Culinology - June 2021 - 5

PRESIDENT'S letter
Pull up a chair -
There's room at our table
Board members
PRESIDENT
Jaime Mestan | CRC
Vice President of Culinary Innovation
Vienna Beef Ltd.
A sense of renewal was in the air as we closed RCA+, the Research Chefs
Association's virtual event held this past March. Nearly three months later,
I am still buzzing from the wonderful exchanges and new friends gained. I
hope everyone who attended learned something from our exciting lineup of
speakers.
I will admit that before attending the spotlight session with Hervé This, the
father of molecular gastronomy, I had never encountered a more-than-100-slide
PowerPoint, let alone made it to slide 287 with such excitement. He took us on
a ride I will never forget. Meeting with RCA partners at the Expo allowed me to
start new projects and continue learning about products I am unfamiliar with.
RCA+ was a hit, and the opportunity to further the mission of Culinology,
while expanding our global reach as one organization, brought us to the next
level. Meeting virtually, we were able to unite members across the world and
share our passion for blending culinary arts and food sciences. Our table has
gotten bigger, and all are welcome.
I'm honored to serve as the next RCA president. I look to the future with
optimism as we continue to provide more value to you with engaging content
and meaningful experiences. We put a lot on hold due to the pandemic, but
things are starting up again.
So, what's next for RCA? With the continued mantra of " own the solve, "
coupled with support from our Legacy Partners, we will be more connected
than ever. Membership and engagement are slated to grow through aggressive
student and global initiatives.
Fostering new relationships and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Committee will help us lead the charge to ensure every member, current or
new, knows they are welcome. We are emphasizing support systems and
opportunities for all members, and this is just the beginning. I can't wait to see
how this year unfolds.
I encourage you to get involved and stay connected. Check in with your
regional group to see what events are taking place each month. As our table
grows, we will need to add more place settings and make room for new
content to feast on.
Guests are always welcome, so bring those friends
who will benefit from all RCA has to offer. Tell
them what RCA means to you and its
continued impact on you. Show them
they are appreciated for who they are
and what they contribute, no matter
how big or small.
Jaime Mestan | CRC
President, Research Chefs Association
VICE PRESIDENT
Nick Landry
Culinary Development Chef
Summit Hill Foods
TREASURER
Gerrie Bouchard | CRC
Director of Marketing,
Business Development and SCI
Tastepoint by IFF
SECRETARY
Jessica Goldstein
Vice President
Nu Products Seasoning Company
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Justin Kanthak | CCS, CRC
Segment Director: Snacks
Griffith Foods Inc.
Directors
Erich Chieca
Business Development Chef
Sadler's Smokehouse, Inc.
Jeff Crace
Chief Executive Officer
California Garlic Company
Anne Druschitz | CRC
Corporate Research Chef
The Edlong Corporation
Charles Hayes | CEC, CRC
VP Culinary Innovation
Deli Star
Cian Leahy | CCS, CRC
Director of Culinary
Kerry
Sara Menard
R&D Manager
Brakebush Brothers, Inc.
Nelson Serrano-Bahri
Culinology & Innovation Manager, Emerging
Business
Ingredion Incorporated
Mark Sultzky
Senior Corporate Chef
McCain Foods USA
Kyle Stuart | CRC
Food Scientist
Chew
Rosemary Trout | MS
Assistant Clinical Professor & Program Director,
Culinary Arts and Food Science, Drexel University
Board Member-at-Large
Robert Danhi
Chef
Flavor360 Solutions
Board Advisor
Allen Freed
President
AJ Freed, LLC
4 | Culinology | JUNE 2021
Culinology - June 2021

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