Established in 1929, with 150 chapters nationwide, the goal of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) is to be the leader in professional and personal development for the culinary community promoting current culinary techniques and preserving the history and skills of the culinary craft.
It’s estimated that nearly 25% of the association is made of up of country club or resort chefs.*
In 1976, ACF changed the culinary industry by elevating the position of the executive chef from that of service status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Dictionary of Official Titles.
ACF’s comprehensive culinary certification program, recognized throughout the industry as the standard for excellence in professional skills and knowledge, includes 16 certification levels. The “certified” designation makes the chef a more valuable candidate for hiring and promotion which not only enhances personal growth but can help increase his or her salary.
Culinarians achieve certification based on education, experience, and successful completion of written and practical exams. The accreditation designation applies to both chef and pastry chef positions, and training can include both in-person college-level courses and online courses.
Beyond the U.S., ACF is also home to the famed ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions.
On Team USA 2020, club and resort chefs are well represented with five chefs of the seven total team members hailing from clubs. Team USA 2020 team members include:
- Team Captain: Gerald Ford, CMC, Executive Chef of The Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill, Ga. (See Chef’s Thoughts with Gerald Ford)
- Team Chef: Paul Kampff, Executive Chef of St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis.
- Team Chef: Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club, Fairfield, Conn.
- Team Chef: Jesus Olmedo, Assistant Banquet Chef, The Country Club, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
- Team Chef: Timothy Recher, CEC, Director of Clubhouse Operations at Quail West Golf & Country Club, Naples, Fla.
Additional team members include:
- Team Pastry Chef: Kelsee Newman, CEPC, Pastry Arts Instructor at Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Alternate: Vanessa Marquis, CEC, Executive Chef of the Silo Event Center and Core Brands in Brands, Tampa, Florida
For history, certification programs, chapter locations and more, visit ACFchefs.org.
*Based on 2018 membership profiles.
