Collins College Professor Jerald Chesser will join the ranks of Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse and Jim Collins when he is inducted into National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s College of Diplomates on May 22. This designation honors a select group of professionals who actively support and strengthen the advancement of professionalism and education within the restaurant and foodservice industry.
He is one of five restaurant and foodservice industry leaders who will be honored at the 23rd annual Salute to Excellence in Chicago. Kicking off the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, this grand affair is the NRAEF’s premier fundraising event and pays tribute to the industry’s extraordinary current and future leaders.
Chesser is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and educator. He has more than 35 years experience in restaurant operations, consulting and hospitality/culinary education.
Other honorees include: S. Truett Cathy, founder, chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A; Alice Elliot, founder and CEO of the Elliot Group; Denise Marie Fugo chairman and CEO of Sammy’s; and Ferdinand E. Metz, president emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America and managing partner of the Master Chefs Institute.
“We are honored to recognize these extraordinary individuals with the NRAEF’s most prestigious awards. They each have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to education and excellence in our industry,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “We are privileged to honor them for their contributions, and they fully embody our commitment to enhancing the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities.”
The NRAEF College of Diplomates includes top industry leaders, educators, journalists, restaurant association executives, authors, chefs and TV personalities, who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement and enhancement of the restaurant and foodservice industry’s image.
For more information, visit www.nraef.org/events/salute/.