction, and dinner are scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 4, 2019, at our “home away from home”, the beautiful Orlando Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida. Twenty new Fellows of the Academy will be inducted, along with Honorary Fellows, six inductees into the Hall of Fame (including one Posthumously and one Honorary), as well as our Celebrated Chef and Hall of Fame member, Chef Gale Gand. Please check the pages below for their names and designations. Congratulations goes out to each and every one of them!

In other news, it was a pleasure to visit the national office in mid-April, and yes, I know what you’re thinking, what a great time of year to leave Buffalo and visit Florida, right? I have to agree. It was a nice getaway; however, we had a lot of work to do which included preparing invitations, programs, medals, awards and so much more. We’re still in the planning stages of our annual dinner, and we will provide the finalized menu in the next newsletter. It’s been a pleasure to work with Chef Eric Martinez of the Orlando World Center Marriott, and I look forward to sampling his cuisine very soon. Please be sure to make your reservations early and remember to have your spouse or significant other join us the next day (Monday, August 5, 2019) at the Isleworth Country Club for the spouses' “luncheon.” We’ve been to the Club before, and they have graciously agreed to be our hosts once again.

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our new Hall of Fame members: Chefs Joe Aiello, CEC, AAC, Michael L. Minor, CEC, AAC and Luige G. Baretto, CEC, AAC. These three very deserving chefs will be inducted during our annual meeting and dinner. We will also be inducting Chef Frank J. Setera, CEC, AAC as an honorary member of the Hall of Fame, as well as Chef Chris Neary, CEC, CCA, AAC, posthumously.  Our Celebrated Chef Gale Gand will be inducted Sunday evening after delivering the opening keynote address at Sunday's general session.

I enjoyed a recent visit to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where I helped celebrate that chapter’s 75 th anniversary. The event was held at the Allegheny Country Club. Cocktails and delicious appetizers were served on the patio as it was a sunny and warm day. Soon, however, a weather front moved in, and then, out went the power. You wouldn’t have known it though, as the staff and Chef Daniel Henning, didn’t miss a beat. The food was served hot and without interruption - a remarkable feat indeed. The evening was filled with ACF history, and I was sincerely moved by the tribute to all the chefs from the area who spent time as presidents of the ACF. These individuals belonged to the first chapter to offer an apprenticeship program thanks to the late L. Edwin Brown, HAAC, HHOF. In addition, our certification program was established in Pittsburgh. In fact, Ferdinand E. Metz CMC, AAC, HOF, Baron H. Galand, CEC, AAC, HOF, Jack H. Braun, CEC, AAC, HOF and L. Timothy Ryan, CMC, AAC were all presidents from the Pittsburgh area. Congratulations to Chapter President Rikk Panzera, CEC, CCE, AAC and the entire chapter for an extremely exciting and memorable evening!

At this time, I’d like to encourage you to reach out and congratulate new inductees from your respective chapters, as well as your colleagues, friends and employees via our dinner journal. It’s a great way to honor their commitment to our profession. Details on pricing and other related items have been included in the pages below.

Please be advised we won’t be holding our “Dinner of the Century” in Orlando as logistics, dates and venues couldn’t be secured in time to move forward with this great event. For those of you who like to plan ahead, we’ve started to research the Dallas area for next year.

The ballots for selection of our Chair and Vice Chair will be arriving soon. If you do not receive a ballot in May, please contact the Academy office at academy@acfchefs.net or (904) 484-0202, and they will make certain you receive one. Also, we’ve reviewed a rather large list of Academy Fellows who haven’t paid their ACF dues to date. Please note, according to our Policies and Procedures, only a current, due-paying member of the ACF is eligible to vote.

As a reminder, please take time out of your busy schedules to thank our sponsors. We would be hard pressed to do what we do without their generosity. When you’re in Orlando, please take a moment and stop by the trade show to thank them for their continued support.

A complete list of Academy functions can be found in this issue of the C onnection . For now, I look forward to seeing you all very soon and thank you for your ongoing support and valuable assistance.

Mark 
 
Mark Wright, CEC®, AAC® 
Chair, American Academy of Chefs 


Save the date
2019 ACF National Conference!


Sunday, August 4–Thursday, August 8, 2019
Orlando World Center Marriott
Orlando, Florida


ACF Event Registration:

AAC Annual Fellow’s Meeting


Sun day, August 4, 2019
9:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Orlando World Center Marriott
Orlando, Florida 

American Academy of Chefs
Dinner & Reception
Sunday, August 4, 2019
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Orlando World Center Marriott
Orlando, Florida 


Gather to welcome new inductees and congratulate AAC Fellows receiving awards at this year's AAC Reception and Dinner. 

More details to come!


Annual AAC Induction Dinner Seating Request Form
Please complete the form by July 15 to make your seating request.  Click here .
AAC Dinner Journal Ad
Show your support with a special message in this year’s AAC dinner journal.   Click here .
Annual AAC Spouses’ Luncheon

Monday, August 5, 2019
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Isleworth Golf & Country Club

Transportation provided
Add your AAC spouses’ luncheon reservation with your ACF national convention registration.  Register Now .
Or call the Academy office at (904) 824-4468, ext. 202


Presenting Nominees for AAC Office 2019-2021

Here are our candidates for the AAC elected offices of Chair and Vice-Chair, for the term 2019-2021. For in-depth details view the AAC policies and procedures or click here .
Nominee for Academy Chair

Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC


Chef Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC is running unopposed for the position of American Academy of Chefs Chair.

Nominees for Academy Vice Chair


Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC



Wilfred Beriau, CEC, CCE, AAC




Rajeev Patagaonkar, CEC, AAC






 2019 Hall of Fame


“The Culinary Hall of Fame was unanimously accepted by the Academy members. Its concept is to honor those men and women who, because of their outstanding attributes, have won the respect and love of their professional guild. Therefore, they are so honored by their peers as a positive reflection to all those in this profession who seek achievement!” 
—Hermann G. Rusch


Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC

Luigi G. Baretto, CEC, AAC

Michael L. Minor, CEC, AAC

Honorary

Frank J. Setera, CEC, AAC

Posthumous

Chris Neary, CEC, CCA, AAC

AAC Lifetime Achievement Award

The AAC Members of the Rhode Island Chapter will be Honoring Chef George A. O’Palenick CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF with the AAC Lifetime Achievement Award on October 27, 2019 the Crowne Plaz a Warwick, RI (host of the 2014 Northeast Regional Conference). Hotel accommodations at either Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn Express. For more information contact Linda Musch CCE, AAC (401) 787-5116 or  linda_musch@verizon.net
2019 American Academy of Chefs Awards


AAC Chair’s Medal Award
Linda S. Musch, CCE, AAC
ACF Rhode Island Chapter


Lawrence A. Conti Award, CEC, AAC, HOF, Chair’s Achievement Award
William J. Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, MBA
ACF Philadelphia Delaware Valley Chefs Association


Joseph Amendola Award
Garry W. Waldie, CEC, CEPC, CCE, AAC
ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona, Inc.


Chef Good Taste Award
Deborah A. Bando-Duit, CEC, AAC
Texas Chefs Association


Sharing Culinary Traditions Award
Costa N. Magoulas, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC
ACF Central Florida Chapter


Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award
Jeffrey P. Lein

Tax-Deductible Donations
 
Donations, as many as you choose to make in any given year, are welcome at any time. On behalf of the entire Academy family, we thank you again for your generous support. Donations may be made by check mailed directly to the Academy Office, online, or via credit card. Please contact the Academy Administrator at   academy@acfchefs.net   if you have any questions. 
 
THANK YOU to all of our 2019 Donors!

Joe Aiello, CEC, AAC
Vincent Alberici, CEC, AAC
Carmen Allegrucci, CEC, AAC
Earl Arrowood Jr., CCC, CCE, AAC
Moses Ball, CEC, CCE, AAC
Steven Barron, CEC, AAC
Manfred Bast, CMPC, CEC, AAC, HOF
Robert Bland, AAC
Arthur Buccheri, CEC, AAC
Jacky Burette, AAC
Gaspard Caloz, AAC
Michael Campe, CEC, AAC
Jerald Chesser, CEC, CCE, AAC
William Crawford, CEC, AAC
Bert Cutino, CEC, AAC, HBOT, HOF
Willi Daffinger, AAC
Keith Davis, CEC, AAC
Joseph Deas Jr., CEC, AAC
James Decker, CEC, AAC
Americo DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC
Jim Douglas, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF
Curtis Eargle, CEC, AAC
Denis Ellis, CEC, AAC
Kevin Enright, CEC, CCE, AAC
Douglas Fisher, CEC, CCE, AAC
Nicholas Follacchio, CEC, AAC, HOF
Gary Fuller, CEC, CCE, AAC
Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC
David Goodwin, CEC, CCA, AAC
Denise Graffeo, CEC, AAC, HOF
Joachim Green, AAC
Robert Hertel, CEC, CCE, AAC
Uwe Hestnar, CEC, AAC
Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, AAC
Harold Holanchock, CEC, CCE, AAC
Jeffrey Igel, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC
Arthur Inzinga, CEC, CCE, AAC
Rene Jacobus, AAC
Dean Jaramillo, AAC
John Johnson, CEC, CCE, AAC
Ewart Jones, CEC, AAC, PhD
Hilmar Jonsson, AAC
John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC, HOF
Dieter Kiessling, CMC, AAC
Gerhard Kowalski, CMC, AAC
Albert Kramer, AAC
O. Siegfried Krauss, CEC, AAC
Franz Kubak, CEC, AAC
Luigi LaValle, AAC
Walter Leible, CMC, AAC, HOF
Gernot Leitzinger, AAC
Thomas Long, CEC, AAC
John Lubinski, AAC
Wieland Ludwig, CEC, AAC
Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC
Orlin Marcus, CEC, AAC
Mark Mayers, CEC, AAC
Donald McMillan, CEC, AAC
Jesse Mercado, CEC, AAC, HOF
Michael Minor, CEC, AAC
Jeffrey Mitchell, CEC, CCA, PCC, AAC
Linda Musch, CCE, AAC
Christine Neugebauer, CEC, AAC
Diane Newell, CC, CPC
Stephen O'Donnell, CEC, AAC
Gale O'Malley, CEPC, AAC
George O'Palenick, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF
Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC
Douglas Patten, CEC, CCA, AAC
Brian Peffley, CEPC, CCE, AAC
Louis Perrotte, CEC, AAC, HOF
Robert Phillips, CEC, CCA, AAC
Michael Piccinino, CEC, CCE, AAC
Albert Pijnappel, CEPC, AAC
Christopher Plemmons, CEC, AAC
Friedrich Pohl, AAC
Douglas Polmann, CEC, AAC
Jeffrey Rheiner, CEC, AAC
Michael Rigberg, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC
Leon Roberge, CEC, AAC
Frederick Robinson, CEC, AAC, HOF
Robert Roebuck, CEC, AAC
Manfred Sander, CEC, AAC
Hans Schadler, CEC, AAC
John Schlaner, CEC, AAC
Jack Schmid, AAC
Hubert Schmieder, AAC
Richard Schneider, CMC, AAC
Samuel Sears III, CEC, AAC
Frank Setera, CEC, AAC
Gary Sheldon, CEC, AAC
John Sinkeldam, AAC
Roderick Smith, AAC
Brian Sode, CMC, AAC
Fritz Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC, HOF
Stephen Spencer, CEC, AAC
Patrick Sweeney, CEC, AAC
James Timko, AAC
Boy Toy, CEC, AAC
Kenneth Trout, CEC, CCA, AAC
David Turcotte, CEC, AAC
Michael Ty, CEC, AAC
Daniel Varano, CEC, CCE, AAC
Marc Vedrines, CEC, AAC
Garry Waldie, CEC, CEPC, CCE, AAC
Julius Weiss, CEC, AAC
William Wiklendt, CEC, CCE, AAC
Mark Wright, CEC, AAC
Barry Young, CEC, CCE, AAC
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