Meet the Chefs

Gerald Ford, CMC, team captain
Ford is executive chef at The Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill, Georgia. Ford received a bachelor’s degree in professional studies from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. He competes in both hot- and cold-food competitions and is a gold-medalist ice sculptor. Ford is one of 72 ACF Certified Master Chefs® in the country. He is a member of ACF Palm Beach County Chefs Association.

K. Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, team chef
Craig is director of culinary operations at Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, N.C. His career at Myers Park Country Club has spanned 15 years in various positions. Craig has competed extensively in ACF-sanctioned competitions, as well as international competition including Hotelympia in London, The Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, and IKA in Erfurt. He is an ACF- and WACS-certified judge.

Paul Kampff, team chef
Kampff is executive chef at St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis. He is an avid competitor, having won many gold medals, and is also coach to junior culinary teams. Kampff was named Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.’s 2009 Chef of the Year, and is also the recipient of an ACF national President’s Medallion. He is a member of Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, team chef
Lanez is executive chef at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, and CEO/owner of Burrd Productions in Boston, Massachusetts. He holds an MBA in hospitality from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Lanez holds numerous medals from competing in ACF-sanctioned competitions, including the title of Northeast Region Student Chef of the Year in 2014. He is the recipient of the Johnson & Wales University Apprenti Cuisinier Special Recognition Award of Excellence. He is a member of ACF Rhode Island Chapter.

Sharon Lin, team pastry chef
Lin received an AOS degree in Patisserie and Baking from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles and an AOS degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute of California, Hollywood. She has earned several ACF competition medals and won the national Chaine des Rotisseurs professional pastry competition in 2019. Lin is a member of Chef de Cuisine Association of California.

Kelsee Newman, CEPC, team pastry chef
Newman is pastry arts instructor at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky. She was previously pastry kitchen supervisor at Seelbach Hilton Hotel, Louisville, Ky. Newman received an associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts, summa cum laude, from Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky., in 2011. She has earned several gold medals in ACF-sanctioned competitions with individual centerpieces, petit fours and plated desserts, and earned a bronze medal at the IKA “culinary Olympics” in 2012 with a chocolate centerpiece. She is a member of the ACF Kentucky Chapter.

Jesus Olmedo, team chef
Olmedo is assistant banquet chef at The Country Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He earned an associate degree in applied science from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston. Olmedo previously served as captain of 2016 ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, receiving two silver medals in the 2016 Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA), commonly referred to as the “culinary Olympics,” in Erfurt, Germany. He is a member of the ACF Epicurean Club of Boston.