American Culinary Federation Marks the Beginning of its New Vision with Global Launch of Updated Logo to Commemorate 85th Anniversary

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) marked the beginning of its new vision with the global launch of an updated logo to commemorate its 85th anniversary. ACF National President Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, unveiled ACF's new logo today, Jan. 6, at 1 p.m. EST, via a video message at http://www.acfchefs.org/PresidentsVideoMessage.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140106/DC41128LOGO)

The new ACF logo emphasizes the organization's commitment to growth, transformation and innovation in the culinary industry while drawing on the legacy of the former logo. The tagline, "The Standard of Excellence for Chefs," embodies the organization's mission to enhance professional growth for all current and future chefs.

"It's an exciting time for ACF, and starting today we are on a new path to growth and global recognition," said Macrina. "The new ACF logo creates a more cohesive look for stronger brand recognition uniting all entities of the organization, while drawing on the legacy of the former logo. As we take pride in our rich history, we also recognize the need to embrace change in order to continue to build a legacy for ACF and its members that is sustainable."

The redesigned logo brings the chef to the forefront, which speaks to chefs in kitchens across North America and the organization's more than 20,000 members. It continues the strong brand of ACF with the stars and stripes. The old script has been changed to a font representative of today, which provides a clean look. The flag, along with the logo's blue and red colors, has been enhanced to better represent American cuisine.

As Macrina and ACF's Board of Directors implement the new vision for ACF, the goal is to increase awareness of what the organization offers professional chefs in restaurants and the foodservice industry, as well as the global culinary community. ACF provides professional chefs with numerous opportunities for growth and development: educational forums by notable chefs; regional conferences; a national convention with demonstrations and workshops by renowned chefs and a trade show showcasing state-of-the-art culinary products; online offerings, from courses on modern techniques to a video library that includes a series on sustainability and green restaurant practices; The National Culinary Review, an award-winning magazine featuring cutting-edge trends, techniques and recipes; and local meetings with demonstrations and speakers. In addition, ACF has national and local culinary competitions, an extensive Career Center and more for the professional chef.

ACF was founded in 1929 as a professional organization for chefs and cooks by three global chef organizations. Since its inception, its goal has been promoting the professional image of the American chef. In 1976, ACF forever changed the culinary industry by elevating the position of the executive chef from service status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor's Dictionary of Official Titles. Since then, the culinary industry and ACF have grown tremendously. Today, ACF is the largest professional chef organization in North America with more than 20,000 members.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef^®, Certified Sous Chef^® and Certified Executive Pastry Chef^® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Patricia Carroll, Director of Communications
(904) 484-0247, [email protected]
Jessica Ward, Communications Coordinator
(904) 484-0213, [email protected]

SOURCE American Culinary Federation