2025 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.
Lucio Arancibia, CEC, AAC, is a retired hospitality executive with over 40 years of experience across culinary, beverage, and front-of-house operations.
A dedicated member of the American Culinary Federation since 1989, Chef Arancibia was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2001. He currently serves as President of ACF Chefs Las Vegas (2022–2025) and previously held a Board Member position (2014–2016). In recognition of his contributions, he received the prestigious American Culinary Federation President’s Medallion (2012). Chef Arancibia is an inductee into the Las Vegas Hall of Fame.
Chef Arancibia is widely recognized for his expertise in operational analysis, staff training and development, and implementing systems that drive efficiency, cost control, and food safety. He is a passionate advocate for personal accountability and leadership, helping teams and individuals foster responsibility-driven cultures that lead to high performance and sustainability.
Today, he remains active in mentoring, training, and leading culinary initiatives while continuing to inspire chefs with a focus on innovation, service, and responsibility.
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 25 years and be active 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.
Thomas J. Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, HBOT, is a renowned culinary leader with a distinguished career spanning professional kitchens, culinary governance, and education. An American Culinary Federation member since 1976, he was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 1988 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the culinary landscape for decades.
Chef Macrina earned his Associate of Science degree with honors from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 1976, where he now serves as an Ambassador. He also holds a Doctor of Food Service from NAFEM and is a Hall of Fame inductee at each of his alma maters. Since 2011, he has served as a Food Fanatic Chef for US Foods in the Delaware Valley.
Chef Macrina was elected to serve as American Culinary Federation National President for two consecutive terms (2013–2015, 2015–2017) and returned to lead the Federation again from 2019–2023. He also served as American Culinary Federation National Secretary (2011–2013) and Chair of the American Academy of Chefs (2007–2011). He currently serves as Advisor to the American Culinary Federation Board of Directors (2023–present) and contributes to multiple national committees, while also serving as an American Culinary Federation Culinary Judge (2016–present).
Chef Macrina has contributed extensively to American Culinary Federation Culinary Team USA (2000–present), holding roles as Coach, Business Manager, and Advisor, including service on the National Culinary Team (2017–2024). He also served as President of the American Culinary Federation Philadelphia Chapter (1996–2006).
Chef Macrina’s many honors include the American Culinary Federation Cutting Edge Award (2017), American Academy of Chefs Chef Good Taste Award (2001), American Academy of Chefs Chair’s Medal (2007), and the American Culinary Federation President’s Medallion (2006).
Despite his extensive professional commitments, Chef Macrina cherishes time with his wife Catherine, their children, and grandchildren.
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.
Joseph Decker, CMPC, is one of only 12 Certified Master Pastry Chefs in the United States, a designation that reflects his exceptional mastery in the pastry arts and his commitment to excellence. A member of the American Culinary Federation since 1988, Chef Decker was inducted into the Honorary American Academy of Chefs in 2025 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the culinary profession.
A respected American Culinary Federation Culinary Judge since 1998, Chef Decker has served as an evaluator and mentor to the next generation of culinary professionals through American Culinary Federation -sanctioned salon competitions across the country. He is also an internationally recognized competitor, having earned medals in prestigious culinary competitions in France, Germany, Chicago, and Detroit. In 1995, he represented the United States as a member of the U.S. World Pastry Cup Team, competing on the global stage with distinction.
Beyond his competitive achievements, Chef Decker has been a leader in culinary innovation and education. He served as Director of Research and Development at Awrey Bakeries, where he helped guide product excellence and advancement in commercial baking. Since 1991, he has been a beloved and influential instructor at Schoolcraft College, where he designed and teaches the curriculum for the college’s Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts program.
Chef Decker’s legacy lies not only in his accolades, but also in the generations of pastry professionals he has inspired and mentored. His blend of technical expertise, educational leadership, and professional service continues to elevate the standards of the pastry profession nationwide.
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.
Michael L. Minor, CEC, AAC, HOF, is a distinguished culinary professional whose career spans decades of excellence, innovation, and leadership in the foodservice industry. A Certified Executive Chef and esteemed member of the American Culinary Federation (1976), Chef Minor was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in (1983), and the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame (2019) recognizing his outstanding contributions to the culinary arts.
Chef Minor’s illustrious career includes serving as a culinary ambassador for Custom Culinary, Inc., where he played a pivotal role in product development and culinary innovation. Chef Minor spent 30 years at the Minor Corporation.
His expertise and dedication have earned him numerous accolades, including the American Culinary Federation President’s Medallion (2007) and the American Academy of Chefs Chair’s Medal (2012). In 1994, he was honored as the American Culinary Federation Cleveland Chapter’s Chef of the Year.
Chef Minor’s father Dr. Lewis J. Minor, HAAC, HHOF, was instrumental in the development and implementation of the American Culinary Federation Chef Professionalism Award and was an Honorary Member of the Academy Hall of Fame (1989).
In recognition of his profound impact on the culinary profession, Michigan State University established the Michael L. Minor Master of Science in Foodservice Management Degree, marking the first time a foodservice degree program was named after an individual.
Chef Minor’s legacy is characterized by his unwavering commitment to culinary excellence, mentorship, and the advancement of the foodservice industry. His contributions continue to inspire and shape the future of culinary professionals nationwide.
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.
Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC, is the Corporate Culinary Ambassador for Ben E. Keith Foods in Fort Worth, TX. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, he is a Certified Executive Chef with over 50 years of experience in the culinary industry. A longtime member of the American Culinary Federation (1988) and the Texas Chefs Association, Chef Mitchell was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2005 and currently serves as a Regional Director.
He is a Certified Culinary Judge and has received numerous honors, including the American Culinary Federation Chef Professionalism Award, for the Central Region (2004), American Academy of Chefs Chair’s Medal (2020), and the American Culinary Federation Hermann G. Rusch Lifetime Achievement Award, for the Central Region (2023). In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Chefs Association Hall of Fame.
Chef Mitchell has competed globally, captaining the 2016 Texas Culinary Olympic Team and winning over 40 national and international awards, including Gold at the 2014 World Cup in Luxembourg. He was named the 2016 American Culinary Federation National Chef of the Year and represented the U.S. in the Global Chefs Challenge in Malaysia. In 2019, he was a featured chef at the James Beard House in NYC. His debut book, The Plating Window, released in 2024, chronicles his four decades of culinary competition, with a second book currently in progress.
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.
Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, AAC, is one of the select few ACF Certified Master Chefs in the United States and was honored with Global Master Chef recognition in 2008. Born in Germany’s Rhineland Pfalz region to a family of chefs and vintners, he began his culinary journey at age 14 and graduated from the prestigious Badischer Hof in Baden-Baden.
A visionary in culinary education, Chef Hofmeister founded LACI in Southern California and later led the Las Vegas Culinary Institute to international recognition, earning the title of ACF National Culinary Educator of the Year in 2006.
As a decorated competitor, he has earned numerous gold medals at the Culinary Olympics, World Cup in Luxembourg, and global competitions in Japan and China. As Team Manager and Coach for the American Culinary Federation, he led Regional Team USA to an extraordinary showing at the IKA Culinary Olympics—securing Team Gold and multiple individual medals.
Chef Hofmeister served as an ACF Certified Culinary Judge (1989–2022) and continues to contribute to ACF Culinary Team efforts in an advisory role (2024–present).
Past Winners