The Joy of Giving

Meet Tom Ohling
chefpro@teleport.com

Tom Ohling is a native Oregonian with 27 years of experience in the foodservice industry. He has served at every restaurant station from dishwasher to executive chef. As principle of Presentations That Put Your Product in the Spotlight he conducts culinary workshops, sales trainings and motivational seminars on behalf of manufacturers, brokers, distributors, restaurants and educational institutions . His recipes and menus are used by resorts, fine dinning, family style and chain restaurants.

He has been a featured speaker at American Culinary Federation National and Regional conventions as well as schools, businesses and industry related forums and as guest lecturer at Western Culinary Institute. He is often a guest keynote speaker at local service organizations including The Food Industry Forum, Portland Exec's., The Northwest Rotary, and The Lions Club.

Tom's monthly column appears in Northwest Hospitality News where he is the Food and Service Editor. He is a regular contributor to Le Bouquet Garni and The Recipe Link (http://www.recipelink.com). He has also appeared as a special writer for Oregon's largest newspaper, The Oregonian.

Active with the Chef & The Child Foundation for over five years, serving as committee member and chair for the local chapter, he participated in development and writing of the elementary school nutrition curriculum, Nutrition from the Culinary View. This program, distributed by Portland Public Schools, is used throughout Oregon and in schools across the United States.

Tom is the current chair of the Chef & The Child Committee and on the ACF Chef's de Cuisine Society of Oregon's board and is on the advisory boards of the Salvation Army Greenhouse, the World Affairs Council of Oregon and The Portland Culinary Alliance. For three years he sat on the advisory board of the Chemeketa Community College Hospitality Systems Management Department.

Tom was a 1992 recipient of The ACF "Good Guy Award" and The 1994 Presidents Citation for Contribution to the Educational Heritage of The American Culinary Federation. He was the 1995 Oregon representative at National Childhood Hunger Day and guest speaker at the 1996 ACF Childhood Hunger Conference both held in Washington, DC. He was creator and co-organizer of the 1996 National Childhood Hunger Day event, held in downtown Portland, "Joining Hands to Eliminate Childhood Hunger".

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I welcome your comments, suggestions, additions, and requests. bcouch@recipelink.com