PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Michael Ty, CEC, AAC
Right Place, Right Time
Read this message, and I guarantee it will
help you to maximize your planning for this
year’s national convention at the Gaylord
Texan in Grapevine, Texas. We have many
gifts and surprises for you, if you happen to
be in the right place at the right time. Don’t
miss the opportunity to be awarded one of
these gifts, but to win, you must be present.
The Gaylord Texan’s hospitality promises
to be outstanding. Executive resort chef
Ty Thoren and his culinary brigade are
prepared to welcome us with culinary
delights at our meal functions. Included
in the room rate is access to the spa and
fitness center, free Wi-Fi and two bottles of
water in the room daily.
Friday, July 22, is our first full day, and we
kick off with our second annual Chefs
Outreach to the Community. This is an
opportunity for chefs to reach out to the
local community and help educate children
and their families about cooking for a
healthier lifestyle.
Later that day, network with colleagues
at the Put Your Best Boots Forward
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack and Michael Ty at the
introduction of the MyPlate food icon in
Washington, D.C., June 2.
Icebreaker hosted by Texas Chefs
Association. The diverse menu will feature
foods from the different regions of the
Lone Star State, and there will be strolling
entertainment and a “Best Boots” contest.
Back by popular demand is the General
Session breakfast. A sit-down breakfast is at
6: 30 a.m. sharp Saturday, so please join us
bright and early so that we can begin General
Session at 7: 30 a.m. We will feature a new
two-day format for General Session: the
opening session will be held Saturday morning,
and the closing session, Monday morning.
The opening session features State of
the ACF reports from the immediate
past president, the ACF Certification
Commission and ACF Culinary Team USA.
Kevan Vetter, manager with McCormick for
Chefs, and Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC,
associate dean at The Culinary Institute of
America, will demonstrate flavor profiles
and development.
Monday’s closing session will feature keynote
speaker Sam Kass, White House assistant
chef and senior policy advisor for healthy
food initiatives for first lady Michelle Obama,
who will highlight the Chefs Move to Schools
program and the Let’s Move! campaign.
Also, representatives of the four regional
chapters of the year will talk about their
chapters’ successes. We will present awards
and recognitions, hold the swearing-in of the
2011-2013 Board of Directors and present
the Vision of ACF for the next administration.
Saturday evening, support the students
who will take part in the inaugural Student
Culinarian Invitational. Six student teams,
including one from Canada, will prepare
Alton Brown and Michael Ty at Johnson &
Wales University, Charlotte, N.C., where teams
of hospital chefs competed to promote healthy
cooking and eating in the state’s hospitals.
indigenous foods of their regions. Tickets
are $40 each, and can be purchased
online. Tickets are limited, and all proceeds
from ticket sales will be used to help
these students attend the 2012 World
Association of Chefs Societies Congress in
South Korea.
Historic Grapevine is ideal for a family
vacation, and offers unique opportunities
for shopping, winery tours and even a
sightseeing train ride. Downtown Dallas
is approximately 30 minutes away. And
there is much to do at the beautiful Gaylord
Texan, which, in addition to a spa and
fitness center, has a brand-new pool with a
lazy river. The Gaylord Texan is located on
Lake Grapevine, which offers boating and
other recreational activities.
The annual spouses brunch, sponsored by
the American Academy of Chefs, will be held
at The Fort Worth Club, where executive
chef and former ACF Culinary Team USA
member Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, will host
the attendees Monday. Tickets are available
for purchase online. The Academy dinner will
be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas,
Sunday evening.
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