ACF CLEVELAND AKRONCANTON CHAPTER (OH011)

// By John Bartimole

The way Chef Derek Ivancic, CEC , sees it, one of his major roles as president of the ACF Cleveland chapter is to constantly seek out new ways to include more and more chefs — both experienced and up-and-coming — as members in the group’s events and programming.

“It’s easy to get an established chef who works for a big company or restaurant to join our chapter, but so much of our future growth — and the growth of our profession — depends on how we get the young line chef, the individual just starting out in the business, to join our chapter,” he says.

Toward that end, Chef Ivancic and his board try to have as many events free of charge as possible — and to make many of those programs educational in nature. So far this year, the chapter has only had to charge for one event thanks to reserves and donations.

“Like most other chapters, we took a bit of a hit during COVID, losing about 20% of our members, and most of those we lost were the younger students from Tri-C Community College,” Chef Ivancic says. “Membership is part of their tuition, and when their enrollment took a hit, it influenced our membership, too. However, as COVID has somewhat receded, we are gaining members monthly.”

The chapter also saw some membership attrition from more experienced chefs, “but we have reached out to them, and we are bringing them back as their businesses recover and are returning to near-normal,” Chef Ivancic says.

Memberships & Mergers

Formed in 1960, the chapter at press time had 190 members, with attendance hovering at around 40 per meeting.

Chef Ivancic says the chapter has some high school teachers as members and is involved with some accredited high school programs. “And we’re definitely involved when there’s a skill competition in the area,” he says.

Upgrading the chapter’s social media presence, particularly on Facebook, has also been a strategy to recruit new — and younger — members. “We’ve seen very positive results from social media,” Chef Ivancic says. “That really helps to push things out there and exposes us to a younger audience.”

The ACF Cleveland chapter also recently merged with the neighboring ACF chapters of Akron and Canton, which has helped bolster its financial strength, add more members and provide more far-reaching events.

“Akron has always done a great job with its Veterans Day dinner, and we’re absolutely keeping that alive,” Chef Ivancic says. “We are taking a look at all the great things [Akron and Canton] have done and working to find ways to keep those events going and improving.”

The ACF Cleveland Chapter Board

President

• Derek Ivancic, CEC Vice President

• C laudia Diaz, CC Vice President

• Pamela Mock, HAAC Immediate Past President/Chair

• John Selick, CEC, CCA, AAC Secretary

• Bradley Ball, CEC (Certification Chair) Treasurer

• X avier Smith, CEC Board Member

• Thomas Capretta, CEC Board Member

• R ené Rawraway, CEC, CCE, AAC (Bylaw and Procedure Committee Chair)

Sergeant at Arms

• Jonathan Phillip Barger

Events & Charities

A key theme for many of the chapter’s events, Chef Ivancic says, is education. “We have 10 or 11 meetings each year, and a focus on many of them is education,” he says. We are fortunate to have strong relationships with our vendors, and they help us not only financially but sometimes in helping to identify topics of interest to our chefs.”

Chef Ivancic and his board focus on providing value for chapter membership.

For example, the chapter recently held a raffle auctioning off free hotel registration for the ACF convention in Las Vegas in July. Prior to that, the chapter held a certified evaluator course. “We’re booked through the end of the year with events,” says Chef Ivancic, who was recognized at convention with the Dr. L. J. Minor Chef Professionalism Northeast Region Award. Longtime Cleveland chapter member Chef John Selick, CEC, CCA, AAC, received a Presidential Medallion at convention.

In June, the chapter held a family cookout at which chefs and families were invited to mingle and network. In July, attendees were treated to a tour of Rainbow Farms, a family-owned farm in Ohio where more than 40 different varieties of fruits and vegetables are grown.

At press time, a pastry demonstration by ACF Pastry Chef Susan Notter, CEPC, the current pastry chef advisor for ACF Culinary Team USA, was scheduled for August. In September, the chapter will host the Certification Practical Exam, and in November, the chapter will host a tour of a local baking enterprise, Orlando Baking Company in Cleveland.

One of the chapter’s headline events is its President’s Lunch in October. “This is one we always sell out,” Chef Ivancic says. “We usually have between 150 to 175 people at this program.”

The chapter also focuses many of its efforts on charitable events. It has forged a close relationship with the local Ronald McDonald House; Chef Ivancic at press time was in the midst of developing a special event to aid that organization.

All with a focus on finding new ways to recruit members, offer value for membership and continue to nurture the culinary profession in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area.