Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Establishes the Dean Frankie Miller Hospitality Award

Dr. Frankie Miller

The award was established in honor of former CIC Dean Frankie Miller, who was dean when TTC opened the new 77,000-square-foot  Culinary Institute of Charleston facility on TTC's Main Campus. In presenting the award, Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Helen Hill expressed the bureau's deep appreciation of Dr. Miller's many contributions to the city's hospitality and tourism industry, including training the city's tour guides in the true spirit of Charleston's history. The 2014 award was presented to Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate Neida Borrero-Rivers. 

l-r: Neida Borrero-Rivers, Dr. Miller,
CAC&VB Director of Sales Suzanne Wallace,
and CAC&VB Chief Operating Officer 
Laurie Lynn Smith

Graduates Luncheon 2014

Relish restaurant was the site of the 2014 Graduates Luncheon. Along with certificates and kudos for all of the hard-working attendees who completed their programs, there were two special awards presented for service to and support of the CIC above and beyond.
The Dean Frankie Miller Hospitality Award was presented to Neida Borrero-Rivers and the Chef William Stacks Memorial Culinary Award was presented to Ms. Johnnie Gibson. Congratulations to all!

Chef Kevin Mitchell Participates in 2014 Minority Chef Summit In Nassau

CIC Chef Instructor Kevin Mitchell is pictured at the 2014 Minority Chef Summit, hosted and sponsored by the 2014 Summit Beneficiary Organization College of the Bahamas, an institution that aims to cultivate and develop more partnerships abroad, by increasing research and innovation activities, and work in areas crucial to national development. 

He gave a presentation on Lowcountry Cuisine and the Heritage of Gullah Cuisine - as seen in the photo holding up Charlotte Jenkin's Gullah Cuisine cookbook. (Chef Mitchell led the recipe testing for this book in CIC kitchens.) On the top right, Chef Mitchell is participating in a panel on "What Does Every Ethnic Cuisine Have in Common?" moderated by Colleen Vincent of the James Beard Foundation. He also led a panel on "Front of House to Kitchen Vibe" -  how to make the FOH/BOH bond stronger. The last photo is a group shot with the student attendees. 

This event is the brainchild of Chef Erika Davis and is the extension of the work she's done with her Culinary Wonders USA. Its goal is to "create a space where [chefs of color] can show solidarity amongst our colleagues, be positive role models to this next generation of hospitality professionals, and to pay homage to the legacy and heritage of our forefathers and mothers." 

Post and Courier food writer Hanna Raskin interviewed Chef Mitchell before he left. She wrote: "Exposing culinary students of color to the range of available restaurant opportunities is one of the overarching goals of the upcoming inaugural Minority Chef Summit. ... 'You can strive to be more than a line cook,' Mitchell says. 'There are African-American sommeliers, African-American cicerones.'" To read the complete story: 

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140416/PC1206/140419580