The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., the largest association of professional culinarians in North America, held its 2013 ACF Western Regional Conference at The Coeur díAlene Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, April 12-15. More than 25 chefs, students and chapters were honored at the conference. Many of these award winners will compete against their regional counterparts at the 2013 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas, July 21-25.

The 2013 ACF Western Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest, brought hundreds of chefs, cooks, and foodservice professionals to Coeur díAlene. The conference provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through business seminars, cooking demonstrations featuring the latest trends and techniques, cooking competitions, and awards.

At the conference, the ACF’s Chef & Child Foundation, in partnership with Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressings & dips, awarded $10,000 to ACF Chefs of Las Vegas, winner of the ACF Western Region $10K Challenge, for the significant impact chapter members made in their local communities by hosting Lunch Break for Kids fundraisers and outreach events for Childhood Nutrition Day. In addition, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF’s honor society, gave a $1,000 grant to the ACF Western Region Student Team Regional Champion, Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu, representing ACF Honolulu Chapter, to assist the team with expenses to travel to the national competition in July.

ACF Western Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions

• John McDonald, CEC, executive chef, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.

ACF Western Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugra European-Style Butter

• Alison Murphy, bakery specialist, The Vintage Club, Indian Wells, Calif.; ACF national member

ACF Western Region Chef Educator of the Year

• Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, Culinary Arts department chair, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Calif.; Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles chapter

ACF Western Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award

• John Fisher, CEC, CCE, AAC, senior culinary arts instructor, Renton Technical College, Renton, Wash.;
• ACF Washington State Chefs Association

ACF Western Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S

• Alan Chambers, executive chef, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Salt Lake City; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.

ACF Western Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.

• Lyn Wells, student, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.

ACF Western Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers

• Students from Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, Wash.; Matthew DiMeo, CEC, and Janet Waters, CWPC, coach

ACF Western Region Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.

• Students from Kapiëolani Community College, Honolulu, representing ACF Honolulu Chapter; coached by Grant Sato

ACF Western Region Flavors of the Mediterranean-A Minute Rice Competition, Sponsored by Riviana Foods

• LJ Klink, consultant, Luck Junky, Cheney, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest

ACF Western Region Chapter of the Year

• ACF Washington State Chefs Association, Seattle, Wash.

ACF Western Region Chapter Achievement Award

• ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon, Portland, Ore.
• ACF Washington State Chefs Association, Seattle, Wash.

World of Thanks Award

• ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest

ACF Western Region Cutting Edge Awards

• Frank Leake, CCE, CCC, AAC, culinary arts professor, Kapiëolani Community College, Honolulu; ACF Honolulu Chapter
• Jean Hull, CCE, AAC, owner, Hospitality Consulting By Jean, Kailua Kona, Hawaii; ACF Kona-Kohala Chefs Association
• Tina Powers, CEC, CEPC, CCE, CMB, baking/pastry coordinator/instructor, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, Ore.; ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon
• Peter Tobin, CEC, CCE, chef instructor, Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, Spokane, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest
• Robert Walter, CEC, CCA, AAC, Morale, Welfare and Recreation food and beverage director, U.S. Navy, Santa Rita, Guam; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

ACF Western Region President’s Medallions

• Carlton Brooks, CEPC, CCE, ACE, baking and pastry instructor, East Valley Institute of Technology, Mesa, Ariz.; ACF Chefs Association of Arizona, Inc.
• Anthony Danna, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Edgewood Downs Retirement, Beaverton, Ore.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon
• David Knickrehm, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Bella Aquila, Eagle, Idaho; ACF Idaho Chefs de Cuisine
• Robert Reid, CEC, CCA, executive chef/director, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego; Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego
• Janet Waters, CWPC, baking instructor, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, Wash.; ACF Washington State Chefs Association
• Troy Wilson, CEC, chef-instructor, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.

ACF Western Region American Academy of Chefs Western Region Service Award

• Cornelis Huisman, CEC, AAC, retired, San Francisco; ACF San Francisco Chapter
• Bruce Staebler, CEC, AAC, retired, Clovis, Calif.; ACF national member
• Jacques Wilson, CEC, AAC, executive chef, El Camino Hospital, Salinas, Calif.; ACF Monterey Bay Chapter
• James Wolters, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Manito Country Club, Spokane, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest

ACF Western Region $10K Challenge

• ACF Chefs of Las Vegas

National and regional sponsors of the 2013 ACF events series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Lamb Board; American Roland Food Corporation; American Technical Publishers; Barry Callebaut; The Beef Checkoff; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; California Avocado Commission; Campbell Soup Company; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Central Region State Beef Councils; Clemens Food Group; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab; Gerharz Restaurant Equipment, Inc.;Gordon Food Service; Idaho Potato Commission; Idaho Preferred; Irinox USA; Jim Beam American Stillhouse; Jones Dairy Farm; Johnson & Wales University; JTM Food Group; Kentucky Beef Council; Lactalis Foodservice; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; McCormick For Chefs; MINOR’S; Mississippi Beef Council; Mississippi Seafood Marketing; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; North Carolina Beef Council; Plugra European-Style Butter; PreGel AMERICA; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; RC Fine Foods; Riviana Foods; S&D Coffee; Sysco; Tennessee Beef Industry Council; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.; Villeroy & Boch; Virginia Beef Industry Council; Vitamix Corporation; Winston Industries, LLC;and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.