Jean Yves Vendeville, CEPC®, department chair at Savannah Technical College, Savannah, Ga., was named the best culinary educator in the Southeast, according to the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Vendeville, of Macon, Ga., received the ACF Southeast Region Chef Educator of the Year Award at the 2014 ACF Southeast Regional Conference held in North Charleston, S.C., April 26-29.
“Being able to share my knowledge with the next generation of chefs is most important to me,” said Vendeville. “I train my students to be successful in culinary arts and perhaps someday to surpass me as leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and instructors in the culinary profession. I thank my students for believing in me and following me every day. This is why I am honored to have been selected Chef Educator of the Year for the ACF Southeast Region.”
The ACF Chef Educator of the Year Award, established in 1998, pays tribute to an active culinary educator whose knowledge, skills and expertise has enhanced the image of the professional chef, and who, by example, has provided guidance to students seeking a career in the culinary profession.
Vendeville, an ACF Certified Executive Pastry Chef® (CEPC), has served as department chair and instructor at Savannah Technical College since 2008. Born in France, Vendeville received his culinary education in his home country and in Canada. His experience includes executive pastry chef, Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto; executive pastry chef, Ritz-Carlton Montréal, Montreal; coordinator of baking and pastry program, George Brown College, Toronto; and executive chef/senior core faculty, New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vt. Vendeville coaches Savannah Technical College student teams that compete in ACF-sanctioned culinary competitions. His accolades and awards include 2012 ACF President’s Medallion and 2012 Technical College System of Georgia Instructor of the Year. In 2012, Vendeville was also named Chapter Chef Educator of the Year by ACF Chefs of the Low Country.
Vendeville was one of four Southeast Region candidates competing for the award. He will vie for the national title at the 2014 ACF National Convention in Kansas City, July 25–29. The four regional finalists will have 50 minutes to present a lecture and demonstration for a panel of judges on either a plated entree or dessert, including preparation of two portions of the item.
The theme of ACF’s Southeast Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Greater Charleston South Carolina Chapter, was “Embracing a Sustainable Future.” During the conference, foodservice professionals were able to advance their professional development through business seminars, cooking demonstrations focused on how to incorporate green and sustainable cooking concepts into restaurant kitchens, culinary competitions and awards. Learn more about the conference at http://www.acfchefs.org/
Regional and national sponsors of the 2014 ACF events series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Technical Publishers; Barilla Foodservice; Barry Callebaut; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; California Avocado Commission; Campbell’s Culinary & Baking Institute; Central Region State Beef Councils; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab®; Evo, Inc.; Fabbri USA 1905, LLC.; Fortune Fish Company; Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; Gordon Food Service®; Idaho® Potato Commission; J.R. Simplot Company; JTM Food Group; Johnson & Wales University; Jones Dairy Farm; Kern Meat Co., Inc.; Lactalis Foodservice; Lang Manufacturing Company; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; Mercer Cutlery; MINOR’S®; Monini North America, Inc.; Mooney Farms; Moore Food Distribution; National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative; Ole Tyme Produce Inc.; Par-Way Tryson, makers of Vegalene; Performance Foodservice; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; Publix Super Markets; RC Fine Foods; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Rosenthal Sambonet USA Ltd; S&D Coffee; Saint Louis Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation; Sartori Company; Sysco®; The Beef Checkoff; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; US Foods; Valrhona; Villeroy & Boch; Vitamix® Corporation; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
About the American Culinary Federation<http://www.
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With nearly 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef®, Certified Executive Pastry Chef® and Certified Culinary Educator® designations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity.
