Sysco-sponsored program awards four foodservice educators with top national honors

Four Educators Receive Top National Honors in Sysco-Sponsored Program At 11th Annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference

Two secondary and two postsecondary educators earn recognition for distinction in training professional cooks of tomorrow

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 20, 2015 – Four foodservice educators from across the United States were recently honored as the best in their field in the 2015 CAFÉ/Sysco Corporation Educator of the Year Awards at the 11th Annual Leadership Conference of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ), in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice distributor, is in the first year of supporting this annual award, which acknowledges the tremendous industry contributions of foodservice instructors throughout the United States. The recipients—who received endorsements from their administrators, program and industry colleagues, and former and current students—are trained chefs with commercial work experience prior to teaching. They also are distinguished by their respective professional certifications and industry honors. They are:

Postsecondary Educator of the Year—Annmarie K. Chelius, CHE, CCE, CWPC, chef-instructor, Atlantic Cape Community College Academy of Culinary Arts, Mays Landing, N.J.

Runner-up, Postsecondary category—Adam Weiner, CFSE, director of culinary training, JobTrain, Menlo Park, Calif.

Secondary Educator of the Year—Faith Jennetta, CEPC, coordinator and baking instructor, Culinary, Pastry Arts & Hospitality Management, Technology Center of DuPage, Addison, Ill.

Runner-up, Secondary category—Matthew Williams, culinary-arts team leader, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, Upton, Mass.

Each category’s top recipient received a $1,500 grant. All four recipients received a commemorative plaque from Sysco Corporation and complimentary full registration to the 2015 CAFÉ Leadership Conference at Niagara Falls Culinary Institute in Niagara Falls, N.Y., June 18-20.

“Sysco is pleased to be part of honoring the educators who train the professionals who, in turn, will shape the future of American dining,” said Neil Doherty, Sysco’s director of culinary development. “These four educators are among the foodservice industry’s unsung heroes. They wield immense influence to ensure that the foods we enjoy away from home are of high quality and prepared expertly and safely. By sharing their knowledge and skills, foodservice educators spur innovation and interest on featured menus in every industry segment—from catering, healthcare and higher education to fast casual, casual upscale and fine dining, as well as in the realms of nutrition and research and development.”

Deadline to apply for 2016 CAFÉ/Sysco Corporation Educator of the Year Awards is April 1, 2016 (postmarked). Awards will be presented at the 12th-annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference at Kendall College in Chicago next June. Complete application info will post at www.CafeMeetingPlace.com in upcoming months.

About Sysco
Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company operates 194 distribution facilities serving approximately 425,000 customers. For fiscal year 2014 that ended June 28, 2014, Houston-based Sysco generated sales of more than $46 billion. Connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoCorporation and Twitter at www.twitter.com/Sysco. For more info, visit www.Sysco.com.

About the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ)
Founded in 2002, CAFÉ links the foodservice classroom to the foodservice industry to provide needed resources to educators so that they may more successfully train students for vibrant, fulfilling careers in the ever-evolving hospitality industry. Through its web portal, online magazine “The Gold Medal Classroom,” annual Leadership Conference, Deans and Directors Retreat and regional skills workshops nationwide, CAFÉ is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of highly specialized professionals who wear two hats as culinarians and teachers. For more info, visit www.CafeMeetingPlace.com.