Chef RC Schroeder, Jr., co-owner of Big Tomatoes restaurant in Green Bay, will be honored as the chef recipient of this year’s Salute to Excellence Awards, presented by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation (WRA EF).

Each year, the WRA EF recognizes five individuals and one company for dedication and commitment to education in the restaurant industry. Salute to Excellence honorees have made contributions to the future of the industry through their commitment to education.

Chef RC Schroeder has been in the industry for 20 years. WRA EF honors him for dedicating a great deal of his time to both educational and community causes.

Schroeder enjoys sharing his culinary knowledge and helping to educate others. In 2005 Schroeder assisted and critiqued the Sheboygan ProStart® team that went onto win first place at the ProStart Invitational. His involvement also includes developing apprentices through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) apprenticeship program along with judging and critiquing student practices.

Dedicated to the community, Schroeder has been a participating chef in a number of events and activities including fundraisers for Ronald McDonald House, March of Dimes and the ACF Chef and Children Foundation which helps to raise the nutritional awareness of children and families.

Schroeder’s culinary talent has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including second place at the Wisconsin Pork Producers Taste of Elegance on 2002 and 2004 and the National Pork Producers “Taste of Elegance” competition in 2004. During the ACF competitions at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, Schroeder has earned numerous first and second place finishes along with several gold medals. Both in 2003 and 2004, the ACF Chefs of Milwaukee nominated Schroeder for their Chef of the Year award.

Schroeder is a board member of the ACF Fox Valley Culinary Association. He also served as the Vice President of the ACF Chefs of Milwaukee for 2003-4 along with his service as chair of the ACF Chef and Children Foundation in 2002-3.

Other 2005 Salute to Excellence honorees include Diane Ryberg (Eau Claire North High School), Dorothy Klemmer (Klemmer’s Banquet Center), Bob and Deb Davis (Davis & Associates) and Jeff Igel (Fox Valley Technical College). Each honoree has worked in a variety of roles to create opportunities for people interested in foodservice industry careers. They work in different parts of the state and in different professions, but they share an enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the restaurant industry.

The Salute to Excellence awards will be presented at the 2005 Celebration of Excellence on Sunday, October 16 at Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online at www.wirestaurant.org or by calling 800.589.3211.

A $50 donation to the Education Foundation will sponsor the attendance of a student scholarship winner. This tax-deductible charitable contribution will help defray the costs of the event, allowing more money to go to the Foundation’s programs such as scholarships and school-to-career initiatives.

- END -

Founded in 1987, the WRA Education Foundation is one of the largest state restaurant association foundations in the U.S. It strives to create a promising future for the foodservice industry by raising awareness of foodservice as a professional career path, providing ongoing training and education for foodservice professionals and serving as a state leader on food safety and sanitation.