Kerr talked about developing a passion for
culinary nutrition and seeing a need for
restaurants to change their menus after
noting the effects of overconsumption of
food, resulting in debilitating disease.
He added, “The government is inching
its way into our industry,” noting that one
day it will demand that restaurants post
nutritional values. His goal is to come up
with a solution to this problem by 2015.
“There is a difference when the
information is made available to guests
and when it is forced on them,” Kerr said.
“When you ask to see the numbers, it’s
different than having them shoved on you,
because you are actually looking for them.”
As an industry, we’re responsible for the
problem, and we can fix it. Be a healing
agent in a hurting world.”
Carroll urged students to go after their
dreams, look for the positive in life and not
just be an average employee. “Rule No. 1 is
that if you don’t like your job, don’t change it,”
he said. “Nothing changes until you change.”
Charles Carroll, second from right, talks
with students and instructors at the
Johnson & Wales University Student Forum.
He shared several secrets to guaranteed
success, from “complete each job, each task,
above and beyond all expectations” to focus
on what you can control, want to learn the
job better than the one who teaches it, and
don’t let anyone dictate your success.
He left his audience with these words:
“Don’t exploit your customers, serve them.
Photos taken at the 2010 ACF National
Convention are available online to view
and purchase at www.flickr.com.
CONVENTION PHOTOS
ONLINE
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE continued from page 7
my career. Mentors help guide us and give
advice to help us make sound decisions.
It can be accomplished, so please read my
message to these young culinarians who
need our support. I will call on our senior
chef members and the esteemed members
of the American Academy of Chefs to
initiate and take the lead to implement this
program. If we do not work diligently on this,
we will be the ones to blame for an even
larger gap in our membership. I hope to
have a plan when I meet with leaders of the
Academy and the Senior Chefs Committee.
Once we establish the program, we will need
all of you—each and every member—to be
partners in our “foundation for the future.”
I know there has not been much talk
about the strategic plan over the past
year. Our goal is to communicate the five-
year plan to membership beginning with
our first regional conference in Atlanta in
February 2011. The strategic plan is for our
federation, and it will need approval by the
board of governors to assure that future
elected officers are held to task on the plan.
Finally, my president’s message in the fall
issue of Sizzle underlines my dedication to
late Gen X and Gen Y in the coming year.
It’s now or never, and we all need to rally
and commit to the importance of mentoring
and nurturing our “foundation for the future.”
These are tall orders, but I know we can
accomplish these goals together.
