Cheryl Lewis, CCC, CCE, chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Las Vegas, Named
Cheryl Lewis, CCC, CCE, chef instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, was named the best culinary educator in the Western region, according to the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Lewis received the ACF Western region Chef Educator of the Year award at ChefConnect: Hawaii, April 3-5, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.
“I am honored to receive the regional Chef Educator of the Year award, which recognizes my devotion to the craft, to culinary arts education and to the students I teach,” said Lewis. “I am excited to continue playing the long game as a culinary arts educator. I strive to create an environment where students are engaged as citizens rather than tourists. Rather than addressing only technical skills, I give students an opportunity to create a student-driven democracy where creativity, diversity, self-discipline, organizational policies and safety are respected.”
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. As the ACF Western region recipient, Lewis is a candidate to receive the national award at Cook. Craft. Create., Phoenix, July 15-19.
Lewis’ teaching experience includes culinary arts instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas, Dallas; culinary arts instructor, Alaska Culinary Academy at AVTEC, Seward, Alaska; professor, culinary arts and hospitality management, Collin College, Frisco, Texas; and culinary educator, Galveston College, Galveston, Texas. She trained as a line cook at 21 Club, New York; and Four Seasons Hotel Houston, Houston; working her way through the ranks. Lewis has a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts management from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. She has organized and coached five consecutive ACF student competition teams. In 2014, she received an Educator of the Year award from Career Education Corporation in the Academic Leadership category for Career Schools. Lewis is a member of ACF Chefs Las Vegas.
More than 350 chefs, students and foodservice professionals attended ChefConnect: Hawaii. The conference was part of ACF’s Signature Series, which provides educational and networking opportunities for culinary industry professionals and students. Learn more about the conference at www.acfchefs.org/EventSeries, on Twitter @ACFChefs, #ChefConnect or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs.
Sponsors of ChefConnect: Hawaii were: Minor’s®; Custom Culinary®; Unilever Food Solutions; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; Vitamix; Ecolab; Allen Brothers; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board; American Technical Publishers; Don Miller & Associates, Inc. (DM&A); Par-Way Tryson Company; The Beef Checkoff; Jones Dairy Farm; and Valrhona.
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 more than 17,500 members spanning nearly 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association 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.
