MICHIGAN CHEFS DE CUISINE ASSOCIATION MI102

By John Bartimole

One of the ACF’s larger chapters — the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association (MCCA, headquartered in Detroit) — held on during the rocky past couple of years and has emerged ready to surge in 2023. The association was founded in 1970 by Master Chef Milos Cihelka, CMC, AAC, whose vision it was to create one of the most prestigious professional associations in the nation. The chapter consists of about 450 members.

“Thankfully we didn’t lose membership during COVID,” says Chef James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC, the chapter’s president.

Always important to any chapter’s membership, Chef Kokenyesdi says, is the recruitment and retention of younger chefs. “We lost a couple of college programs during COVID. At one time, we had 10 ACF-accredited culinary programs in our schools. We need to make a strong effort to recruit younger chefs and to continue to promote culinary as a profession to young people.”

Networking Activities

Activity-wise, the chapter is almost back to where it was pre-COVID-19. “We certainly lost meetings [during COVID],”

Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Obviously, we weren’t having in-person events, and Zoom meetings just didn’t seem to appeal to our members. For our in-person meetings, we used to have 150 chefs in attendance. Zoom just didn’t work for most of them, however.”

In addition to monthly meetings, in the past, the chapter has provided other networking opportunities, such as golf outings, an annual holiday party for members and families and more. The chapter has also hosted culinary “salons” so that students, as well as seasoned professionals, can stretch their culinary creativity to the maximum in competition. These salons offered the opportunity to demonstrate skills, as well as learn techniques. The chapter has also sponsored teams competing in the IKA Culinary Olympics, taking place every four years in Germany.

“No doubt, we’re active again,” Chef Kokenyesdi adds. “During COVID, we fluttered a bit, But at our most recent meeting, we had great attendance. We are definitely heading in the right direction.”

Charitable Work

One of the stated goals of the organization is to support charitable causes, such as its own scholarship fund. But the association does much more than that. It has worked with the Cranbrook Academy to raise funds for the academy and culinary scholarship. The association also has worked with the Children's Hospital of Michigan Auxiliary to raise money for neonatal intensive care equipment. Chefs have participated in the Grand Marnier Chef’s Ski Race to raise money for COTS (Coalition of Temporary Shelter). Members host events to support the ACFEF’s Chef and Child program and a local Detroit shelter for abused women and children. Recently, members hosted a fundraiser for a fellow culinarian who became disabled and was without health insurance. Most recently, the chapter hosted a fundraiser with Great Lakes Supply Co. that netted $70,000 for local charitable organizations.

One of the chapter’s most successful fundraisers, the Ford Field Project, helps to bring high-level visibility. The chapter provides ServSafe-certified culinarians, chefs and cooks to review each of the foodservice operations throughout Ford Field during events held at the Detroit stadium. “Many of those offering food there are run by nonprofits who may not have the expertise to make sure their food is prepared and preserved properly,” says Chef Kokenyesdi. The chapter works with Levy Restaurants (Compass Group), which oversees food operations at Ford Field, and with city of Detroit sanitarians to ensure food safety throughout the building.

Compass Group pays the chapter $200 for each qualified chef, with a $75 stipend given to each chef for travel and such. The remaining $125 goes to the chapter’s scholarship fund, for a total of about $8,000 per year.

“Typically, our chefs work a four- to six-hour shift beginning before each game and ending shortly after the event has started,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Chefs are then free to either attend the event or leave — their choice.

“By doing this, we network with the sanitarians and work with the nonprofits to provide professional sanitation expertise, to ensure food safety and to help the organizations correct and understand any problems they may have.”

“We also partner with the Michigan Restaurant Association, because we believe we all have to work together,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Especially with today’s challenges, it’s important to work with other similar organizations.”

Education and Certification

Education and certification have always been mainstays for the chapter, as the chapter prides itself on the number of CECs it has in its membership. “We offer certification exams in four or five different locations, on an as-need basis,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “We are proud of the availability we provide for the certification exams.”

Chef Kokenyesdi says the chapter already has two to three certifications planned by April and is in full planning mode to hold culinary competitions in the spring.

With COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, the path ahead for the chapter looks strikingly similar to its 50-year heritage of education and service to its members and the community.

Chef Kokenyesdi, who was recently re-elected for another term, says, “I’m eager to work with the new board to address some of the things we couldn’t address during COVID.”

The Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Officers

President

Chef James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC, Fraser High School

Treasurer

Chef Julie Selonke, CEC, Culinary Studies Institute at Oakland Community College

First Vice President, Communications/Social Media

Chef Alexander Termos, CEC, Walnut Creek Country Club

First Vice President, Communications/Social Media

Chef Jake Williams, CEC, Chef Jake's Catering

Second Vice President

Chef John Miller, CEC, CCA, AAC

Secretary

Chef Frank Turchan, CEC, University Of Michigan

Chair of the American Academy of Chefs

Chef Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, Michigan State University

Trustee; Chef Of The Year And Golf Outing Chair; Scholarship Chair, Finance Committee Chair

Chef Randall Smith, CEC, US Foods

Trustee

Chef Gerneil Franklin, CEC, CCA, AAC, Henry Ford Hospital

Trustee

Chef John Piazza, CEC, CCA, CCE, Soil2Service, Inc.; Detroit Institute Of Gastronomy; EdibleWOW; Adesso, Inc.

Associate Member Chair

Chef Roger Kreager, Chef Source

Chairman Emeritus; Board Advisor

Chef Kevin Enright, CEC, CCE, AAC

Sergeant of Arms

Chef James Niewolak, CCC