VOL 27 ISSUE 3, Jan. 20, 2026
Main caption: Earlier this month, 12 Delaware North culinarians earned ProChef certifications from the Culinary Institute of America after months of preparation and several days of testing at the CIA Texas Campus in San Antonio. Pictured after successfully earning their new credentials (left to right) are Brett Pietsch, Lambeau Field; Ashley Alli, Space 220; Kara Culjat, Maria & Enzo’s; Carol Wilson, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack; Ivan La Cruz Moreno, Maria & Enzo’s; Jerry Moynihan, The Squire at Grand Canyon; Heidi Eutsey, the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake; Matthew Painter, Tenaya at Yosemite; Gage Dawiedczyk, 1919 Kitchen & Tap; Jon Wilson, Parks and Resorts; Johnny Ramon, Globe Life Field; and Mawuvi Paul, State Grill & Bar.
Members of Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Excellence for Future Success® (CHEFS) program earned their ProChef® certifications earlier this month after completing several days of hands-on and written exams at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in San Antonio, Texas.
Twelve culinarians – all recent CHEFS graduates or executive chef mentors – represented the latest group to earn their ProChef credentials. The ProChef program is a prestigious, three-tiered certification developed by the CIA, a leading global institution for culinary, baking and pastry arts education.
Through CHEFS, emerging culinarians are selected for 12 months of hands-on training, including mentorship from an executive chef and virtual learning designed to build culinary and leadership fundamentals. The program also prepares participants for the ProChef I certification exam. After completing the 12‑month program, participants spend more than six months studying for the exam.
Many Delaware North executive chefs who serve as mentors have also earned ProChef I, helping them strengthen their own fundamentals while supporting the development of emerging culinarians.
“This group of chefs invested countless hours in preparation for the ProChef exams, while maintaining their demanding roles at Delaware North,” said Lou Piuggi, vice president of culinary, food and beverage for Delaware North. “The 100 percent passing rate further exemplifies that our culinarians are up for the challenge of honing their fundamentals, which ultimately makes them stronger at their craft and enables them to pass on knowledge and skills to our sous chefs and cooks.”
Delaware North held several mock practical exams for ProChef candidates in late 2025 at company kitchens at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin, Southland Casino Hotel in Arkansas, Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs in Florida and Space 220 at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT in Florida.
Ashley Alli, pastry sous chef at Space 220 in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT in Florida, earned the ProChef Baking and Pastry credential. The following 11 culinarians earned their ProChef I certifications:
- Jonathan Wilson, culinary director, Parks and Resorts
- Jerry Moynihan, executive chef, The Squire at Grand Canyon
- Kara Culjat, sous chef, Maria & Enzo’s at Disney Springs in Florida
- Gage Dawiedczyk, executive chef, restaurants at Lambeau Field
- Heidi Eutsey, sous chef, The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio
- Ivan La Cruz Moreno, sous chef, Maria & Enzo’s at Disney Springs in Florida
- Matthew Painter, executive sous chef, Tenaya at Yosemite in California
- Mawuvi Paul, sous chef, STATE Grill & Bar in New York City
- Brett Pietsch, executive sous chef, Lambeau Field
- Johnny Ramon, sous chef, Globe Life Field in Texas
- Carol Wilson, sous chef, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in West Virginia
