APPCA Visits Johnson & Wales University.
In mid-November, Candy Wallace, executive director of APPCA, met with Master Chef Karl Guggenmos, AAC, university dean of culinary education for Johnson & Wales University's College of Culinary Arts, in Providence, R.I., to discuss ways in which the association and America's professional personal chefs might work in tandem with the recognized leader in career education representing more than 5,000 culinary students at four campuses nationwide. Wallace also discussed planned innovations to APPCA's certification program with Guggenmos, who serves as chair of the American Culinary Federation's Certification Commission. (APPCA is the only organization to offer third-party professional certification of personal chefs, through ACF.) While at J&W, Wallace answered questions from bachelor-degree students on the personal-chef career path, toured the university's renowned Culinary Archives and Museum, and consulted with department chair Suzanne Vieira, MS, RD, LDN, on promoting APPCA's successful business tools to prospective personal chefs seeking culinary-nutrition degrees, and APPCA member and chef Douglas Stuchel, culinary team lead and co-op employment specialist, on helping students and alumni discover APPCA's wealth of educational and business-building support. Says Wallace, the warm reception and sincere hospitality she received from the university speaks to Johnson & Wales' standing among culinary-training programs nationwide as well as its leadership in recognizing the tremendous interest in personal-chef careers among culinary-arts students and graduates.