SCC Instructor Receives Certified Executive Chef Designation
Brandon Harpster, chef instructor in Southeast Community College's Food Service/Hospitality program, has received the Certified Executive Chef designation from the American Culinary Federation.
Harpster, at SCC since January 2006, passed a series of exams in order to achieve the certification.
"It's always been a career goal for me," said Harpster, 32. "Not too many people have higher certifications, so it was a goal of mine to be at that level."
Harpster becomes the third SCC Food Service/Hospitality instructor to earn the designation, joining Gerrine Schreck-Kirby and Ed Janousek. There are fewer than 30 people in Nebraska who have the certification, Harpster said.
In October 2008, Harpster passed a three-hour practical exam in Des Moines, Iowa. He had to provide a menu and present a three-course meal of seafood (using lobster and salmon), a salad, and a second main course using chicken as the main protein, all from scratch. Harpster and seven other students had to prepare four identical portions of each of the three courses. Three examiners were present.
"I practiced my menu eight times before I went," said Harpster, a native of Nebraska City.
A month later, Harpster took a one-hour written exam in Crete. The computerized test covered a wide variety of topics, including classical cooking, sanitation and management. He passed.
ACF then combined his test scores with his work experience and education, received the necessary fee, and presented Harpster with a certificate, good for five years.
"I'll have to complete several continuing education units to keep the certification," he said. "You have to document everything."
After a short-lived football career at Peru State College, Harpster enrolled in SCC's Food Service program in October 1998. He graduated in September 2000 with a focus on culinary arts.
Harpster became interested in the food service industry while working at the Lied Conference Center, now Lied Lodge, in Nebraska City.
"I wanted to be a food and beverage director for a hotel, but I got forced into the kitchen and fell in love," said Harpster, who's married with two children.
He credits his supervisors at the Lied for pushing him toward the kitchen to "understand the operation as a whole."
"I got into the kitchen and really loved it, so I decided to pursue it and look at schools," Harpster said. "I liked the high-stress, fast-paced environment. I'm a fairly active person. I don't like to sit around."
After graduating from SCC, Harpster was working at the Cornhusker Hotel in the former Renaissance Room, at the time a AAA, 4-diamond fine-dining restaurant in Lincoln. He was elevated to supervising the kitchen for the current restaurant, The Terrace Grille, through 2002. He then worked three years as executive chef at Yankee Hill Country Club before joining the faculty at SCC.
Harpster is proud of his recent accomplishment, but has his sights set on other designations.
"I'm working on becoming a Certified Culinary Educator, but I'm short the bachelor's degree," he said. He will begin the 72-week online program through New England Culinary Institute in Vermont in October. Schreck-Kirby holds the CCE certification.
Harpster also is close to becoming an accredited ACF evaluator.
"I'm looking forward to being on the other side of the coin," he said.
In the meantime, Harpster is working to grow SCC's program, taught on the Lincoln Campus.
"For three instructors in our program to have the executive chef designation shows that we have the knowledge and experience, and students can be confident they'll receive the best education possible," Harpster said.
Certified Master Chef possesses the highest degree of professional culinary knowledge, skill and mastery of cooking techniques. Harpster said he probably would pursue that designation in about 10 years.
ACF operates the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States and currently certifies nearly 9,000 professionals worldwide. The ACF, established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States.
Persons interested in learning more about SCC's Food Service/Hospitality program should contact Jo Taylor, chair, at (402) 437-2465 or jtaylor@southeast.edu.
For more information, contact:
Stu Osterthun
Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
(402) 323-3401
sosterthun@southeast.edu
Harpster, at SCC since January 2006, passed a series of exams in order to achieve the certification.
"It's always been a career goal for me," said Harpster, 32. "Not too many people have higher certifications, so it was a goal of mine to be at that level."
Harpster becomes the third SCC Food Service/Hospitality instructor to earn the designation, joining Gerrine Schreck-Kirby and Ed Janousek. There are fewer than 30 people in Nebraska who have the certification, Harpster said.
In October 2008, Harpster passed a three-hour practical exam in Des Moines, Iowa. He had to provide a menu and present a three-course meal of seafood (using lobster and salmon), a salad, and a second main course using chicken as the main protein, all from scratch. Harpster and seven other students had to prepare four identical portions of each of the three courses. Three examiners were present.
"I practiced my menu eight times before I went," said Harpster, a native of Nebraska City.
A month later, Harpster took a one-hour written exam in Crete. The computerized test covered a wide variety of topics, including classical cooking, sanitation and management. He passed.
ACF then combined his test scores with his work experience and education, received the necessary fee, and presented Harpster with a certificate, good for five years.
"I'll have to complete several continuing education units to keep the certification," he said. "You have to document everything."
After a short-lived football career at Peru State College, Harpster enrolled in SCC's Food Service program in October 1998. He graduated in September 2000 with a focus on culinary arts.
Harpster became interested in the food service industry while working at the Lied Conference Center, now Lied Lodge, in Nebraska City.
"I wanted to be a food and beverage director for a hotel, but I got forced into the kitchen and fell in love," said Harpster, who's married with two children.
He credits his supervisors at the Lied for pushing him toward the kitchen to "understand the operation as a whole."
"I got into the kitchen and really loved it, so I decided to pursue it and look at schools," Harpster said. "I liked the high-stress, fast-paced environment. I'm a fairly active person. I don't like to sit around."
After graduating from SCC, Harpster was working at the Cornhusker Hotel in the former Renaissance Room, at the time a AAA, 4-diamond fine-dining restaurant in Lincoln. He was elevated to supervising the kitchen for the current restaurant, The Terrace Grille, through 2002. He then worked three years as executive chef at Yankee Hill Country Club before joining the faculty at SCC.
Harpster is proud of his recent accomplishment, but has his sights set on other designations.
"I'm working on becoming a Certified Culinary Educator, but I'm short the bachelor's degree," he said. He will begin the 72-week online program through New England Culinary Institute in Vermont in October. Schreck-Kirby holds the CCE certification.
Harpster also is close to becoming an accredited ACF evaluator.
"I'm looking forward to being on the other side of the coin," he said.
In the meantime, Harpster is working to grow SCC's program, taught on the Lincoln Campus.
"For three instructors in our program to have the executive chef designation shows that we have the knowledge and experience, and students can be confident they'll receive the best education possible," Harpster said.
Certified Master Chef possesses the highest degree of professional culinary knowledge, skill and mastery of cooking techniques. Harpster said he probably would pursue that designation in about 10 years.
ACF operates the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States and currently certifies nearly 9,000 professionals worldwide. The ACF, established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States.
Persons interested in learning more about SCC's Food Service/Hospitality program should contact Jo Taylor, chair, at (402) 437-2465 or jtaylor@southeast.edu.
For more information, contact:
Stu Osterthun
Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
(402) 323-3401
sosterthun@southeast.edu
