California Culinary Academy Commencement Ceremony Honors Graduates

San Francisco, CA – (March 8, 2008) -- On March 8, 2008, California Culinary Academy (CCA) will honor over 100 students at a commencement ceremony held at the San Francisco Hilton. After the ceremony, the new graduates will celebrate at a reception catered by fellow classmates at CCA's facility expansion in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill.

“We are honored to graduate another talented group of students.” said Jennifer White, president of CCA. “We celebrate their dedication and passion and wish them success as they embark on the next step in their career.”

Many of these students will be moving on to positions in the culinary and hospitality industry. Andrew Hall, a Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts graduate, has accepted a position as sous chef at the site of his externship, Figlio Restaurant in Minneapolis. In this role, he will be using the skills he learned at CCA to effectively manage Figlio’s fast-paced kitchen. Figlio is one of seven restaurants owned by Parasole Restaurant Holdings, the creator of the well-known spin-off Buca di Beppo.

“In this industry, you need to put in your time and prove yourself.” Hall said. “The instructors at CCA helped prepare us to succeed in this industry. In the next five years, I hope to secure an executive position within Parasole Restaurant Holdings group.”

Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and restaurant management graduate Nancy Lauck attributes much of her success to the dedication of her instructors and the well-rounded curriculum. A former senior executive at a New York mortgage firm, Lauck thrived under her instructors’ tutelage and recently earned a permanent position as a guest relations executive at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in Nob Hill. In her new position, she will be managing the hotel’s private club and incoming VIP guests.

Established in 1977, CCA has been a San Francisco mainstay for more than 30 years and has graduated more than 13,000 students. CCA began with only four kitchens, a handful of chefs and 20 students, offering aspiring restaurant and culinary professionals hands-on training in classic and contemporary culinary methods. Today, CCA offers two campus environments for its students, 24 demonstration and production kitchens, six pastry kitchens, an Asian kitchen with built-in wok stations, a mixology lab and a casino gaming lab.

CCA programs focus on skill development and practical application of culinary techniques and offer three intensive programs of study: an Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts; Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management; and a Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie and Baking. The Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie and Baking is a recent addition to CCA’s offerings, replacing its previous Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts. As a part of this new program, students will receive intensive training in baking and pastry arts fundamentals, including hands-on teaching of essential baking skills, as well as the theoretical knowledge that underlies competency in the field.

CCA’s graduates include Ron Siegel, chef at The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and the first American to win on the popular Japanese show “Iron Chef,” as well as Jason Wilson and Christopher Lee, both of whom were named among Food & Wine magazine's “2006 Best New Chefs.”

About California Culinary Academy:
California Culinary Academy (CCA) was established in 1977 in San Francisco and formed a partnership with the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu in 1998. Today, CCA has two locations: the Historic California Hall is located at 625 Polk with Caręme Room, the student-run restaurant; and at 350 Rhode Island in Potrero Hill. CCA offers Associate of Occupational Studies degrees in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts and Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management, and a Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Pâtisserie and Baking. CCA is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). For more information, visit www.caculinary.edu.

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