14th Annual Washburne Culinary Institute Culinary & Hospitality Showcase Dinner

Deborah Crable
Published: April 10, 2012

Washburne Culinary Institute (WCI), the nation’s longest running culinary school, acknowledges value of “club” culinary careers during 14^th Annual Culinary & Hospitality Showcase Dinner Thursday, May 3, 2012 at WCI’s main location on the campus of Kennedy-King College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago.

The WCI 14th Annual Culinary and Hospitality Showcase Dinner promotes the theme: Club Cloud: Taking Culinary Arts to New Heights. Kristopher Murray, Washburne Culinary Institute’s recently appointed Executive Director/Executive Chef, spent his early culinary career and built his sterling reputation as a top-food service executive and chef serving Zagat rated cuisine and managing some Chicago’s most prestigious private club venues including: The Chicago Yatch Club and Union League Club.

“We want to introduce our students to the private club aspect of the business because it’s an option that provides stability, long-term employment, and an opportunity to cultivate meaningful long-standing employer relationships” said the 38 year old Murray who’s also the youngest WCI Executive Director. “Club career paths are stable, and allow you to network with society’s elite shakers and movers.” In addition, Murray says club owners generally do not like high turnover and offer competitive salaries.

Two of Chicago’s leading private club chefs will be honored during the dinner: Michael PIvoney, Executive Chef, Mid America Club and Greg Carso, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Club, both are WCI alums. In addition to showcasing the culinary prowess of industry-ready WCI student chefs and CPS hospitality students, the dinner applauds the accomplishments of industry professionals. This year’s Industry Honoree is another great club chef - Michael Garbin, Executive Chef, Union League Club, Chicago.

The evening of gourmet cuisine, fabulous entertainment, and hobnobbing with industry luminaries also provides an opportunity for those with a vested interest in sustaining Chicago’s rich restaurant and culinary vista to contribute to the WCI Scholarship fund founded by former WCI provost William “Bill” Reynolds. The scholarship fund provides culinary students with monetary support to acquire the necessary education and skills to thrive in the city’s highly competitive food industry. Supporters have included: Illinois Restaurant Association Education Foundation, Diageo Celebrate the Future

Scholarships, C-CAP, Careers through the Culinary Arts Program, compass, BBJ Linens, Hall’s Rentals, Chicago Public Schools, Washburne Culinary Institute Alumni Association, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Linda Avery, Event Architects, and Food Service Educators Network International.

The 14th Annual Culinary & Hospitality Showcase Dinner will be held Thursday, May 3 in the Great Hall at Kennedy-King College, 740 West 673^rd Street. The VIP reception begins at 5:30 p.m., the scholarship awards will be presented at 6:30 p.m. and dinner will be served promptly at 7:30 p.m. For more information about the event contact: Rhonda Purwin: (773)602.5466 or Anne McDougal: (773) 602.5485

About Washburne Culinary Institute

WCI is, owned by the City Colleges of Chicago, is the most affordable culinary program in Chicago offering Certificate and Associate Degree programs that equip students with skills required for immediate employment in Chicago’s foodservice and hospitality industry. Its 150,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility at Kennedy-King College features several culinary kitchens, baking and pastry kitchens, classrooms, a demonstration theater, fine dining restaurant and bakery/café. WCI properties include an incubator kitchen and the Parrot Cage Restaurant at the South Shore Cultural Center.

About City Colleges of Chicago

The City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is the largest community college system in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation, with 5,800 faculty and staff serving 120,000 students annually at seven colleges and seven satellite sites city-wide. The City Colleges of Chicago is in the midst of a Reinvention, a collaborative effort to review and revise CCC programs and practices to ensure students leave CCC college-ready, career-ready and prepared to pursue their life's goals.

The City Colleges of Chicago includes seven colleges: Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Harry S Truman College, Harold Washington College and Wilbur Wright College. The system also oversees the Washburne Culinary Institute, the French Pastry School, two restaurants, five Child Development Centers, the Center for Distance Learning, the Workforce Institute, the public broadcast station WYCC-TV Channel 20 and radio station WKKC-FM 89.3. For more information about City Colleges of Chicago, call: (773) COLLEGE or visit www.ccc.edu

Keywords: dinner, Kennedy King College, Washburne Culinary Institute