American Culinary Federation selected Reimund Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, of Orlando, Florida, as 2020 ACF Culinary Team USA manager and J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, of St. Louis, Missouri, as assistant manager. ACF is now accepting applications for 2020 ACF Culinary Team USA members.

Pitz and Storm were selected from a group of qualified candidates after an extensive interview process by the ACF and the ACF Education Foundation. ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, includes a national, youth and military division. Pitz will oversee the ACF Culinary Team USA program, as well as directly manage ACF Culinary National Team USA.

“Chefs Pitz and Storm have both represented the U.S. on previous ACF Culinary Teams and demonstrated that U.S. chefs have some of the finest culinary skills in the world,” says American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Chairman Michael Ty, CEC, AAC. “Their combined experience and expertise will inspire the 2020 team to excel over the next four years in their quest for the gold.”

Pitz is a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator. He is chair of the ACF Culinary Competition Committee. He has competed in dozens of national and international shows winning gold medals in Singapore and Switzerland. In 1988, he earned five gold medals and two perfect scores while competing on the Walt Disney World Culinary Olympic Team at the international “culinary Olympics” in Frankfurt, Germany. Pitz was adviser to the ACF Culinary Team USA in 1992 and 1996. He served as ACF national president from 1996 to 1997 and chair of ACF Education Foundation Chef & Child Foundation. Pitz was honored as the World Medal Recipient by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and chaired the WACS world culinary committee. He was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs, ACF’s honor society for chefs. Currently, he is executive chef/owner of Le Coq Au Vin Restaurant in Orlando, Florida.

Storm is a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator. Storm has been an avid culinary competitor throughout his career, participating as a competitor, judge and coach. He was a team member on the 2012 ACF Culinary National Team USA and served as coach for 2008 ACF Culinary Youth Team USA in the “culinary Olympics” in Erfurt, Germany when the team won gold and silver medals. Storm has been an active member of Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. ACF chapter since 1998, served as chapter president from 2007 to 2009, and was named chapter Chef of the Year in 2004. An active mentor to many young culinarians, Storm received an ACF President’s Medallion in 2008 and the Custom Masterpiece Award in 2003. He is also a member of the American Academy of Chefs and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. He is executive chef of Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

ACF National President Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, who was the business manager for the 2012 ACF Culinary National Team USA and will serve as 2020 team business manager, knows firsthand the challenges of competing internationally. “The ACF team will compete against the best chefs in the world. Coaching, discipline and teamwork will enable team members to succeed under intense pressure. I applaud Chef Pitz and Storm for their dedication to the culinary arts and thank them for mentoring fellow chefs.”

“We have assembled an outstanding group to support ACF Culinary Team USA including legendary chefs Ferdinand Metz and Keith Keogh,” says Pitz. “Many of our leaders were culinary team managers and culinary team captains while others served as past presidents of ACF and WACS. Their knowledge, wisdom and experience combined with ACF’s heritage will be the key to success for team 2020.”

ACF Culinary National Team USA leadership and management includes:

Reimund Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, Team Manager, Orlando, Florida

J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, Team Assistant Manager, St. Louis, Missouri

Darrin Aoyama, CEPC, AAC, Pastry Team Manager, Houston, Texas

Patricia Nash, Pastry Team Assistant Manager, St. Louis, Missouri

Gunther Heiland, CMPC, AAC, National Pastry Team Advisor, Douglassville, Pennsylvania

John Coletta, National Team Advisor, Chicago, Illinois

Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, AAC, National Team Advisor, Cockeysville, Maryland

Keith Keogh, CEC, AAC, National Team Advisor, Windermere, Florida

Ferdinand Metz, CMC, AAC, HOF, National Team Advisor, Temecula, California

Aidan Murphy, CMC, AAC, National Team Advisor, St. Louis, Missouri

Paul Kampff, Junior Team Advisor, St. Louis, Missouri

Louis Perrotte, CEC, AAC, HOF, Junior Team Advisor, Orlando, Florida

Mark Wright, CEC, AAC, Junior Team Coordinator, Buffalo, New York

Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, Military Team Liaison, Riverview, Florida

Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, Business Manager, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, Logistics Director, Las Vegas, Nevada

Joseph Hardiman, HAAC, Team Logistics, Orlando, Florida

John Folse, CEC, AAC, HBOT, Team Culinary Historian, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Applications for 2020 National Team chefs and pastry chefs are available online. The deadline is April 1. Tryouts will be held in conjunction with Cook. Craft. Create. ACF National Convention & Show, July 9-13 in Orlando, Florida.

Current ACF Culinary Team USA sponsors are Browne Foodservice, Friedr. Dick and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board