Second Harvest Food Bank’s Triad Community Kitchen Chef Jeff Bacon Accepted into Prestigious American Academy of Chefs Society

Winston-Salem, NC—July 30, 2008— Jeff Bacon , director and executive chef for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina’s Triad Community Kitchen, has been inducted into the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), the honor society of the American Culinary Federation at the ACF National Convention in July.

The AAC, which recognizes those individuals who have made significant contributions to both the culinary profession and ACF, was established in 1955 at the ACF National Convention in Pittsburgh . With more than 21,500 ACF members, approximately 800 belong to the AAC. Demanding criteria must be met in order to be elected to the AAC, including: certification at a level of executive chef/pastry chef or higher; no less than 15 years culinary experience; be an ACF member in good standing for a minimum of 10 consecutive years or more; and sponsorship by two AAC members.

Bacon received his education at Western Carolina University , Cullowhee , N.C. , and the University of North Carolina- Greensboro , N.C. , where he earned degrees in nutrition and food service management. As a member of ACF Triad Chapter North Carolina , Bacon serves as board chair and has been recognized with numerous awards. He earned the ACF Joseph Amendola Outstanding Member Award for the Southeast region in 2008; ACF Franklin Beale Community Service Award in 2006 and1998; was an ACF President’s Medallion recipient in 2005; ACF Triad Chapter North Carolina Chef of the Year in 2003; and received ACF Triad Chapter North Carolina ’s President’s Medal in 1999–2003.

Under Bacon’s instruction, Triad Community Kitchen students use donated and purchased food to create vacuum sealed, ready-to-heat meals in a bag for distribution to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC partner agencies like soup kitchens, group homes and Kids Cafes. Students are referred by program partners like Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC, and receive culinary training at no charge with the goal of attaining sustainable, gainful employment in the understaffed food service and hospitality industries.