Bradley Murphy (August 1999) is preparing beautiful cuisine and running the kitchen as the new Chef of the Sundeck Lodge and Aspen Mountain Club, a private club and magnificent venue for special events at the top of Aspen Mountain, where he works along with alumna Christel Stiver.

Thomas Allen (January 2008) is sharing his in-depth knowledge and love of wine with recreational students at Cook Street, and in his new position as an instructor for the International Sommelier Guild.

Ian Scott (December 2008 term) is now the Sous Chef for Charles Schwab Corporate Dining Café and Corporate Catering in the Denver Tech Center.

Corey McKinney (June 2010) is cooking progressive global comfort food as a prep/pantry cook at The Corner Office Restaurant and Martini Bar in Downtown Denver.

Kody Mourer (June 2011 term) is cooking delectable bites and designing beautiful displays as a Cook at Larmier Catering in Denver.

Lisa Walker (June 2011 term) is staying focused on Italian Cuisine as a new front-of-house employee, manager-in-training, and menu consultant at Mangiamo Pronto in LoDo.

Congratulations ...

David Vigil (May 2002) has been promoted to the position of Executive Chef at Maggiano's, Denver Pavilions!

Congratulations!

Hello, Goodbye

Cook Street said goodbye to some key personnel in 2011 while welcoming new personnel and forging new relationships.

In January, Cook Street said goodbye to Wine Instructor Debbie Gray.  The change was necessary to pave the way for the introduction of the International Sommelier Guild Wine Fundamentals Level I Program into the Cook Street curriculum.

Cook Street said a sad goodbye to Chef Lexie Justice in May. She touched many lives, first as a recreational program instructor and then in her role as 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program Chef Instructor.  Lexie is now the Pastry Chef/Owner of The Last Crumb Bakery, which specializes in gluten-free goodies.  

In April, Cook Street welcomed Chef Deanna Scimio to the team of Chef Instructors. Chef Deanna has jumped in as the new Pastry Chef Instructor for the 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program and has brought new ideas and new approaches to the curriculum.  

At the end of July, Cook Street offered its best wishes to Meghann Diggles when she left her position as Director of Admissions at Cook Street to pursue education in the area of healing arts. In turn, we welcomed Hollianne Hall as the new Director of Admissions.

Cook Street wishes you and yours a very happy holiday season!

2011 was a banner year for Cook Street!  

Our alumni contribute to and share in our success, so we are dedicating this edition of the Alumni Newsletter to Cook Street's 2011 accomplishments.

We reached an amazing graduation rate of 94% for all terms completed in 2011 (including the December 2010 term)!

Our reported placement rate for terms beginning in 2010 was an impressive 67%. A whopping 80% of students who have graduated thus far in 2011 and who did not sign placement waivers have successfully found gainful employment or started their own culinary-related businesses.[1]

Cook Street enrolled 55 students in the 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program for terms beginning in 2011.

99% of the students who took the International Sommelier Guild Wine Fundamentals Level I Certification Exam passed the exam on the first take!

14 alumni and 2 qualified recreational students participated in European Culinary Tours.

Two graduates took advantage of the wonderful study-abroad program offered by the Italian Food Style Education Culinary Institute.

The School hosted two well-attended, fun Alumni Networking events.

YEAR IN REVIEW

In March, Cook Street unveiled its dedicated wine space within the Cook Street Café.  Also in March, European Culinary Tour participants studied for the first time at Academia Barilla in Parma, Italy, where they had the opportunity to study and work at a state-of-the-art facility with accomplished chefs and a custom-designed curriculum.

In April, The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation again recognized Cook Street for "delivering high standards in culinary art education" and granted the ACFEF Quality Program Certificate to the Cook Street 180°Professional Culinary Arts Program for a second time! This announcement was followed by news that Westword named Cook Street Denver's Best Cooking School in 2011. Also in April, Cook Street became an approved testing site for the practical portions of ACF Certification examinations!      

In August, The 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program and the Recreational Courses at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts were granted accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), recognizing both programs for educational quality and the continuous assessment and improvement of educational practices.  Each alumna and alumnus contributed to this wonderful accomplishment, which reflects the commitment and professionalism of each and every member of the Cook Street family.   

In November, Cook Street launched its new website. All alumni and current students have access to job postings through the sign-in page and by then going to the Alumni section of the website. There are many, many jobs posted and the postings are updated on a weekly basis...so check it often!  

In December, the ServSafe® Food Safety Certification Program was added to the curriculum for the 180° Professional Culinary Arts Program.  

Look for new programs, partnerships, and opportunities at Cook Street in 2012, including:   

• ISG Level Wine Fundamentals Level II: feel free to contact me directly for more information on this opportunity to expand your wine education;
• A new Personal Chef program taught in-house and designed specifically to dovetail with the Cook Street 180° Program;
• A new business course (or two) designed for students and alumni who wish to open their own catering companies, restaurants, and/or bakeries;
• A new mentoring program for students and alumni who want to become certified by the ACF; 
• Securing new financial aid sources;
• New study-abroad possibilities;
• Beginning the process of approval for Title IV funding; 

...and much, much more!