<< BackAlumnus Charlie Palmer Elected Chairman of the Board of The CIA, Along With Two Alumni Named as Trustees
Acclaimed chef and hospitality entrepreneur Charlie Palmer, a 1979 CIA
graduate, has been elected the 17th Chairman of the Board of the college
during board meetings at the CIA's Hyde Park, NY campus on Friday,
September 14, 2012. Also joining the board for the first time in 2012
are Tim Curci '87, Richard Sandoval '91, and Joseph Wender.
Chef Palmer is the head of a hospitality empire that includes 13 restaurants and several food-forward wine shops and award-winning boutique hotels in New York City; Washington, DC; Las Vegas and Reno, NV; Dallas, TX; and San Francisco, Orange County, and Sonoma County, CA. His signature progressive American cuisine has earned stars in the Michelin Guide for Aureole in New York City and Las Vegas. Among his many other career accolades, he was a 1998 inductee in the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" and winner of the James Beard Award as Best Chef in New York City in 1997. He is also the author of four cookbooks.
Charlie Palmer succeeds Richard Bradley, chairman of Bradley Holdings Ltd., who served two years as CIA chairman. Palmer is the second CIA alumnus to hold that position. Cameron Mitchell '86, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, was CIA chairman from 2008 to 2010.
Aumnus Tim Curci '87 Joins The Culinary Institute of America's Board of Trustees
Tim Curci '87 is co-founder of Bonefish Grill. His company expanded from one restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL in 2000 to become one of the largest seafood chains in the United States with locations in 29 states. He joined in the founding of Bonefish Grill after serving as senior vice president of operations for Hops Restaurant Bar & Brewery. Under his guidance, the 60 unit chain was recognized by Nation's Restaurant News in 1997 as one of its "Hot Concepts." To read the complete press release, please click here.
Alumnus Richard Sandoval '91 Joins The Culinary Institute of America's Board of Trustees
Richard Sandoval '91 is chef and owner of Richard Sandoval Restaurants, with concepts in the United States, Mexico, and the Middle East. His diverse style covers modern Mexican, contemporary pan-Latin, and Latin-Asian cuisines. His restaurants are bringing Latin American flavors to a wider and increasingly diverse audience. Born in Mexico City, he learned the business side of the foodservice industry from his father, who founded a successful restaurant in Acapulco. Chef Sandoval now owns more than two dozen of his own restaurants. To read the complete press release, please click here.