Thursday, November 20, 2008

Ohio restaurateur is first CIA graduate
to head the school's Board of Trustees


Restaurateur and entrepreneur Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, was elected by fellow trustees to become the 15th Chairman of the Board of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at the college's annual meeting on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. A 1986 CIA graduate, Mr. Mitchell (pictured, left, with Dr. Tim Ryan '77, CIA President; photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris) is the first alumnus to become Chairman of the Board of the college.

Mitchell's restaurant career has taken him from dishwasher in a steakhouse in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to president of his own successful, multi-concept restaurant company. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants began with one restaurant in Columbus in 1993 and grew to a 33-unit company with locations in nine states. Mr. Mitchell sold his 19-unit Mitchell's Fish Market and three-unit Cameron's Steakhouse chains to Ruth's Chris Steak House for $92 million in early 2008. He now operates a catering company and 14 restaurants under seven dining concepts in Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Arizona.

Mr. Mitchell has sponsored several scholarships at the CIA, and in 2004, he provided the college with its largest gift ever from a graduate. He has been a member of the board since 1999.

The Culinary Institute of America also announced the appointment of three new trustees at the same meeting: Elizabeth Blau, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Blau & Associates, a Las Vegas, NV-based consulting firm; Lorna Donatone, president of Sodexo School Services; and Robert Muh, CEO of Sutter Securities Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.

No comments: