Chef Jeff Igel from Fox Valley Technical College will be honored as part 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 who have made contributions to the future of the restaurant industry through their commitment to education.

The 2005 College Educator award is given to Chef Jeff for his 22 years of dedication to the foodservice industry and for sharing his passion with others by teaching.

Igel has received many accolades for his talent both as a chef and as a teacher. Most recently in 2004, Igel was listed in the International Who’s Who of Chefs and in 2003 was honored as Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year by the Big Four Chapter of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. The Fox Valley Association for career and Technical Education saluted Igel with the 2003 Vocational Administrator Award.

Along with his talents as a chef, Igel is also very involved in his community including coaching kid’s football, baseball and basketball. He has also served as a high school football official for 12 years. Igel has a monthly radio spot, an annual cooking show through a local newspaper and has appeared on a local television show.
Chef Jeff is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he obtained a total of 3 degrees including a Masters of Science in Vocational Education. Igel went on to lecture at UW-Stout and has also been an instructor at Madison Area Technical College. Currently Igel is the Department Chair of Culinary Arts & Hospitality at Fox Valley Technical College.

Other 2005 Salute to Excellence honorees include Chef RC Schroeder, Jr. (Big Tomatoes), Dorothy Klemmer (Klemmer’s Banquet Center), Bob and Deb Davis (Davis & Associates) and Diane Ryberg (Eau Claire North High School). 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 or one of their family members. 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.

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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.