The Art Institute of Ohio—Cincinnati appoints new academic director

Chef Laird Livingston, CCE, CEC, has joined The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Ohio—Cincinnati as academic director.

In his former post as vice president of academic affairs at Le Cordon Bleu, Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz., Livingston was instrumental in the implementation of the Bachelor of Arts in business management program. His versatile background also includes teaching at Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., and serving as director of education at the American Culinary Federation in St. Augustine, Fla. His private sector experience includes tenures with both Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. and Campbell Soup Co.

His entrepreneurial credentials include serving as owner-operator for Truffles Café, Wok Works and Smuggler’s Cove. He possesses an M.A. in organizational management from the University of Phoenix, a B.S. in hospitality and restaurant ranagement from Johnson & Wales University and an A.S. in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America. Livingston, a published author and inductee into the American Academy of Chefs, earned a silver medal for the 1992 National Chef of the Year competition in Washington, D.C.

Winners announced for eighth annual ProStart Invitational

The National Restaurant Association announced the winners of the eighth annual National ProStart Invitational, held April 24 to 26 in San Diego. Among the field of more than 300 student competitors from 39 states, territories and districts, the teams from Missouri and Oregon won top honors in the culinary and management competitions, respectively. The winning ProStart students took home medals, prizes and $1.1 million in scholarships, including scholarships from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and The Coca-Cola Co., the premier sponsor of the event.

More than 750 people were on hand to witness these future stars of the industry in action, including competitors, educators, mentors, state restaurant association representatives, judges, sponsors, industry representatives and friends and family. The National Restaurant Association's National ProStart Invitational showcased the talents of top ProStart students as they competed in the culinary and management competitions. To qualify for the national competition, teams won first place in the state competitions held this year by their individual state restaurant associations.

The team from Herndon Career Center in Missouri (photo, below) took home first place in the culinary competition; team members are Thomas DeMarco, Mark Leary, Andrea Svaglic, Kailey Ferguson and Zac Ray. Olathe North High School of Kansas earned second place honors, and Provo High School of Utah came in third place. Fourth place honors were awarded to George Washington High School in Guam and Silverado High School of Nevada took home fifth place. In the culinary competition, teams prepared a starter, entrée and dessert within 60 minutes and were judged on categories including taste, presentation, safety, sanitation and teamwork.

(l to r) David Gilbert, COO, National Restaurant Association; Mike Miller, United States Air Force (team mentor); Ben Griswold, educator; the Herndon Career Center student team; Guy Fieri, Food Network host

In the equally exciting management competition, Bend High School in Oregon (photo, below) took top honors; team members are Casey Anderson, Jackie Baird, Katelynn Cockrum and Mimi Seeley. The team from Lorain County JVS of Ohio won second place, and Carson High School in Nevada won third place. Fourth and fifth places were awarded to Carver Center for Arts & Technology of Maryland and Cheyenne East High School in Wyoming, respectively. To conquer this event, teams demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by competing in a case study--where competitors were tested on their communication skills and ability to apply their industry knowledge to practical situations--and in a question-and-answer "game show" event.

(l to r) David Gilbert, COO, National Restaurant Association; Louise Markland, educator; the Bend High School student team; Sean Baldwin, Pilot Butte Drive Inn (team mentor); Guy Fieri, Food Network host

For more information on the ProStart program and National ProStart Invitational, please visit www.prostart.restaurant.org.

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City Tech alumna Brown to be honored

Diane Harris Brown, director of educational and community programming for the James Beard Foundation (JBF), will be awarded the distinguished alumna and outstanding industry professional awards by New York City College of Technology's hospitality management department.

Diane Harris Brown (photo courtesy of Andy Ryan)

Brown, a 1982 graduate of City Tech, will receive the award at the hospitality management department's reception for the June 2009 graduating class, to be held May 11. While attending City Tech, Brown, along with some classmates, started a community service initiative to feed the hungry on Christmas, a program that is still available to City Tech hospitality management students in collaboration with Christian Help in Park Slope.

At JBF, Brown administers scholarship money to institutions offering culinary studies and manages JBF's monthly literary series, "Beard on Books." She also serves on the board of directors for Spoons Across America, a nonprofit organization that teaches about the benefits of healthy eating.

Kendall's Artlip earns recognition from ACF Chicago chapter

Mike Artlip, CEC, CCE, chair of the associate of applied science degree program at The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, earned the 2009 Chef Professionalism Award from Windy City Professional Culinarians (WCPC), a chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF).


Artlip, in addition to overseeing Kendall's two-year culinary arts program, manages the Café at Kendall College, a student-run cafeteria serving students, faculty and staff at the school's Riverworks campus. A member of Kendall's faculty since 1987, Artlip also chairs the culinary school's Faculty Senate.

The WCPC Chef Professionalism Award recognizes exemplary character and achievement throughout a chef's career.

Taste Down Under culinary competition winners unveiled

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Johnson & Wales University announced the winners of the 2009 Taste Down Under culinary competition held recently at the Johnson & Wales Charlotte, N.C., and North Miami, Fla., campuses. Students submitted original bar food or appetizer recipes using Australian beef or lamb and no more than six total ingredients. The winners received a share of $12,000 total in scholarship money across both campuses. The winners and runners up at both campuses were as follows:

Charlotte

• winner: Ed Jobin, Australian Lamb Three Ways (photo below)

• second place: Justin Andrew Gregory, Australian Beef Strip Loin Make Salad

• third place: Michael Watson, Tamarind Citrus Glazed Australian Lamb Loin Kebobs and Sweet Citrus Salad

Miami

• winner: Anthony Dominguez, Coriander Seared Australian Lamb with Lamb Tartare and Baby Greens (photo below)

• second place: Peter Morales, Mini Australian Lamb Wellingtons

• third place: Asasha Roberts, Sweet Corn Polenta Cakes with Cumin Crusted Australian Beef Strip Loin

ACF SE Regional Conference winners announced

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) announced the 2009 award recipients at the ACF Southeast Regional Conference held April 18 to 20. The winners will compete for national titles against their winning regional counterparts at the 2009 ACF National Convention in Orlando, Fla. July 11 to 14.

And the winners are:

• Chef of the Year P. Richard Brumm (photo below), CEC, executive sous chef, La Gorce Country Club, Miami Beach, Fla.

• Pastry Chef of the Year Heather Hurlbert (photo below), executive pastry chef, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta

• Chef Educator of the Year David Weir (photo below), CEC, CCE, associate professor at Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, Fla.

• Hermann G. Rusch Chef's Achievement Award Wolfgang Bierer (photo below), CMPC, CEC, CCE, AAC, retired, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

• Chef Professionalism Award Edmund Chinners (photo below), CEC, CCA, operations manager, Sodexo, Columbia, S.C.

• Student Chef of the Year Andrew Addleman II (photo below), sous chef, Chowders Seafood/River Rocks, Rockledge, Fla.

• Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl ACF Greater Miami Chapter Epicurean Club, Johnson & Wales University-Miami, North Miami, Fla.: Alissa Ebel; Catherine Gonzalez, CC; Victoria Gonzalez; Rebecca Lerman; and Marisa Roussell. The team is coached by Alan Lazar, CCE

• Student Team Regional Championship ACF Western North Carolina Culinary Association; Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, N.C.: Michael Aanonsen, Shannon Ginn, Steven Goff, Anna McClintock and Travis McCloud. The team was coached by Charles deVries, CEPC

• Joseph Amendola Outstanding Member Award Geoffrey Blount, CEPC, executive pastry chef, Bakery Bistro Initiative at Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, N.C.

• Chapter of the Year ACF Midlands Chapter, Columbia, S.C.

• Chapter Achievement Award ACF Midlands Chapter; ACF Middle Tennessee Chapter, Nashville Tenn.; ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association, Tampa, Fla.

• ACF President's Medallions Edmund Chinners; Winslow Goodier, CEC, ACC, executive chef, Hermitage Technical Center, Richmond, Va.; John Kacala, CEC, AAC, executive chef/culinary consultant, Sysco Foodservice, Columbia, S.C.; Audrey Lennon, posthumously, president/executive chef, The Sauceress Inc., Orlando, Fla.; Herman Packer, CEC, CCE, AAC, executive chef-instructur, Bishop State Community College, Mobile, Ala.; J. Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC, executive chef, Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta

• American Academy of Chefs Chair's Scholarship Russ Thayer, pastry chef, River Hills Country Club, Lake Wylie, S.C., and student, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, N.C.