Chef Greg Eisele of the UT Culinary Program received the hospitality educator award Thursday at the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association’s Stars of the Industry awards and scholarship luncheon. On hand to support Eisele were his wife Amber, his son Taylor, and several colleagues with UT Conferences & Non-Credit Programs, including executive director Leanna Belew (shown here with Chef Greg).
Chef Greg stated, “I am honored, speechless, and grateful. This award has made me more motivated than ever, which could be scary if you know me!”
“With over 130 culinary graduates from the UT Culinary Program, Chef Greg’s contributions to the success of many in the hospitality and restaurant industry are truly inspiring,” Belew said. “His leadership and guidance have helped place program graduates in culinary positions throughout East Tennessee and beyond.”
The event, known as the PAULY awards, was held at The Foundry on the Fair Site.
Eisele has been the executive chef for the UT Conference Center and director of the UT Culinary Program for the past nine years. In 2017 the UT Culinary Program was again recognized by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Education Foundation as a quality program.
Eisele’s passion for the industry also prompted peers to elect him as president of the Smoky Mountain chapter of the ACF, putting him in an instrumental role for raising scholarships for up-and-coming chefs and restauranteers.
In addition to training and managing culinary professionals, Eisele brings the science and skills of cooking to the general public through UT’s non-credit cooking courses and TV culinary segments on local TV stations WBIR (Knoxville) and WJHL (Johnson City). And when COVID-19 struck in 2020, he and his young granddaughter Gabby created a “Cooking at the House” educational video series, which attracted 30,000 views on the culinary program’s Facebook page.
The obligations and responsibilities of the local ACF president are focused on generating a culture of culinary mentorship and excellence. Teaching and coaching young culinarians sustain that culture. Partners that Eisele and the culinary program mentor and apprentice: Knoxville Leadership Foundation, Emerald Ministries, and the following East Tennessee high school culinary programs: Austin-East, Maryville, Lenoir City, and William Blount.
Of particular note is the Culinary Boot Camp that Eisele teaches to students in Knoxville Leadership Foundation’s KnoxWorx workforce development program, which offers vocational courses in high-demand fields including construction, health care, welding, manufacturing, and customer service. “The goal is to give them the tools they need to get jobs,” Eisele said.
Congratulations to Chef Greg for teaching, mentoring, and preparing the next generation of culinarians!
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