Introducing the 2028 ACF Culinary Team USA

Following two rounds of tryouts for the 2028 ACF Culinary Team USA (held in September at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and in November at the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati), the following ACF chefs were chosen:

ACF Chef Dave Blackburn, chef de cuisine, Fieldhouse Restaurant at Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa.

ACF Chef Jake Costantino, CCC, sous chef, FLIK Hospitality

ACF Chef Shannon Catalde, executive sous chef, Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh

ACF Chef Chase Grove, chef-instructor, Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Neb.

ACF Chef Danielle Hughes, CSC, chief culinary specialist, United States Coast Guard, Manhattan, N.Y.

ACF Chef Lionel Hughes, CEC, executive chef, Dunwood Country Club, Macon, Ga.

ACF Chef Paul Jensen, CEC, CCA, executive chef, Big Sky Resort, Montana

ACF Chef Anthony Jung, CEC, executive chef, University of Massachusetts Amherst/UMass Dining

ACF Chef Michael Lamping, CEC, executive chef, Dallas Athletic Club, Dallas

ACF Chef Jared Masters, executive chef, The Greenbrier Sporting Club, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

ACF Chef Chad Schoonveld, CEC, professor, Brookdale Community College, New Jersey

ACF Chef Maxwell Smith, a recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and head chef at LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville, Mass.

ACF Chef Yudel Torres, CEC, CEPC (Pastry), chef-instructor, The Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe University

Managers:

ACF Chef Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, AAC (Senior Advisor)

Chef Hofmeister is the foodservice director for The Pines at Davidson, a senior living community in North Carolina. A native of wine country in Rhineland Pfalz, Germany, Chef Hofmeister graduated at age 17 from a three-year culinary apprenticeship and hotel school in Germany and went on to work at five-star hotels throughout Europe, South Africa and the U.S. He worked for the Westin Hotels for 20 years and later established the Los Angeles Culinary Institute in Burbank, Calif., for which he served as president and CEO for eight years. Chef Hofmeister also founded the Las Vegas Culinary Institute and served as its academic director for four years. He’s a longtime ACF judge and past advisor for ACF Culinary Team USA and ACF Culinary Regional Team USA, having won multiple gold medals at the Culinary Olympics and other international culinary competitions.

ACF Chef David Turcotte, CEC, AAC (Manager)

Chef Turcotte is the executive chef and owner of AK Food Consulting based in Petersburg, Va., specializing in culinary training and introducing cutting-edge healthy products. As a retired sergeant major (SGM) for the U.S. Army, Chef Turcotte has served tours in Afghanistan, led culinary training at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia and once held the lead enlisted position at the Military Culinary School for the U.S. Armed Forces. Chef Turcotte was a member of the 1996, 1998 and 2000 U.S. National Military Culinary Olympic Teams and has won multiple medals from international competitions over the years, including dual gold medals at the 1998 Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg. He has also served two terms as ACF competition chair.

ACF Chef Alan Neace, CEC, AAC (Assistant Manager)

Chef Neace is a culinary instructor with the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in Cincinnati, where he also develops curriculum and coaches and manages the school’s student culinary competition team, which has won numerous medals. He earned an associate degree in applied business from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio. Chef Neace has led several properties as executive chef, including J. Thomas Catering Inc., Cincinnati; Coldstream Country Club, Cincinnati; and Hilton Hotels Corporation. He has amassed more than 30 ACF- and WACS-sanctioned national and international culinary competition medals.

Chef Brian Willis (Business Manager)

Chef Brian Willis brings a wealth of experience to his role as Business Manager, with a career spanning over two decades in the food service industry. Currently, he serves as a senior customer care representative at Givaudan Flavors. Chef Willis trained under Chef Neace at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State, where he honed his culinary skills. He also played a pivotal role as the local team manager for the 2008 and 2012 Culinary Olympics and the 2010 Culinary World Cup teams, contributing to their international success.

Click here for more information about ACF Culinary Team USA.