2008 Officers Candidates - Short Comments about their Positions, Plans and Dreams for the next 2 years

Here is my 200 words spiel:
1) I have been a board member for 6 years, I held the Membership Chair prior to being Treasurer.
2) I am familiar with the board, its members, and its procedures - together we shaped
our Chapter of today
3) I attended more than 90% of the Board and Chapter meetings.
4) I have the certification level of Certified Culinarian(CC) and have now become eligiblefor CEC, I work diligently for that.
5) I am a consistent volunteer, and have participated in almost every Chapter project
6) In my professional endeavors I bake biscotti by the thousands, I cater upscale
    parties and perform personal chef duties.
7) I volunteer with CASA, to advocate for the best interests of children who come to the attention of the court as a result of abuse or neglect.
8) I volunteer for a church ministry (Loaves and Fishes) so that n o senior will go hungry or experience social isolation.
9) I have competed in many competitions mostly ACF as an apprentice and
as a professional. I have won 9 medals gold(2), silver(4) and bronze(3).
10) I have been a member of the ACF since I set foot in the kitchen 11 years ago.
As a board member I have been unrelenting, and I question every expenditure. I absolutely  believe that no single person should be in charge of a project. All projects should have oversight by committee.
I deem the position of Vice president very important, because they are tasked with:

• Arranging continuing  education for our members
• Finding viable venues with good food.
• Promoting ACF certification within our membership
• Oversee Chapter fundraising activities

The MTC-ACF is more than a business goal, for me it is a personal goal. I would love to continue serving on the board with your help.

My name is Tom Loftis and I serve as the Program Coordinator in Culinary Arts at Nashville State Community College. It is in my capacity as an educator that I have come face to face with what I believe are two of the most important issues confronting not only our chapter but the entire American Culinary Federation as well. These two issues are new member recruitment and certification.

Like many civic groups in the United States today, recruitment of new members is an ongoing challenge, but recruitment in and of itself is not enough. Our chapter must make itself relevant to new members by doing a better job of articulating a long-term vision of what the ACF can mean to them, not only professionally but personally. We must be seen as an organization that can and will help young chefs achieve their highest potential.

Through a renewed and vigorous emphasis on certification we can go a long way toward making our vision a reality. It is imperative that we strive to improve our certification numbers and that we also become an approved testing chapter. We must remove the mystery and intimidation from the process and we can best achieve this through a strong mentoring program.

Much effort and progress has been made by our current leadership, but we need to continue this effort by constantly striving to provide up to date and challenging educational programs and encouraging and assisting our members with the certification process.

I believe my position as a culinary educator provides me a unique perspective on the issues and concerns most important to those young chefs that represent the future of this chapter. I would love the opportunity to integrate the best ideas from the current members while exploring new ways in which this chapter can be a leader in recruitment and member participation.

The picture that Robert has posted makes my beard look more grey that it really is. I have been a member of the MTC-ACF for over 23 years. I enjoy the association very much. The chefs that I have worked with throughout those years have given me a lot of exposure to new food ideas. I think that the association is on a rebound and that new growth is one of the most important goals that we face as an organization. I have served on the board for the last 4 years as the vice president. I will continue to work with the board and use the assets that my catering business can afford to give. I really appreciate our past treasurer and what she did to bring stability to the chapters funds. If elected to the position to treasurer I will continue to protect and use funds as directed by the board. I look forward to all our meetings and look forward to meeting new chefs who want to be part of the MTC-ACF.