2013 ACF Western Regional Conference
The 2013 ACF Western Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest, at The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, April 12–15, brought hundreds of chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to Coeur d’Alene. The conference provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through business seminars, cooking demonstrations featuring the latest trends and techniques, culinary competitions and awards. More than 25 chefs, students and chapters were honored at the conference. Many of these award winners will compete against their regional counterparts at the 2013 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas, July 21–25.
At the conference, the ACF’s Chef & Child Foundation, in partnership with Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressings & dips, awarded $10,000 to ACF Chefs of Las Vegas, winner of the ACF Western Region $10K Challenge, for the significant impact chapter members made in their local communities by hosting Lunch Break for Kids fundraisers and outreach events for Childhood Nutrition Day. In addition, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF’s honor society, gave a $1,000 grant to the ACF Western Region Student Team Regional Champion, Kapi‘olani Community College, Honolulu, representing ACF Honolulu Chapter, to assist the team with expenses to travel to the national competition.
ACF Western Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
John McDonald, CEC, executive chef, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
ACF Western Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá® European-Style Butter
Alison Murphy, pastry chef, The Vintage Club, Indian Wells, Calif.; ACF national member
ACF Western Region Chef Educator of the Year
Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, Culinary Arts department chair, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Calif.; Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles chapter
ACF Western Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award
John Fisher, CEC, CCE, AAC, senior culinary arts instructor, Renton Technical College, Renton, Wash.; ACF Washington State Chefs Association
ACF Western Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S®
Alan Chambers, executive chef, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Salt Lake City; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
ACF Western Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
Lyn Wells, student, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
ACF Western Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers
Students from Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, Wash.; Matthew DiMeo, CEC, and Janet Waters, CWPC, coach
ACF Western Region Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
Students from Kapi‘olani Community College, Honolulu, representing ACF Honolulu Chapter; coached by Grant Sato
ACF Western Region Flavors of the Mediterranean—A Minute® Rice Competition, sponsored by Riviana® Foods
LJ Klink, CEC, consultant, Luck Junky, Cheney, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
ACF Western Region Chapter of the Year
ACF Washington State Chefs Association, Seattle
ACF Western Region Chapter Achievement Award
ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon, Portland, Ore.
ACF Washington State Chefs Association, Seattle
World of Thanks Award
ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
ACF Western Region Cutting Edge Awards
Frank Leake, CCE, CCC, AAC, culinary arts professor, Kapi‘olani Community College, Honolulu; ACF Honolulu Chapter
Jean Hull, CCE, AAC, owner, Hospitality Consulting By Jean, Kailua Kona, Hawaii; ACF Kona-Kohala Chefs Association
Tina Powers, CEC, CEPC, CCE, CMB, baking and pastry instructor, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, Ore.; ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon
Peter Tobin, CEC, CCE, chef instructor, Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, Spokane, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
Robert Walter, CEC, CCA, AAC, Morale, Welfare and Recreation food and beverage director, U.S. Navy, Santa Rita, Guam; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
ACF Western Region President’s Medallions
Carlton Brooks, CEPC, CCE, ACE, baking and pastry instructor, East Valley Institute of Technology, Mesa, Ariz.; ACF Chefs Association of Arizona, Inc.
Anthony Danna, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Edgewood Downs Retirement, Beaverton, Ore.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon
David Knickrehm, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Bella Aquila, Eagle, Idaho; ACF Idaho Chefs de Cuisine
Robert Reid, CEC, CCA, adjunct professor, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego; Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego
Janet Waters, CWPC, baking instructor, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, Wash.; ACF Washington State Chefs Association
Troy Wilson, CEC, chef-instructor, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
ACF Western Region American Academy of Chefs Western Region Service Award
Cornelis Huisman, CEC, AAC, retired, San Francisco; ACF San Francisco Chapter
Bruce Staebler, CEC, AAC, retired, Clovis, Calif.; ACF national member
Jacques Wilson, CEC, AAC, executive chef, El Camino Hospital, Salinas, Calif.; ACF Monterey Bay Chapter
James Wolters, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Manito Country Club, Spokane, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
ACF Western Region $10K Challenge
ACF Chefs of Las Vegas