U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ Award

2018 U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ Award Application Form
(Application Deadline: September 30, 2017)

In 1963, ACF created the Chef of the Year Award to acknowledge Walter Roth, AAC, for his tireless efforts to promote and elevate the profession. The award has grown in prestige, and today is the highest honor annually bestowed by ACF.

The U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ award recognizes an outstanding culinarian who works and cooks in a full-service dining facility. This person has demonstrated the highest standard of culinary skills, advanced the cuisine of America and given back to the profession through the development of students and apprentices.

Regional winners compete in a culinary competition at the national convention, where a panel of distinguished judges will select the national winner.

U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year

Drew Garms

Winners

* denotes National Winner

2017

Southeast- * Drew Garms
Central - Christopher Johnson
Northeast - Michael Pillarella, CEC
Western - Angus McIntosh Jr, CEC

2016

Central - * Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC
Northeast - Gary Davis Jr.
Southeast - Ted Polfelt, CEC, CCA
Western - Lenard Rubin, CEC

2015

Northeast - * Derrick Davenport, CEC, CEPC, MBA
Central - Andrew “Drew” Sayes, CEC
Southeast - Seth Shipley, CEC, CCA
Western - Jeremy Tummel

2014

Central - * Timothy Prefontaine, CEC
Northeast - Joshua Wickham, CEC, CEPC
Southeast - Sarah Deckert, CEC
Western - Jinkuk Lee

2013

Northeast - * Eddie Tancredi, CEC
Central - Ben Grupe
Southeast - JohnMichael Lynch
Western - John McDonald, CEC

2012

Northeast - * Scott Ryan, CEC
Central - Brian Beland, CMC
Southeast - Bryan Kelly, CCC
Western - Percy Whatley, CEC

2011

Northeast - * Todd Kelly
Central - Mark Spelman, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Keith Armstrong
Western - Todd Leonard, CEC

2010

Northeast - * Michael Matarazzo
Central - J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC
Southeast - Jonn Nishiyama
Western - Brandon Parry, CEC, PCEC

2009

Northeast - * Joseph Leonardi, CEC
Central - Jack Delby
Western - Brian Hubner
Southeast - P. Richard Brumm, CEC

2008

Southeast - * Russell Scott, CMC
Central - David Daniot, CEC
Northeast - Jonathan Moosmiller, CCC
Western - Bernhard Gotz

2007

Southeast - * J. Kevin Walker, CMC
Central - Matthew Southard
Northeast - Daniel Scannell, CMC
Western - Joseph Piazza

2006

Central - * Aidan Murphy, CMC, AAC
Northeast - Kevin Doherty, CEC, CCA
Southeast - Stafford DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC
Western - Shawn Hanlin, CEC

2005

Northeast - * Richard Rosendale, CC
Central - Charles M. Carroll, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Hiroshi Noguchi, CEC, AAC
Western - Jennifer Jasinski

2004

Northeast - * J. Daniel Knerr, CEC, AAC
Central - Fritz Gitschner, CMC, AAC
Southeast - John Saundry, CEC, AAC
Western - Kenneth J. McNamee

2003

Southeast - * Roderick Smith, CEC, AAC
Central - Donald Miller, CEC, CCE, AAC
Northeast - Keith Coughenour, CEC
Western - Jacques Wilson, CEC

2002

Southeast - * Joe Amendola, CEPC, CCE, AAC
Central - Joel Tanner, CEC, AAC
Northeast - John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC
Western - Bob Chester, CEC, CCE, AAC

2001

Southeast - * Klaus Friedenreich, CMC, AAC
Central - Denis F. Ellis, CCE, AAC
Northeast - Michael J. Beriau, CEC, AAC
Western - Joe Eidem, CEC, AAC

2000

Southeast - * Steven Jayson, CEC, AAC
Central - Steven Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC
Northeast - Manfred Bast, CMPC, CEC, AAC
Western - Vernon Wong, CEC

1999

Northeast - * Noble Masi, CEPC, AAC
Central - John Zehnder, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Johnny Rivers, CEC, AAC
Western - Edward Frady, CEC, AAC

1998

Northeast - * L. Timothy Ryan, CMC, AAC
Central - Kevin Enright, CEC, CCE, AAC
Southeast - Elizabeth Baase, CEC
Western - Richard Morgan, CEC, AAC

1997

Western - * Michael Ty, CEC, AAC
Central - Nick Marino, CEC, AAC
Northeast - Thomas Macrina, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Rudy Cerrito, CEC, AAC

1996

Central - * Carl Huckaby, CEC, CCE, AAC
Northeast - Joe Amabile, CCC
Southeast - Steve Jayson, CEC
Western - Harry Brockwell, CEC, AAC

1995

Northeast - * George O'Palenick, CEC, CCE, AAC
Central - John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Bobby Elliott, CEC, AAC **
Western - Stafford DeCambra, CEC, AAC

1994

Northeast - * Fritz Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC
Central - Robert Nelson, CEC, CCE, AAC **
Southest - Chester Surmaczewicz, CEC, AAC
Western - Maurice Zeck, CEC, AAC

1993

Northeast - * Hartmut Handke, CMC, AAC
Central - Leopold Schaeli, CMC, AAC
Southeast - Steve Barron, CEC, AAC
Western - Juan Aguirre, AAC

1992

Southeast - * Reimund Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC
Central - Milos Cihelka, CMC, AAC
Northeast - Frank Castelli, CEC, AAC
Western - Andrew Emery, CEC

1991

Northeast - * Roland Schaeffer, CEC, AAC
Central - Louis Jesowsheck, CEC, AAC
Southeast - Casey Sinkeldam, CMPC, CEC, AAC **
Western - Michael Ty, CEC, AAC

1990

John Folse, CEC, AAC

1989

Michel Bouit, CEC, AAC

1988

Bert Cutino, CEC, AAC

1987

Leon Oppenheimer **

1986

Jon Greenwalt, CEC, AAC

1985

Richard Schneider, CMC, AAC

1984

U. Max Behr, CEC, AAC **

1983

Hermann Rusch, AAC **

1982

Jeff Larson, CEC, AAC

1981

Lawrence Conti , CEC, AAC **

1980

Henry R. Michael **

1979

Baron Galand, CEC, AAC **

1978

Raymond Marshall, AAC **

1977

Jack Braun, CEC, AAC **

1976

Bernard Urban, CEC, AAC

1975

Eugene Bluenschein

1974

Rene Roncari **

1973

Jack Sullivan **

1972

Richard Bosnjak, CEC, AAC **

1971

Alec Cline, CEC, AAC **

1970

Johannes (Jan) Verdonkschot, CEC, AAC

1969

Tom Lockman, AAC

1968

Ferdinand Metz, CMC, AAC

1967

Otto Spielbicher **

1966

Charles Finance, AAC

1965

John Bandera, CEC, AAC **

1964

Jean Michelet, AAC **

1963

Walter Roth, AAC **

** Deceased