“Dean Koetke is so deserving of the Pathfinder award,” said Melissa Kogut, Chef Collaborative’s executive director. “Through his tireless outreach efforts across the country, he has helped chefs embark on their own sustainability journey, educators integrate sustainability into their curricula, and students train to be a transformative force in making sustainability mainstream throughout the foodservice industry.”

“This honor was unexpected, but gratefully accepted,” said Koetke. “At Kendall, we began our sustainability journey about five years ago. Today, it is a cornerstone of our mission and integral to both our curriculum and operations. We are proud to be able to share our knowledge and that of other experts through our national outreach program.”

Koetke has taught at Kendall College School of Culinary Arts since January 1998 and was named dean in 2005. Earlier this year, he added the title of vice president of the Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts. Kendall College is a member of the Laureate International Universities network.

With Koetke’s guidance, Kendall launched its sustainability program in 2005. In 2007, the school was honored with the Green Award presented by Foodservice Consultants Society International, the first ever presented to a culinary-training program. In 2008, Kendall expanded its sustainability commitment to provide education to the broader foodservice industry and was named an official educational partner of the National Restaurant Association Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative in 2009. Today, Koetke is recognized as an expert on sustainability, and is in demand as a speaker at industry conferences across the country. Koetke also sits on the NRA’s Conserve Action Council.

Certified by the American Culinary Federation as an executive chef (CEC) and culinary educator (CCE), Koetke is a board member of the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission, Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, International Foodservice Editorial Council, and a founding board member of the Greater Midwestern Foodways Association. He is also the host of the Emmy-nominated cooking show, “Let’s Dish,” on the LiveWell HD television network. Koetke is co-author of The Culinary Professional (Goodheart-Willcox Publishers, 2010), a comprehensive introductory high-school culinary-arts textbook. In 2009, he was named Cooking Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.