U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ Award Previous Winners
* denotes National Winner
2024 National Winner
2024 Regional Winners & National Competitors
- Central - Frank R. Turchan, CEC
- Northeast - Spyridon Giannakoulopoulos, CEC
- Southeast - Anna Beatriz Bote
- Western - Tom Tobin, CEC
- Military - CS1 John Toman
2023 National Winner
2023 Regional Winners & National Competitors
- Central Winner - Russel Cunningham, CEC, CCA (competing at Nationals)
- Central - Chad M. Burnett, CEC (competing at Nationals)
- Northeast Winner - Tony Le, CEC (competing at Nationals)
- Southeast Winner - Paul C. Jensen, CEC, CCA, AAC (competing at Nationals)
- Western Winner - Tom Tobin, CEC
- Military Representative - R SCPO Michael R. Edwards
2022
Danielle Hughes
2021
Northeast - * Michael J. Shannon, CEC
Central - Dean C. Sprague, CEC
Northeast - Lionel Hughes, CEC
Northeast - Matthew O’Connor, CEC
Southeast - Lance S. Cook, CEC, CCA
Southeast - Stephen P. Perkins, CEC, AAC
Western - Christopher C. Emerling
Western - Brandon S. LaVielle, CEC
Military - Hiram R. Carrion Rodriguez, CCC (SSGT US Army)
2020
Competition was rolled over to 2021 due to COVID-19 Pandemic. All regional competitors were rolled into the National Convention competition.
2019
Western - * Reilly Meehan, CEC
Central - Scott Scheible, CEC
Northeast - Frank Costantino, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC
Southeast - Charles Figueroa, CEC
Military - Frida M. Karani, CEC
2018
Western - * Todd Leonard, CEC
Central - Robert Coran
Northeast - Ben Simpkins, CEC, CCA
Southeast - Christopher Bugher, CEC
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