News / Notes

 

Candy Wallace Honored as Distinguished Guest Chef of Sullivan University

 

Founder of premier organization of personal chefs inspires students to follow their dreams of culinary entrepreneurship

 

LOUISVILLE, KY., February 14, 2008 - Candy Wallace, executive director of the American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA), today was recognized by Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies as its 33rd Distinguished Guest Chef.

 

Wallace was presented to students, faculty and staff by Glenn Sullivan, president of the Sullivan University System, at a ceremony marking the event.

 

“It is a pleasure to give this award to Chef Wallace,” Sullivan said. “Her professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit are surely an inspiration to our students and faculty. We look ahead to greater collaboration with Chef Wallace and the APPCA.” As a Distinguished Guest Chef of Sullivan University—the first personal chef to be so honored—Wallace joins the ranks of such culinary luminaries as Ella Brennan, Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter and Martin Yan.

 

While on campus to receive her award, Wallace conducted three cooking demonstrations to more than 900 students, emphasizing “palate specific” meal preparation for clients in their homes with such flavorful and easy-to-serve dishes as chicken posole and apple meatloaf with Asian five-spice glaze. Wallace devoted special attention to proper storage of prepared foods to maintain food integrity and safety, as well as proper rethermalization at service. She also described the growing career-path opportunity and encouraged interested students to pursue with confidence a personal-chef business as a viable supplement or option to commercial cooking.

 

“The world is changing, and the way people eat is changing,” Wallace told students. “By catering to the individual flavor preferences and dietary needs of people representing all lifestyles, we provide a solution to what an increasing number of Americans lack the time and know-how to do: Create home-cooked meals that taste great, are a healthy alternative to fast food, and cost no more than dining out. In the process, personal chefs are bringing families together at mealtimes, which benefits American society as a whole. Never has there been a better time to pursue a career as a personal chef.”

 

Sullivan University’s honoring of Wallace as its Distinguished Guest Chef crowns an impressive list of recognitions bestowed upon Wallace from such organizations as the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), which named Wallace Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.

 

Wallace founded the American Personal Chef Association in 1996 as the first significant national effort to recognize the impact of personal chefs on Americans’ evolving lifestyles and to provide career and management training to those who aspire to become personal chefs with their own businesses. She pioneered strides that positioned personal chefs as culinary professionals, culminating in 2002 with a formal partnership with the American Culinary Federation to award certification to qualified personal chefs.

 

In 2006, Wallace earned additional industry accolades by being first to formally acknowledge the contributions of private chefs to American society, resulting in the renaming of her organization to the American Personal & Private Chef Association. Last year, John Wiley & Sons released the first definitive academic textbook on launching and operating a successful personal-chef business, The Professional Personal Chef, coauthored by Wallace and Greg Forte.

 

Aside from ceremonies honoring her as Sullivan University’s Distinguished Guest Chef, Wallace conducted an intensive train-the-trainer module with key Sullivan University faculty, the result of which will be a new certificate-granting program for Sullivan University students and alumnae interested in pursuing careers as personal chefs. The new program marks the first major alliance between APPCA and an internationally recognized postsecondary culinary program to award a certificate in personal-chef training.

 

Sullivan University, with a history in Louisville dating to 1856, awards certificates and associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in career-oriented programs ranging from business and logistics to dispute resolution and early-childhood education, and in 2008 will offer a doctoral degree in pharmacology. Its National Center for Hospitality Studies, whose culinary-arts school has received more than 360 national and international awards since 1982, offers degree programs in travel, tourism and event management, hotel and restaurant management, baking and pastry arts, professional catering and hospitality management. Enrollment in the National Center for Hospitality Studies is approximately 1,000 systemwide. For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.

 

The American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA), based in San Diego, promotes the “business of doing business” as a personal or private chef through ongoing peer interaction and education while fostering professionalism in all aspects of cookery. Through its Institute and education partners, APPCA offers sound training in establishing successful and fulfilling careers. For more information, call (800) 644-8389, e-mail contact@personalchef.com, or visit www.personalchef.com.

 

Tom Hickey, director of Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies; Candy Wallace, executive director of the American Personal & Private Chef Association; and Kimberley Jones, chair of Sullivan University’s professional-catering degree program; during ceremonies honoring Wallace as Sullivan University’s 33rd Distinguished Guest Chef on February 14, 2008.