ACF Cutting Edge Award

The ACF Cutting Edge Award recognizes innovators who give their time to help nurture and mentor culinarians on behalf of the ACF and the industry.

2026 Award

Applications for the 2026 Cutting Edge Award are now being accepted. Deadline for all applications is January 31, 2026. Award recipients will be announced during the 2026 ACF National Convention.

2025 Recipients

  • Patrick S. Artz
  • Robert W. Beighey, CEC, CCA
  • Walter T. Cloud, CCC, CEPC
  • Thomas J. Delle Donne, CEC
  • Spyridon Giannakoulopoulos, CEC, CCE
  • Debra S. Hamlin-Childers
  • Andrew Helmandollar
  • Jimmy L. Hill, HAAC
  • Richard Hoffman, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Raimund W. Hofmeister, CMC, AAC
  • Matthew P. Jarson
  • Sergey Kashkin, CEC, CCA
  • Tony Le, CEC
  • Douglas R. Maneely, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Maynard J. Meland, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Oscar Moreno
  • Lee H. Moultrie
  • John T. Piazza, CEC, CCA, CCE
  • David L. Prows, CEC, AAC
  • Matthew D. Schellig, CEC, CEPC, CCE, CCA, AAC
  • Travis Stehman
  • David J. Turcotte, CEC, AAC
  • Tom Valentin, CEC, AAC
  • John J. Woods, CEC, CWPC, AAC
  • Jay Ziobrowski, CEC

2024 Recipients

  • Joseph M. Allison, CEC, AAC
  • David M. Avalos
  • Chad M. Burnett, CEC
  • Michael R. Edwards, CEC, CCA, CCE
  • Timothy J. Foley, HAAC
  • Mary E. Gorski
  • Eric E. Jenkins
  • Ronald M. Landry, CEC
  • Kareen A. Linton
  • Gaston D. Merideth, CEC
  • Gary R. Klinefelter, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Jason E. Knapp, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Alan J. Neace, CEC, AAC
  • Cynthia M. Monroe, CEC
  • Joseph D. Parajecki
  • William D. Paul
  • Robert W. Phillips, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • Michael J. Stamets, CEC

  • Michael R. Thrash, CEC, CCA, CCE, AAC
  • Mike P. Troidel
  • KyWai Wong, CEC
  • Thomas Yanisko, CEC, CCA, AAC
  • John P. Zenk, CEC, CCA
  • Don Zajac, CC

2023 Recipients

  • Lizet S. Angulo
  • Pamela A. Bedford, CCE
  • Lance S. Cook, CEC, CCA
  • Isaiah J. Gerrard
  • Susan Griffin, CEPC
  • Kristopher D. Jubinville
  • Brian E. Lord, CEC
  • Rick Neal, CEC
  • Anne McBride
  • Christopher Ridenhour
  • Elle Simone Scott
  • Stephen Reimar
  • Ti Martin
  • Meg Bickford
  • Alejandra Kauachi
  • Jennifer Booker
  • Emilia Tomaszycki
  • Justin Sutherland
  • Lamar J. Moore
  • Christopher D. Viaud
  • Lorencita Billiman
  • Danielle M. Hughes
  • Jordan Wagman
  • Sharon Daniel

2022 Recipients

  • Cassondra Armstrong
  • Jennifer Denlinger, CCC
  • Steve DeShazo, CEC
  • Fionna Espana
  • Elizabeth Faulkner
  • Amaury Guichon
  • Sheila Osborne-Beck
  • Eveline Rosado-Haliday
  • Mariya Russell
  • Victor Sommo, CEC
  • Samuel Spencer
  • Brian Tatsukawa, CEC
  • Kathleen Vossenberg, CEC, CCE