The Culinary Institute of America and Hormel Foods Announce the 16 Chefs Chosen for Their Third Culinary Leadership Class

Media Contacts:

Stacy Mitchell, Hormel Foodservice
JT Mega
952-929-1370
smitchell@jtmega.com

Stephan Hengst, CIA
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu

Austin, MN – The successful Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program (CEIP), a collaboration between The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Foodservice Division of Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) has announced the 16 students who will comprise its CEIP Class of 2014. The students, who hail from 12 different states, represent foodservice operations in both the commercial and non-commercial segments ranging from multi-unit restaurants to universities to hospitals and senior living. Their 18-month journey of culinary excellence will begin April 16, 2013. CEIP is the only professional development program to offer advanced management training specifically designed for skilled chefs.

Now beginning its third session, CEIP received a record number of applications for the Class of 2014, attesting to both the heightened awareness and effectiveness of the program. While the minimum requirement for entry into the program is five years of professional experience, each of this year's chosen chefs has at least 15 years in the field.

"The whole CEIP program is about enrichment and innovation. In our previous graduating classes we've seen how the participants use the information they've learned to better their menus, to challenge their purchasing position, and to try to get better products into their establishments," said Dave Kamen, project manager of CIA Consulting and newly appointed CEIP program director.

While the previous CEIP sessions were held at one or two of the CIA's campuses, the Class of 2014 will be the first to attend modules at all three of The Institute's North American facilities: St. Helena, CA (Module 1), San Antonio, TX (Module 2), and Hyde Park, NY (Modules 3 and 4). This will give the class the unique opportunity to experience the seasonal differences in the CIA's programs across the country, as well as being exposed to a wider array of Certified Master Chefs.

The program's objective is to teach an elite group of professional chefs how to identify, practice, and master the necessary skills for culinary leadership and innovation. CEIP participants gather for three intense days every six months, disconnecting from their daily responsibilities as senior level chefs and immersing themselves in lectures, homework, hands-on kitchen work, and one-to-one dialogue with fellow chefs and visiting guest lecturers. Consisting of four academic and experiential modules, CEIP covers a range of topics, including global flavor traditions; ethical responsibilities of healthful, flavorful food preparation; leadership and innovation; and menu R&D as a collaboration of culinary arts, consumer behavior, food science, and management. This year's participants will explore everything from the relationships among the five senses, to principles of Modernist Cuisine. They'll also tour a local farm and winery, create food focused on world flavor traditions to better understand its profit potential, and explore novel approaches to developing new applications that help differentiate their operation.

The educational modules of CEIP were originally created in 2008 for the inaugural CEIP class, but have steadily evolved since that time to reflect changes in the foodservice industry.

Among those attending will be several chefs from colleges and universities, including University of Southern California Executive Chef Eric Ernest, who oversees menus and training for 40 unique locations on two campuses; and Boston College Associate Director of Food and Beverage Michael Kann whose pre-culinary school biochemistry background gives him unique insights into food. Attending from the healthcare segment is Christina Bodanza, executive chef at Watermark Retirement Communities, who is also certified as a Dementia Practitioner by The National Council of Dementia Practitioners; and Justin Johnson, executive chef at the University of Wisconsin Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center who revolutionized foodservice in a local retirement home and is in the process of doing the same at a hospital. Others in the class include Mary Grace Viado Howard, corporate executive chef at the 11-unit Village Tavern restaurants, who was challenged with ensuring the food made with local ingredients at the chain's Philippine location tasted the same as its American counterpart; and Martin Pfefferkorn, executive chef of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, an Austrian-born chef who had extensive experience working in European hotels before coming to the U.S. to live in the Upper Midwest, Southwest, and Southeast.

"We want to help these chefs see the world a bit differently, so they can bring a broader vision and wider horizons to their organizations, and ultimately the industry at large," said Bill Dion, product innovation team leader for the Foodservice Division of Hormel Foods. The company is a co-founder of the program and has underwritten the development of the curriculum. It also sponsors the tuition for each of the participating students. "We feel we're helping to prepare today's best and brightest chefs for leadership in our industry," Dion said. For more information on the program and the Class of 2014, please visit www.ceipinfo.com.

Class of 2014

Eric Barnachea, Marvell Technology Group
Christina Bodanza, Watermark Retirement Communities
William Brizzolara, North Carolina State University
Stephen Bryant, Treat America Food Service
William Claypool ,Vanderbilt University
Todd Daigneault, Overlook Medical Center – Atlantic Health Care
Eric Ernest, University of Southern California
Peter Hesse, Wilderness Country Club
Mary Grace, Viado Howard Village Tavern, Inc.
Justin Johnson, UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center
Michael Kann, Boston College
Michael Kiley, North Shore – LIJ Health System/Glen Cove Hospital
Kurt Kwiatkowski, Michigan State University
Steven Miller, Cornell University
Angelo Mojica, UNC Healthcare
Martin Pfefferkorn, Hyatt Regency Atlanta

About Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, MN, is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders, and was named one of "The 100 Most Trustworthy Companies" by Forbes in 2010. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value.

For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com.

About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as certificate programs in culinary arts, Latin cuisines, and wine and beverage studies. As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines & cultures through research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 45,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Johnny Iuzzini, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.

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