The 42nd Annual Atlantic Cape Community College Restaurant Gala will recognize Ocean Casino Resort as its community honoree and Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) Chef Educators Annmarie Chelius, Ruth Latorre, Vincent R. Tedeschi and Linda L. Wohlman as its ACA honorees on Thursday, March 27 at the Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City.
The 2025 Community Honoree, Ocean Casino Resort, is proud to serve as a pillar of the Atlantic City community and is steadfast in its philanthropic efforts. Its contributions both monetarily and through team member volunteerism across multiple local and regional organizations endeavor to improve health & human services, culture, education and the lives of veterans and disadvantaged citizens.
The 2025 ACA Honoree is comprised of four Academy chef educators:
- Chelius is an ACA alumna, earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University and an M.S. in Hospitality from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She began her career as a pastry chef in the casino industry and gained professional experience at The Parker House in Massachusetts, the Michelin three-star-winning Frenchman’s Creek Yacht and Country Club in Florida and Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia. Chelius is the founder of Classy Chef, LLC. and she has also received numerous accolades, such as the 2019 CAFÉ “Innovation in Education Award,” the 2015 Sysco/CAFÉ Postsecondary Foodservice Educator of the Year Award, and two gold medals at the New York Food Shows.
- Latorre is an ACA alumna and an accomplished culinary professional who embarked upon her career in 2003 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa’s bakeshop under the mentorship of former White House Pastry Chef Thadeus Dubois. Latorre began teaching in 2010 as a baking and pastry adjunct instructor at the ACA before becoming a full-time chef educator. Over the years, she developed an extensive knowledge of artisan breads, helping students understand the art of creating complex doughs and mastering various bread styles, including sourdough, baguettes, and rustic loaves. In addition to her teaching role, Latorre is an active advisor to the Academy’s Culinary Student Association (CSA).
- Tedeschi has over 35 years of experience in the food service industry and more than 25 years as a chef educator at the ACA. His culinary expertise spans the U.S. Eastern heartland up through New England, which he incorporates into his teaching. Tedeschi specializes in hot foods, Italian cuisine, Garde manager, charcuterie, ice carving, restaurant operations, and culinary competitions. His career highlights include working at the Woodstock Inn and Resort in Vermont, owning and operating a successful catering and private chef business where he cooked for high-profile clients, and most recently, establishing an ice carving business that serves South Jersey.
- Wohlman is an ACA alumna and graduate of Johnson and Wales University. As a New Jersey native, Wohlman developed an appreciation for local and seasonal foods, influenced by her parents’ values of conserving resources and supporting regional produce like Jersey Fresh products. For more than 20 years, Wohlman has been an ACA faculty member focusing on educating and mentoring culinary students. Her professional experience includes roles with independent establishments and notable organizations in the hospitality industry, such as Marriott Corporation, McCormick and Schmick’s, Wolfgang Puck, Viking Corporation and the nonprofit Covenant House.
This year’s Gala Goes Broadway-themed event will highlight the excitement, glitz and glamour of New York City’s world-renowned Broadway. The Gala will begin at 6 p.m. with a lavish cocktail reception in the Wildwood Ballroom featuring hors d’oeuvres prepared by the students of the Academy of Culinary Arts. A formal dinner will follow at 7 p.m. in the ballroom complete with sample signature dishes, desserts and some of the finest libations from more than 50 South Jersey establishments. The 50/50 cash raffle drawing, open bar, photo booth and live musical entertainment will round out the evening’s festivities.
The Annual Restaurant Gala, which is highly-regarded as the premier food and beverage fundraising event in the Atlantic City area, annually attracts 1,000 community and business leaders, government officials, food enthusiasts and friends of the college.
Since its inception in 1984, the Restaurant Gala has raised more than $4.3 million for scholarships benefiting students attending the Academy of Culinary Arts, a student emergency fund and Atlantic Cape Community College Foundation operations. We are grateful for every contribution that helps the ACA provide quality educational and training opportunities, and ensures the continued success of our students.
For more information about this year’s Gala, please visit atlanticcape.edu/gala or contact Kristin Jackson at kjackson@atlanticcape.edu or (609) 463-3621.
