Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, managing director and associate dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, has been inducted into the Chicago chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI), a global organization of woman leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industry.Zonka was promoted to managing director of Kendall's School of Culinary Arts in April 2010, retaining her role as associate dean. In 2009, she launched a nutrition concentration in the School of Culinary Arts' bachelor's program at Kendall College. Before joining Kendall's faculty in 2007, she was a lecturing instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., and a chef-instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art--Chicago. Zonka was named Registered Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association and Educator of the Year by the ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians.
Induction into LDEI is by invitation only. Named for French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer Georges Auguste Escoffier, Les Dames d'Escoffier inspires women to develop their leadership skills in culinary professions. LDEI, established in 1986 and based in Louisville, Ky., has more than 1,500 members in 27 chapters across the U.S. and Canada.
