Hot-Food Competitors

Chefs Advance in Second Tryout for ACF Culinary Team USA

Twenty chefs will compete in the hot food portion for a spot on the internationally acclaimed six-member team of ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative team of the United States in major international culinary competitions.

The journey began last year when approximately 50 chefs submitted applications to try out for ACF Culinary Team USA. Before being chosen to tryout, the chef candidates had to pass a rigorous application review in which their application, résumé, biography, competition experience, work history and other qualifications were evaluated. Each chef had to display a high level of craftsmanship based on solid classical cooking principles and a variety of cooking disciplines incorporating current and modern trends in presentation, technique and taste.

The selected candidates then participated in the cold-food segment, either savory or pasty, of the tryouts in which they had 17 hours to prepare, plate and present their dishes over two days according to the cold-food guidelines. Medals were awarded on a points system and those that qualified advanced to the hot-food portion of the tryouts.

The hot-food segment of the tryouts is time regimented and intense according to the hot-food guidelines. Candidates have one hour to set up the kitchen, and two hours and thirty minutes to cook, plate and present. Clean up must be completed within twenty minutes for a total time of three hours and fifty minutes. Final team member selection will take into account both cold- and hot-food segments and skill sets, as well as personality, attitude and the ability to excel and work cohesively in a team setting.

Meet the Chefs

Geoffrey Blount, CEPC

Geoffrey Blount, CEPC, Stanley, N.C., is executive pastry chef and head instructor at Bakery Bistro Initiative at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte, N.C., where he earned an associate degree in foodservice management in 1995. Prior to joining CPCC, Blount worked as executive chef at Gaston Country Club, Gastonia, N.C.; owner and executive pastry chef at Sugar Buzz Pastry Shop, now Sugar Buzz Pastry.com, Charlotte and Denver, N.C.; and as executive pastry chef at Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., and Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore. His career highlights include receiving the 2009 ACF Southeast Region Joseph Amendola Outstanding Member Award for culinary excellence and leadership, winning more than 10 competitions medals since 2008, participating in the 2004 and 2005 James Beard dinners, being featured in Pastry Art & Design and serving as team captain of the 2001 Beaver Creek National Pastry Team Championship that aired on the Food Network.

Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE

Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE, Oak Forest, Ill., is a chef/professor at Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill. Before joining the college, he taught at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (now Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts). Previously, Bucci had worked in restaurants and hotels for 14 years, including as executive chef for House of Hughes, Crestwood, Ill. He graduated from Joliet Junior College’s culinary-arts program and has a bachelor’s degree in restaurant, hotel and institutional management from Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, Ind. Bucci earned an individual gold medal at the 2008 IKA. He has been an ACF member since 1984, and is a member of ACF Louis Joliet Chapter. He was the 2009 ACF Chef Educator of the Year. Bucci received a gold medal at the tryout.

Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE

Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE, is an associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, N.C. He holds a Bachelor of Science in foodservice management from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I. He also earned an associate degree in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y. Campbell has worked as a sous chef at the Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai, Hawaii, and as an executive chef in hotels and restaurants in Oregon and Virginia. He has served on the board of directors of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. Campbell is a member of ACF Inc. Charlotte Chapter, and is an ACF-approved judge. He earned an individual gold medal at the 2008 IKA. He received a gold medal at the tryout.

R. Andrew Chlebana II, CEPC, CCA

R. Andrew Chlebana II, CEPC, CCA, Plainfield, Ill., is a pastry chef at White Eagle Golf Club, Naperville, Ill., and also teaches at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill., as an associate professor. He began his pastry career in 1996 at two of the industry’s finest hotel chains, the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. and Amelia Island, Fla. He was then employed by Albert Uster Imports, Inc. in Gaithersburg, Md., where he was the youngest pastry chef in the company's history. He was named the 2008 ACF Pastry Chef of the Year and in March 2009, he won third place and a bronze medal at the 20th annual U.S. Pastry Competition held in conjunction with the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York, New York. He is a member of ACF Louis Joliet Chapter. He received a silver medal at the tryout.

Shawn Culp, CEC

Shawn Culp, CEC, is a culinary-arts Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts, Pittsburgh (formerly, Pennsylvania Culinary Institute). He earned a culinary-arts degree from Westmoreland County Community College in 1999. He has worked on the culinary brigades of several clubs in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and served as executive chef at Chartiers Country Club, Pittsburgh. He was a culinary-arts instructor at Westmoreland County Community College. Culp has 12 years of culinary competition experience, and has earned seven medals in ACF-sanctioned competitions. He is a coach for the ACF Pittsburgh Chapter 2010 junior hot food team. Culp is a member of ACF Pittsburgh Chapter and the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Bailliage de Pittsburgh. Culp received a gold medal at the tryout.

Kevin Doherty, CEC, CCA

Kevin Doherty, CEC, CCA, Brighton, Mass., is regional executive chef for Delaware North Companies Sportservice at Boston’s TD Garden. Before joining Delaware North, he worked for hotels, resorts and caterers in Massachusetts and Florida, including Sheraton’s Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Boston. In May 1988, he graduated from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., with an associate degree in culinary arts. Doherty earned an individual bronze medal at the 2008 IKA. He is a member of ACF Epicurean Club of Boston. Doherty received a bronze medal at the tryout.

George Gonzalez

George Gonzalez, Nashville, Tenn., is district executive chef for Sodexo Corporate Services, Nashville. Before joining Sodexo, he was chef/owner of 2101 Global Cuisine, Wake Forest, N.C. He has also worked for Compass Group, Morrison Management Group and Sodexo Corporate Services’ Southeast Region and The Millennium Center, Johnson City, Tenn. He graduated from Inframen San Salvador, El Salvador, in hospitality and tourism administration, and from the Chef’s Apprenticeship Program at Westin Hotels and Resorts, San Salvador. He has also studied at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y. He is a member of ACF Middle Tennessee Chapter. Gonzalez received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Scott Green, CEC

Scott Green, CEC, Collins Center, N.Y., is executive chef for Fairgrounds Gaming and Raceway, Delaware North Companies, Hamburg, N.Y. He has been with Delaware North, at various venues, since 2002. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, Punxsutawney, Pa., graduating in the top 10 of his class. He competed as a member of Delaware North’s team at the 2008 IKA, earning a silver medal. Green is a member of ACF of Greater Buffalo New York. He received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Ben Grupe

Anthony “Ben” Grupe, St. Louis, is sous chef at Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis. In December 2009, he completed a three-year apprenticeship at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., which followed a one-year apprenticeship at The Racquet Club Ladue, St. Louis. He studied culinary arts/restaurant management at St. Louis Community College–Forest Park, from 2001 to 2005. He is a member of Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc., and in 2005, competed as a member of the chapter’s junior hot-food team. Grupe received a gold medal at the tryout.

Adam Heath, CSC

Adam Heath, CSC, Houston, is executive sous chef at River Oaks Country Club, Houston. Before joining the club in 2004, he apprenticed at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch, N.H., and the culinary program at the Houston Country Club. In 2005, he served as commis to certified master chef Friedrich “Fritz” Gitschner at the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyon, France. In 2006, Heath earned a gold medal at the Southwest Region Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Junior Commis competition. Heath is a Boston native. He is a member of ACF National Chapter. Heath received a gold medal at the tryout.

Joseph Leonardi, CEC

Joseph Leonardi, CEC, Johnston, R.I., is executive chef at Somerset Club, Boston. He joined the club’s staff after eight years on the faculty of Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I. Previously he had been a research and development chef for Rich’s Sea-Pak, St. Simon’s Island, Ga. He has associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Johnson & Wales University. Leonardi was a member of the 2008 ACF Regional Team USA that earned a gold medal in the cold-food salon and was ranked No. 1 in the world out of 62 regional teams at the IKA. He is a member of ACF Rhode Island Chapter, and was the 2009 U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™. Leonardi received a gold medal at the tryout.

Paul Malcolm, CEC, CCE

Paul Malcolm, CEC, CCE, is an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University (JWU), Charlotte, N.C. He has a master’s in educational technology from Long Island University, Glen Head, N.Y. He also earned a bachelor’s in service and management, as well an associate degree in occupational studies in culinary arts, from New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vt. Malcolm has worked as a private chef in Manhattan and as executive chef for restaurants in Long Island and Vermont. He is the Kids Café director of the JWU Charlotte campus, and has coached the junior hot food competition team to four gold medals in state and intercollegiate culinary competitions. Malcolm is a member of ACF Inc. Charlotte Chapter. Malcolm received a gold medal at the tryout.

Brian Joseph Moll, CC

Brian Moll, CC, Orlando, Fla., is a sauté cook at Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla. He has worked in hotels and restaurants in Florida, including at SeaWorld, Orlando. Moll earned an associate in culinary management degree from Valencia Community College, Orlando, and is pursuing an associate degree in baking and pastry management. In 2009, he was a member of Valencia’s student hot-food team that competed in the ACF Southeast region competition, earning a silver medal. He apprenticed for certified master chef Russell Scott during Scott’s successful bid for the title of 2008 U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™. Moll is a member ACF Central Florida Chapter. He received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Timothy Prefontaine, CEC

Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, Fort Worth, Texas, is executive chef at The Fort Worth Club. He joined the club’s staff after six years as executive sous chef at River Oaks Country Club, Houston. He received an associate of culinary arts degree from New Hampshire Community Technical College, Berlin/Laconia, Berlin, N.H., while serving an apprenticeship at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch, N.H. Prefontaine was a member of the 2008 ACF Culinary Regional Team USA that earned a gold medal in the cold-food salon and was ranked No. 1 out of 62 regional teams at the IKA. He is a member of ACF National Chapter. Prefontaine received a gold medal at the tryout.

John Reed, CEC, CCA

John Reed, CEC, CCA, Skokie, Ill., is owner of Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie, and an adjunct faculty member in hospitality administration at College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill. He was divisional executive chef for Food For Thought Management, Lincolnwood, Ill., from 1999 to 2008, and before that worked for hotel and restaurant properties throughout the U.S. and abroad. He graduated cum laude with an associate degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., in 1983, and earned a bachelor’s in hotel, restaurant and travel administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., in 1986. Reed is a member of ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc. He received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Orlando Santos, CEPC

Orlando Santos, CEPC, Pittsburgh, is executive pastry chef at The Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh, which he rejoined in 2008 having previously served in the same position from 2005 to 2006. He was executive pastry chef at Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Shelby Township, Mich., from 2006 to 2007. He has also held pastry positions at Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta, and Marriott International, Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University, North Miami, Fla., with an associate degree in 2000. He apprenticed at Hotel Metropole, Brussels, Belgium. Santos is a member of ACF Pittsburgh Chapter. He is a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Santos received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Daryl Shular, CCC

Daryl Shular, CCC, Alpharetta, Ga., is corporate executive chef for Performance Foodservice-Milton’s, Oakwood, Ga. Previously he was senior lead instructor at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, and he has held chef positions at several properties in Atlanta. He graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta in 1994 with an associate degree in culinary arts. Shular earned a gold medal as a member of American Academy of Chefs Culinary Regional Team USA at the 2008 IKA. He is a member of ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter, Inc. Shular received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Rudy Smith, CEC

Rudy Smith, CEC, Naperville, Ill., is corporate chef for Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill. Previously he was general manager for The Getaway (now the Plaza Grille), Pagosa Springs, Colo., and executive chef at Krabloonik Restaurant, Snowmass Village, Colo. He graduated with high honors and first in his class with an associate degree in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1986. He has also taught at the CIA, as well as in Brazil and Mexico. In 2000, Smith earned three gold medals and a silver medal at Hotelympia, London, and a silver medal at the IKA. He is a member of ACF National Chapter. Smith received a bronze medal at the tryout.

Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC

James “Kevin” Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, Ballwin, Mo., has been executive chef at Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, since 1996. Before that, he held executive chef positions at Indian Hills Country Club, Mission Hills, Kan., and the University Club, St. Louis. He has a grand diploma from LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine, Paris, and an associate degree from Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan. Storm was a coach for ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, which placed fourth overall in the world among youth teams at the 2008 IKA. He is a member of Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. Storm was the only candidate to receive a silver medal at the tryout.

Eddie Tancredi

Eddie Tancredi is sous chef at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Before that, he was sous chef at New Albany Country Club, New Albany, Ohio, and chef de cuisine at Rosendales, Columbus, Ohio. In 2003, he graduated from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Le Cordon Bleu Program in Culinary Arts, Pittsburgh, with an associate degree in specialized technology. He graduated from a three-year apprenticeship program at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., in 2007. Tancredi is a member of ACF Columbus Chapter. He received a bronze medal at the tryout.