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Chef Vendeville wins 2014 ACF National Chef Educator of the Year

St. Augustine, Fla., Jean Yves Vendeville, CEPC®, department chair and instructor at Savannah Technical College, Savannah, Georgia, received the American Culinary Federation (ACF) 2014 Chef Educator of the Year Award and $5,000 during the 2014 ACF National Convention held in Kansas City, Missouri, July 25-29.

“This is the highest honor I have received in my fifty-year-plus culinary career,” said Vendeville. “As an educator, I want my students to be convinced that there is opportunity in the culinary industry to accomplish their goals and to succeed when they leave. My students know this and are inspired by it.”

The ACF Chef Educator of the Year award, established in 1998, pays tribute to an active culinary educator whose knowledge, skills and expertise have enhanced the image of the professional chef, and who, by example, has given leadership, guidance and direction to students seeking a career in the culinary profession. This person demonstrates the ability to help students define and develop their careers by using their skills and abilities to provide a strong foundation for their future success.

“For my students to be successful in the culinary arts is only part of my goal. I want them to learn from me and perhaps someday surpass me as leaders and innovators, entrepreneurs and instructors,” said Vendeville. “I can best accomplish these goals as an educator at Savannah Technical College and with the ACF, where I have the support and structure for success.”

First, colleagues nominated chef educators for the regional award. Then, the four ACF regional winners competed for the national award during the ACF National Convention. Each of the chef educators had 50 minutes to present a lecture and a demonstration for a panel of ACF-approved judges and attendees on either a plated entree or dessert, which included preparation of two portions of the item. In his presentation, Vendeville demonstrated how to plate both a hot and cold dessert, choosing a White Chocolate and Rhubarb Soufflé with Grand Marnier Sabayon and Strawberry/Rhubarb Sorbet as his examples. He taught by first outlining the objectives of the lesson and then exploring the four cornerstones of plating: flavor, texture, temperature and contrast. His step-by-step demonstration included verbal and visual instruction, as well as audience participation.

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, 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, Vermont. Vendeville coaches Savannah Technical College student teams that compete in ACF-sanctioned culinary competitions. His accolades and awards include a 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.

For a list of past ACF Chef Educator of the Year Award recipients, visit http://www.acfchefs.org/ACF/Events/Awards/CEOY/CEOYWinners/ACF/Events/Awards/CEOY/Winners/.

More than 1,000 chefs, cooks, students and foodservice professionals attended the annual event. The 2014 ACF National Convention provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative workshops and seminars, cutting-edge demonstrations, a trade show featuring nearly 100 exhibitors, national competitions and ACF’s annual national awards.

2014 ACF National Convention Sponsors are: ACE Bakery, LLC; Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers, Inc.; American Technical Publishers; Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water; Barry Callebaut; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; Browne Foodservice; Campbell’s Culinary & Baking Institute; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Central Region State Beef Councils; Chef Rubber; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab®; Grey Poupon; Idaho® Potato Commission; Johnson & Wales University; Lactalis Foodservice; Lang Manufacturing Company; MINOR’S®; National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; Par-Way Tryson, makers of Vegalene®; Plant Based Foods, Inc.; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water; Sysco®; THE FRENCH’S FOOD COMPANY; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; US Foods; Valrhona; Victorinox Swiss Army; Villeroy & Boch; Vita Craft® Corporation; Vitamix® Corporation; Wayne Farms LLC; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

About the American Culinary Federation
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. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

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Editor’s note: To arrange interviews or request high-resolution photos, contact Chelsea Pillsbury at cpillsbury@acfchefs.net or (904) 484-0226, or Patricia Carroll at (904) 484-0247 or pcarroll@acfchefs.net.

Savannah Technical College serves Coastal Georgia with quality, market-driven technical education with campus locations in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. Serving more than 10,000 credit and non-credit students annually, Savannah Tech offers nearly 150 different instructional programs in Aviation Technology, Business and Professional Services, Industrial Technology, and Health Sciences in addition to Adult Education classes, industry-specific training and continuing education. The College serves as an economic and community development partner for the region, offering corporate and customized training and assessment programs for business and industry.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).