ACF Charlotte President’s Ball Boasts Big Attendance
Tom Stroozas, ACF Charlotte
The 38th annual ACF Charlotte President’s Ball is now in the history books. This year’s event, held at the Charlotte Marriott Center City Hotel on Sunday, January 31, was a foodie’s delight and featured great cuisine, fellowship, awards, and scholarships. And for the second year in a row – snow and ice!
Congratulations to ACF Charlotte’s Chef of the Year, Geoff Blount, CEPC, from CPCC, and Yossi Shem-Avi, of US Foodservice, on being awarded the Associate of the Year for the second year in a row! In addition, the following were awarded Distinguished Service Awards for their significant unselfish contributions to the industry: Biriam Thompson, Community Culinary School of Charlotte; Chris Jones, SYSCO Food Services of Charlotte; Ashley McGee, CEC, Johnson & Wales University; Mike Henninger, Low Country Shellfish; Jean Pierre Marechal, Marriott Center City Hotel; and Michael Rosen, CEC, Charlotte Motor Speedway. And this year’s recipient of the Joseph P. Jarmatcki Jr. Presidential Award for community service was Philip Lloyd, CEC, from the Country Club of Salisbury.
ACF Charlotte presented its first-ever Mary Margaret Traxler Hospitality Scholarship and several industry partner scholarships to deserving local culinary students. A total of $6,500 in scholarships was awarded to the following students: Christopher Lee, Beth Thompson-Peace, Sandra Birmingham, and Tequilis Knox, who will be continuing their culinary and hospitality education at Central Piedmont Community College. Special thanks again to SYSCO Food Services of Charlotte and US Foodservice for their continued scholarship partnerships.
The theme for this year’s ball, “Southern Fare with Charlotte Flair,” was sponsored in part by North Carolina Bank and Trust. In addition to acknowledging SYSCO Charlotte and US Foodservice for being scholarship partners, we’re also grateful for the additional sponsorships from S&D Coffee, Piedmont Natural Gas, Advance Food Company, and PreGel America. Special thanks go out to Chef Jean Pierre Marechal of the Marriott, Chef Philip Lloyd from the Country Club of Salisbury, and Chef Michael Rosen from Charlotte Motor Speedway, who co-chaired the event.
Special thanks to chefs Jeff LaBarge (CPCC), Doug Allen (Premier Hospitality), and Mark Martin (Art Institute of Charlotte), who continued this year’s scholarship committee and for their efforts to review the plethora of scholarship applications and making the tough decisions.
Again, special thanks go out to our sponsors who helped make this year’s event one of Charlotte’s best in recent memory! But most of all, thanks to those who attended in support of ACF Charlotte and what our chapter contributes to our community, for without your support it just would not happen. |
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