2024 American Academy of Chefs Award Recipients
AAC Chair’s Medal
Each year, the Chair’s Medal is bestowed upon an Academy Fellow who has demonstrated exemplary dedication and made outstanding contributions to the culinary profession. This individual has also maintained the highest standard of ideals of the AAC and has significantly and positively worked to ensure excellence among future culinarians.
Kyle Richardson, CEC, CCE, AAC, is a Professor Emeritus from Joliet Junior College. He owns and operates Crescent City Gourmet, a Chicago area concession, consulting, and catering business with a New Orleans twist. Chef Richardson is a member of the American Culinary Federation since 1988 and an American Academy Fellow since 2009. He has held numerous Board and Committee positions including ACF Central Region Vice President 2011–2015, ACF National Secretary 2015–2019, ACF National Treasurer 2023–present, ACF Apprenticeship Committee 2007–2011, ACF Nominations and Elections Committee Chair 2019–2020 and an ACF Culinary Judge 2016–present. He is the recipient of the President’s Medallion in 2007 and 2021. Chef Richardson is an active member of his local chapter ACF Louis Joliet Chapter having held positions as President and multiple committees.
Past Winners
Lawrence A. Conti, CEC, AAC, HOF, Chair’s Achievement Award
This award is given to a Fellow of the Academy who is not only dedicated to the American Academy of Chefs but also to the culinary profession. This individual must be an ACF member for a minimum of 35 years and be actively in the AAC and ACF, making the advancement of both organizations a personal priority. The person selected for this award will have achieved success in both business and culinary arts and must have the respect of the AAC Fellows at large.
Bill W. C. Sy, CEC, AAC, HOF, is retired from the Art Institute of Tucson as the Senior Director and Professor Emeritus, the Art Institute of Phoenix. He continues to share his craft as a visiting professor at Hsin Wu University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan. Chef Sy has been an active member of the American Culinary Federation since 1988 and an American Academy of Chefs Fellow since 2000. He is the recipient of the ACF Presidents Medallion 2006, ACF Western Region Chef Educator of the Year 2011, Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Awards Western Region 2007 and 2017, AAC Sharing Culinary Traditions Award 2013. Chef Sy has served on the ACFEF Education Task Force 2009–2015 and the AAC Culinary Hall of Fame Committee and Chair 2015–2020. Chef Sy has been an active member of his local chapter ACF Chefs Association of Greater Phoenix having served as
President 2006–2008 and Chairman of the Board 2008–2009 and receiving Chapter Chef of the Year 2005.
Past Winners
Joseph Amendola Award
The Joseph Amendola Award is presented to a pastry chef or master baker. The recipient has devoted his or her career to the profession and to the mentoring of young individuals who will be future pastry chefs.
Lisa D. Tomecek, CEPC, AAC, mentored by Certified Master Pastry Chef Jan Bandula, graduated with a pastry degree from Baltimore International Culinary College. Chef Tomecek is a Culinary Arts Instructor/Executive Chef at Western School of Technology. Under Chef Tomecek’s leadership in 2021, Western School of Technology become the first Baltimore County school to earn its ACFEF accreditation. She has held positions as Treasurer, Vice President, and currently serves as President of the Greater Baltimore Chapter. She has been an active member of the American Culinary Federation since 1993 and was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2022. She is the recipient of the Chapter Chef Educator of the Year 2017 and Regional Chef Educator of the Year 2018 and the ACF President’s Medallion 2022.
Past Winners
Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award
The Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award is presented each year to an individual of high honor, distinction and involvement in the culinary field. This award has been established in the memory of Lt. General John D. McLaughlin, who was instrumental in bringing professional recognition to the American executive chef.
Dr. Ellen S. Pruett served as a DA Civilian Education Specialist at Fort Lee, VA from 1978 to 2008. When Ellen was promoted to Director of Training for the Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence (the Army’s Culinary School), she was able to ensure her passion that all service members who were cooks were trained to the highest standards became a reality. During her tenure the team amassed tremendous accomplishments: they rewrote and improved every single food service course; they were recognized by their Higher Headquarters, the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), for
incorporating an outstanding multi-level 3-day, 2-night Field Training Exercise (FTX) in the last few days of every course as a Best Practice, which allowed every student far more time to practice their culinary craft. Dr. Pruett and her staff also planned and managed the consolidation of all Services’ Culinary Training at Fort Lee (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard); in yet another accomplishment they designed and developed the Advanced Culinary Skills Training Course (ACSTC) for Enlisted Aides in all the Services. Dr. Pruett and her staff also developed courses and taught deployed Soldiers via TRADOC’s School of the Air program. Dr. Pruett and her staff also managed seven highly competitive Service-Wide Culinary Competitions; and under her guidance developed a highly skilled group of service members to compete as the USA Service-wide Culinary Arts Team who showed their brilliance by competing and winning the Championship at the 2000 World “culinary Olympics” in Germany. This was the first and only time that the USA Military Team were the World “culinary Olympics” Champions! In 2003, Dr. Pruett was selected by the Deputy Commander of the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) at Fort Lee to become CASCOM’s first Director of Quality Assurance. Dr. Pruett retired from Civil Service in 2008. Today she and her husband Ed enjoy time with their four children, seven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Past Winners
Chef Good Taste Award
The Chef Good Taste Award is designated for culinarians who are actively involved in furthering the chef’s greatest achievement, “taste,” and upholding the traditions of the classical cuisine.
Thomas A. Hannum, CEC, AAC, received an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. In 1993 Chef Hannum became the Executive Chef at the Hotel du Pont and continued in that role until retirement in 2011. Chef Hannum has been a guest chef at the prestigious James Beard House, twice representing the Hotel du Pont and Preferred Hotels. His most recent endeavor was joining a partnership to re-open one of Delaware’s most popular restaurants. I am currently the Chef Owner of Buckley’s Tavern in Centerville, Delaware, and also manage Goober’s Diner—a two-story 50’s-style diner in Wilmington, Delaware. Chef Hannum has been an active American Culinary Federation member since 1996 and an American Academy of Chefs Fellow since 2011. He is the recipient of the ACF Presidents Medallion 2010. Chef Hannum is an active member of his local chapter ACF First State Chefs Association where he has held the positions of Treasurer 2004–2008 and 2012–2020, President 2008–2010, Chairman of the Board 2010–2012 and received the Chapter Chef of the Year Award 2015.
Past Winners
Sharing Culinary Traditions Award
One Academy Fellow is selected each year to receive the Sharing Culinary Traditions Award. This individual has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the education of future culinarians, thereby perpetuating the mission statement of our prestigious honor society and our profession.
Mark A. Cochran, CEC, CCA, AAC, has been passionately involved in the food industry for 40 plus years. He holds a Master’s in Education and Bachelor of Science in Foodservice Operations and Restaurant Management from Aspen University in Colorado. Chef Cochran currently is the Executive Chef and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice for Speers school of Business HTM at Oklahoma State University. Chef Cochran has been an American Culinary Federation member since 1983 and was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2014. He is an active member of his local chapter, the Oklahoma City Chapter and has held every office in the ACF Chapter of Oklahoma.
Past Winners