Dear Chefs members and guests -
It is with great humility that I write this message on behalf of the chapter and board. I want to say a special thank you to our elected board, trustees and chapter volunteers. We would not be able to exist without everyone involved. We accomplished many things in 2025 . Chef Larry Alexander and Chef Bruce Johns won the South Jersey Shore Gumbo contest taking home the crown for Gumbo King. We were recognized at the annual Wing contest for our wing recipe and presentation led by Chef Fred Belfus and Chef Larry Alexander. We supported local culinary students from Absegami culinary as they competed. We judged and supported the local culinary college "Academy of Culinary Arts" with their culinary student competition. We are a competitive chapter, and we show our local culinary community that we are not afraid to take center stage and compete.
We have continued our traditions of serving our community and honoring veterans with our Annual Veterans brunch recently named after Chef Wolfgang Geckeler "Operation serving those who served us." We served over four hundred meals this past year. We have continued to support culinary students by awarding funds to help them with their educational journey. We have supported and helped our local Community Food Bank of NJ, South Jersey Branch, by helping them to raise funds which fed tens of thousands of meals. We supported the "Let Us Eat Please" fundraiser for kids and helped feed thousands of food insecure kids.
This past year we helped a chef in need with a successful fundraiser after the chef broke their back in an accident. I have a saying - "If a chef cannot help a chef, then who can a chef help."
We had great educational guests and meetings and were able to continue with promoting education as well as fellowship and friendship. I have been very fortunate to be the chapter president and had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented board members, chefs and chapter members. Our chapter is a place for the culinary community to come together and accomplish remarkable things.
I am proud of everything this chapter has done this past year and look forward to our future. Thanks to everyone for their continued support and hope to see you at a meeting or event.