CAFÉ’s president, editor-in-chief of “Gold Medal Classroom,” reports on an important keynote presentation at the 11^th-annual Leadership Conference in Niagara Falls, N.Y., in June.

By Mary Petersen

Chef Christian De Vos (pictured), vice president of Food & Beverage and Guest Services for Delaware North Parks & Resorts based in Buffalo, N.Y., addressed attendees of the 2015 CAFÉ Leadership Conference at Niagara Falls Culinary Institute with a keynote presentation on June 20.

Three educators earned recognition and professional development for unleashing creativity in the culinary classroom at the 11th-annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) recognized secondary and postsecondary educators with the 2015 Idaho Potato Commission Innovation Awards at the 11th-annual Leadership Conference of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) in Niagara Falls, N.Y., in June.

According to the CIA-Harvard 2015 Menus of Change Annual Report, innovation and plant-forward menus are on the rise, but so are consumer confusion and climate and water impacts.

The 2015 Menus of Change Annual Report was released at the 3rd Annual Menus of Change® Leadership Summit, held for the first time at the Hyde Park, N.Y., campus of The Culinary Institute of America, which presents the initiative in partnership with Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

To fully harness the power of restaurant information, operators must first identify where they are on the learning curve and then plot a course to progress along it. While most operators aren’t behind the curve compared to their competition just yet, the landscape is changing, and playing offense is better than defense.

The North American Olive Oil Association launches a consumer initiative to boost the comparatively low—but greatly improved—per-capita U.S. consumption of 1 liter of olive oil per year.

California Avocados are at peak quality through August. When slightly mashed and slathered on toasted bread—which is trending right now—fresh avocados transform a breakfast side into a satisfying meal and provide foodservice with a springboard of creativity.

We avoid daily potential hurricanes or tsunamis in our restaurants by being well prepared, living and thriving on the quality of our mise en place and ability to adapt. Teaching physical, intellectual and emotional mise en place will help students become organized for any possibility.

Becoming unique, contemporary and benchmark setting defines a brand. Here’s a checklist to determine if your program is forward thinking or merely churning out graduates. Start by asking yourself, “How is my program perceived in the marketplace?”

Learning to act sustainably requires a mindset change, and long-term thinking must replace short-term thinking. Teaching why sustainability is so important now and in the future will arm your graduates with the power to make sound ecological decisions.

Kendall College is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Dina Altieri, CHE, CEC, CCE, to dean of the School of Culinary Arts. Previously, she was a chef-instructor and associate professor at the college for seven years.

“Chef Altieri is not only the consummate educator, but renowned nationally for her culinary and management skills in a wide range of foodservice operations,” says Emily Williams Knight, president of Kendall College. “Adored and looked up to by students and admired and respected by our faculty and administration, she is the ideal dean for the School of Culinary Arts as we celebrate our 30^th anniversary this year and embark on the next 30. Given her vision, passion, expertise and drive, Chicago’s—and the nation’s and world’s—culinary community looks forward to the positive impacts her leadership of our esteemed program will make on the domestic and global foodservice industry of tomorrow.”

Altieri was born in New York City and has worked in the foodservice industry for nearly a quarter century. She graduated as salutatorian from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1991, with an associate degree in occupational studies.

Building her career following graduation, Altieri cooked from coast to coast for multiple restaurants, catering operations and special events, including those of the famed James Beard House in New York and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood. She worked as sous chef at Fino in Torrance, Calif., and as executive sous chef at Descanso in Hermosa Beach, Calif., before becoming executive chef at More Than A Mouthful, Inc., in Los Angeles.