Raimund Hofmeister Cmc Named Educator Of The Year

CULINARY INSTITUTE OF LAS VEGAS ACADEMIC DIRECTOR NAMED NATIONAL CULINARY EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

- News comes as school receives prestigious accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation, Foundation -

HENDERSON, Nev., July 18 - The American Culinary Federation has named Raimund Hofmeister, CMC, Chef Educator of the Year at the 2006 ACF National Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Hofmeister, academic director of culinary arts for The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas, a division of The Art Institute of Las Vegas, was awarded the title after two days of competition at the convention which serves as the largest gathering of culinary professionals in the country.

The ACF National Educator of the Year Award pays tribute to an active culinary educator whose knowledge, skills and expertise have given culinary students the leadership and guidance for the future. This year's award was determined by a lecture and cook-off in which four chefs from different regions of the nation competed for the title after winning local, state and regional competitions.

The victory comes at a special time for The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas as its culinary programs receive accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation, Foundation and the school celebrates its fifth anniversary. The school is the second culinary institution in Las Vegas to receive such accreditation.

"It has been an incredible year at The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas. In addition to launching our student-run restaurant, Opus Too, and adding our Baking & Pastry program, I've been honored as Culinary Educator of the Year by the ACF and equally honored to have the culinary programs at the school recognized and accredited by the American Culinary Federation, Foundation Inc.'s Accrediting Commission," says Hofmeister. "All of these show the incredible and unique education students receive in our culinary programs."

Programmatic accreditation from the American Culinary Federation, Foundation Inc.'s Accrediting Commission is awarded to programs that have met or exceeded established industry standards and are committed to providing quality curriculum to their students. Accreditation is voluntary on the part of the school and requires that curriculum, faculty, facilities, resources, support staff, and organizational structure all meet the standards set by the Commission. The standards were set by industry leaders in both culinary arts and culinary arts education and monitored by the Commission.

Under Hofmeister's five years of direction, the school's culinary offerings have become the broadest in Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management, an Associate of Science in Culinary Arts, a Diploma in The Art of Cooking and Las Vegas' first Diploma and Associate of Science programs in Baking & Pastry.

Hofmeister brings to his students more than 40 years of international culinary experience on four continents. He is one of only 61 chefs to bear the title Certified Master Chef, the highest and most demanding culinary certification granted in the United States. His career highlights include serving as executive chef for the Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles in the 1980s, Reagan's western White House during presidential stops in Los Angeles.

About The Art Institute of Las Vegas
The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas is a division of The Art Institute of Las Vegas, one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with 32 educational institutions located throughout North America, provide an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.