THIRTEEN CHEFS INDUCTED INTO PRESTIGIOUS
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., Date – The American Academy of Chefs (AAC), the honor society of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), inducted 13 chefs during a formal ceremony and dinner at the 2005 ACF National Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
The AAC, which recognizes those individuals who have made significant contributions to both the culinary profession and ACF, was established in 1955 at the ACF National Convention in Pittsburgh, Penn. Those credited with its founding include the legendary Pierre Berard, Peter Berrini and Paul Laesecke.
Bienvenido Fonbuena, Jr., CEC, CCE - Fonbuena is the executive chef and a culinary educator at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He has served as an operations/production manager and instructor in the United States Army as well as the Garde Manager at the Austin Country Club in Texas. Fonbuena was also awarded a silver and bronze medal in the 1988 Culinary Olympics.
Jerald Chesser, CEC, CCE- A member of the ACF Bayou Chapter in Louisiana, Chesser is currently the associate dean of The Collins School of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, Calif. Chesser holds a Doctor of Education degree in addition to his executive chef and culinary educator certifications, and he is the author of several culinary books, most notably The Art and Science of Culinary Preparation.
Thomas Ciapi, CEC, CCE, CCA - Currently the executive chef at Westwood Country Club in Austin, Texas, Ciapi has more than 20 years experience in the culinary field. Ciapi’s background includes serving as the food and beverage director at a private country club in Texas as well as a culinary instructor at Austin Community College in Texas. In addition, Ciapi has received several chapter awards, including Chef of the Year in 1995 and Chef Professionalism in 1989 and 1990.
Ralph Comstock, CEC - An adjunct faculty member at IVTC State College in Indianapolis, Comstock has more than 20 years’ culinary experience at the executive chef level. He has served as treasurer of the ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter for more than 15 years and the senior chairman for the ACF Central Regional. Comstock is also the recipient of several ACF awards, including the “Steady Eddie” and Rene Roncari Awards.
Kelly Cook, CEC – Cook is the culinary arts instructor and program director at Skyline Center in Dallas, Texas. He is the current president of the ACF Texas Chefs Association and the recipient of his chapter’s Chef of the Year Award in 2004. Cook, who has worked in all aspects of the foodservice industry for more than 20 years, also earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas.
Christopher Dwyer, CEC - Christopher Dwyer, CEC, is a culinary educator at Minneapolis College and the executive chef at Depot Catering in Faribault, Minn. An executive chef for nearly 10 years, Dwyer received the ACF Central Region’s Steady Eddie Award in 2004 as well as the ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter Educator-of-the-Year Award in 2003.
Costa Magoulas, CEC, CCE – Magoulas has been employed by the Volusia County School Board as the Coordinator of Culinary Operations, Student Nutrition Services since 1994. Magoulas, who has received more than 20 medals in culinary competitions, was also the recipient of his chapter’s Chef of the Year and Culinarian of the Year Awards in 2000 and 2001, respectively. In addition, he was one of a select few awarded an ACF President’s Medallion in 2001.
Despina Makredes, CCE – A member of ACF Epicurean Club of Boston, Makredes has more than 15 years culinary experience, 10 of those as a chef educator. She is a culinary instructor at Everett High School in Everett, Mass. Makredes is the certification chair of the chapter and served on the Somerville High School Culinary Arts Program Advisory Board. She won Chapter Chef of the Year Award from ACF Greater Boston Chapter in 1999 and The Culinary Professional Award in 1997.
Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE - A competing member of the United States Culinary Art Team, Marquis is an enlisted aide/personal executive chef in the United States Army. Marquis, a graduate of the renowned Culinary Institute of America, participated in the 2000 and 2004 International Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, where he received both silver and gold medals. Marquis also served as a judge in the 2004 ACF Hawaii State Junior Competition.
Patrick Mitchell, CEC - A graduate of the highly acclaimed Culinary Institute of America. Mitchell is the current food and beverage manager at the Marriott Quorum Hotel in Addison, Texas. Mitchell’s accomplishments include two silver medals in the 1992 Culinary Olympics and 12 ACF medals in various culinary competitions. In addition, he was awarded the ACF Texas Chefs Association Chef of the Year ACF Central Region’s Chef Professionalism Awards in 1997 and 2004, respectively.
Robert Stegall-Smith, CEC - Since 1996 and 2000, respectively, Robert Stegall-Smith, CEC, has worked as the corporate chef for Institution Food House, a division of Alex Lee, Inc., and a culinary instructor at the University of South Carolina/Carolina Culinary Institute. Stegall-Smith is a graduate of Ithaca College and the Culinary Institute of America whose culinary achievements include first place in both the 1999 ACF Midlands Hot-Food Competition and 2001 South Carolina Taste of Elegance Competition.
Jeremy Still, CEC - An executive chef for nearly 16 years, Still is currently the executive chef of the Edgewood Country Club in Charleston, W. Va. Beyond executive Chef, Still’s other roles include mentor for two culinary apprentices, judge for various culinary events and culinary advisor for the ACF-approved apprenticeship site Carver Career Center. The current vice president of his chapter, Still also writes monthly culinary newsletter articles for his employer’s publication.
Thomas Yanisko, CEC – Yanisko is the director of nutrition and foodservices at Community Medial Center in Toms River, N.J. The current president of the ACF Jersey Shore Chefs Association, he has also competed in several ACF competitions, participated in several children’s culinary workshops and been featured on local television for cooking demonstrations.
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With nearly 20,000 members and 240 chapters nationwide, ACF offers educational resources, training, professional certification, apprenticeship and accreditation programs. In addition, the ACF is the presidium for the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS), the international network of chefs associations, with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.
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