Okay, so it's been a week and a half since the Summit and I'm just now getting around to putting in my 2 cents-- sometimes that's the way my life goes! Anyway, I've been wanting to add my thoughts and my thankfulness for having attended. The workshops were great and I gained some very valuable information. I especially liked the one on the press kit by Jane Sears Thompson. She had great info to share. However, what I gained most from the conference was encouragement and motivation to keep doing what I'm doing. It was so wonderful to be with so many other PC's who really "get it"! I haven't been in contact with many other PC's (though I'm going to try my hand at getting a local chapter going again at some point here in Kansas City) and it was such a blessing to interact with everyone who was there. It was also my first time to meet Candy and that was an honor in and of itself. She is even more wonderful in person than on the phone!
 
Kendri Burkett
Just in Thyme

What can be said about this Summit other than WOW!!!!!!!!!

The Nor Cal Chapter under the direction of Chef Dane Mechlin (APCA Chef of the Year) did and incredible job of feeding us at the opening reception.

The kitchen staff, under the direction of Chef De Cuisine Larry did everything in their power to accommodate us.

The education was once again top notch.

Chef Walter Bronowitz and Brent Frei from ACF challenged us with their inspiring presentations on "Standards", and "Image".

The opportunities to become certified were expanded with the participation of Stephen Viau, the certification chair for IACP. It was an honor to get to sit on a panel with Stephen, Chef Bronowitz, and Brent Frei.

Chef Brian Boots, Gord, and the rest of those on the Ethics Committee did and outstanding job of hammering out a Code of Ethics that will take us to the next level as an organization and industry. I look forward to signing up.

Saturday brought more incredible educational opportunities from Nicole Aloni, Shellie Kark, and the like. I wish I was more awake, but staying up until 3AM smoking those ribs, and then awaking at 7AM To finish them was killer.

Yes Jim Davis won the BBQ Cookoff, in spite of my attempt to bribe the judges. I would have been willing to lose to anybody but Jim, (you know I love you Jim) Hope you dried out.

I met some incredible new people like Terry Henderson,John Deatcher, Karis, Kim, Carol, Sharon, Jeanne, and so many more.

Those of you who were unable to attend should start saving your pennies now for Minneapolis. The money spent on attending a Summit is the best investment that a PC can make, from the veteran to the beginner.

I hope all of you who attended will share your experience and comments with the rest of us.

Thanks APCA Staff for a wonderful job.

Chef Ira Michaelson, CCC
Your Personal Gourmet
www.yourpersonalgourmet.com

The summit this year was incredible. I had a great time in San Diego. I want to thank all of those who participated and presented. Chef Ira and Chef Gabriel did a GREAT job for their presentation. Thanks to all of the sponsors. It was great to meet new people and see old friends. I look forward to seeing you all in Minneapolis.

Chef Brian H. Boots

It was at the Orlando Summit last year that Chef Brian Boots pointed out that we are the industry leaders by virtue of one simple fact: we lead.

The Summit this year was themed "Driving the Industry: Setting the Standard". Catchy enough by itself, but I didn't really put Chef Brian's words into this perspective until the opening general session.

Chef Walter Bronowitz - American Culinary Federation Regional Vice President and American Academy of Chefs member, longtime culinary instructor, and a man of truly amazing professionalism - took to the stage and talked about standards.

He discussed how, despite the fact the ACF had existed since 1929 it wasn't until some 40 years later that the ACF got the term "chef" taken from the category of domestic servant and moved to its own category as a professional occupation. He talked about how standards are important in the development of professionalism and prestige.

And more importantly about how standards, once met, become inadequate and a new level must be reached. The bar must be raised.

Brent Frei - ACF's national Director of Marketing, long-time culinary journalist, and an incredibly sensitive and intelligent man with a deep passion for the professionalism of the culinary industry - followed Chef Walter and discussed the evolving image of the chef - image is everything. Although the common perception of chef often now includes a formal culinary training program, Mr. Frei assured me in conversation afterward that this is absolutely not the case - but I had that figured out already from these two great men.

I thought back to the ACF National conventions I have attended, and my private thoughts about how having all these people calling each other Chef and wearing whites everywhere was kind of...um, well... unnecessary.

After the first two Summit speakers, however, a new perspective was forming.

I had the pleasure of closing out the first day with the announcement of the Personal Chef International Code of Ethics - what I thought was the end of a process that began in Orlando.

At some point before taking the stage I got thinking about what Chef Brian, Chef Walter, and Mr. Frei said and this new perspective started setting in.

We are the leaders because we lead.

We set standards which are destined to become inadequate because we ourselves will raise the bar as we meet them.

We have travelled, in less than ten years, to a place of professional acceptance by a community of our culinary peers who took some 40 years to get that same acceptance themselves. Image is everything.

However, in my newly-formed perspective, a positive or glossy image is nothing but an empty shell if it isn't based on skill, passion, professionalism, respect for self, and respect for one's chosen industry. Without those, the image crumbles.

It isn't about some specific individual technique, the chef's jacket and toque, or the honorifics we use for each other - those are components of the bigger picture.

We have set standards for ourselves as an industry. With the Code of Ethics we have collectively set standards for ourselves as individuals - standards that, once met, will require revising and honing as we seek to continually improve.

We have done this not for any competitive edge against other personal chefs or associations, but because we are in the process of creating ourselves, our image, and the foundation upon which that image is built. This is a process that will continue to grow and change and lay out a path for others. Something not to be taken too lightly.

The "Orlando Project" will never be complete as long as we continually seek to be better than we are.

This was going to be a "what a great Summit" message (But that kind of goes without saying and I'm sure there will be many posts about just how great it was).

Instead, it has become a "this was an important Summit" message.

Each of us has the opportunity and obligation to help build, maintain and expand the professionalism of ourselves as individuals and our industry in general. Our skills, presentation, conduct - everything - contributes to that.

We are each creating the foundation upon which our collective image is built. It's a pretty responsible position.

Take cooking and business courses, get involved in association and industry projects, mentor a new Personal Chef, participate more in the forums, evangelize what we do to the public - improve yourself and your industry every day (it is noteworthy that these very attributes are found in Dane Mechlin, APCA's first Personal Chef of the Year award recipient).

I have a newfound respect for our association, its members, the Personal Chef industry and, yes, myself. This was an important Summit - we continued to set new standards.

Now we live up to them and raise that bar.

It was a pleasure getting reacquainted with some of you, and meeting so many more. What a fine group of professionals.

My best regards to you all,

Gord Johnson