The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 24

THE
GIST!

A Culinary
Treasure in the
Heart of Roanoke
The Al Pollard Culinary Arts Program offers
new opportunities for its students.

T

HERE'S EXCITING NEWS FOR Culinary Arts
students. The Al Pollard Culinary Arts Program at
Virginia Western, located in the Claude Moore Higher
Education Campus on Henry Street, expanded in August.
The expansion has three brand new kitchens that gleam
with stainless steel state-of-the-art equipment. Chef Jim
Zeisler, Sr., CEC, CCA, CDM,
CFP, Program Head, along with
John Schopp CEC, CEPC, CCE,
The school helps
CCA and Ted Polfelt, CEC, CCA,
to elevate the
the culinary instructors, each have a
food scene in the
kitchen for their culinary specialties.
Roanoke region
The school offers a career studies
which supports
certificate in Baking and Pastry and
tourism.
an Associate's degree in culinary
arts with a focus in Baking and
Pastry. Career studies certificates
are offered in Catering and Cake
Decorating. The school offers Associate of Applied Science
and Career Studies Certificate programs and is American
Culinary Association (ACF) accredited.
W hen the students
graduate, they are eligible
for the certification of
Certified Culinarian (CC)
through the ACF. When
the expansion opens, warm
jacket-clad students in
the Seafood/Poultry class
will do their work in a 38
degree Fahrenheit walkin cooler which keeps the
ingredients at the optimal
internal food temperature.
Brrr...
Chef Zeisler explains,
"Local restaurants benefit
from having a culinary
school in our valley. The
school helps to elevate the
food scene in the Roanoke
region which supports
tourism. If you've eaten in
one of our fine downtown
establishments, it's likely
one of our graduates had
a hand in creating that
Clockwise, from Top:
delicious meal." I
Chef Jim Zeisler, Chef Debra

"

"

24

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

-BECKY ELLIS

Dr. Cynda Ann Johnson retires after
creating an outstanding legacy in her field.

W

HETHER IT'S THE IMPRESSIVE SCHOOL
that now sits in downtown Roanoke or the
commercial growth along the downtown
portion of Jefferson Street, you may not know her name,
but you've felt the impact of Dr. Cynda Ann Johnson,
founding dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of
Medicine (VTCSOM), on the Roanoke Valley.
After VTCSOM was officially established in 2008,
Johnson spent the first years overseeing the creation of
the new allopathic medical school including accreditation,
curriculum, admissions, policies, faculty appointments and
staffing. And if that wasn't enough, she also consulted with
the architect on the building's design to best serve the
school's problem-based curriculum. The first class took
their seats in 2010.
The school has a two percent acceptance rate with
thousands of applicants vying for 42 coveted spots.
The school is built on four value domains that are
interwoven throughout the four-year curriculum: basic
TheRoanoker.com

CHEF IMAGES: BECKY ELLIS / DR. CYNDA JOHNSON: COURTESY OF VTCSOM

Clinkscale, Culinary Student Chef
Bryan Poole

A Founding Dean
Leaves Her Mark
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - September / October 2018

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