4. Chris Koetke, director of Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, Chicago, Illinois
Chris Koetke is not a chef with a restaurant, but one with huge influence over upcoming chefs in his role as executive director of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. Koetke is also vice president of culinary arts for Laureate International Universities, where he is responsible for strategic leadership of culinary arts programs throughout the Laureate network.
Koetke has taken his school to the enviable position of being the only culinary school in the United States to receive Certified Green Restaurant status from the Green Restaurant Association in both their dining room and cafeteria.
As Chairman of "Feed the Planet," Chef Koetke travelled to Kuala Lumpur to lead a chef’s delegation under the World Association of Chefs Societies to deal with the growing dilemma of food waste, and the food industry’s huge potential to create change and educate the public.
"Those of us in white coats, we cook a lot of food; we use a lot of energy; we use a lot of water; we make a lot of waste. So we have a responsibility to the larger society, to the planet, to make sure we're doing well in each of those categories,” Koetke said to culinary students and members of the association during the congress. “If you can improve your bottom-line through looking at food waste and improve things on the planet, why wouldn't you?”
