[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 76 (Thursday, May 8, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SULLIVAN'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR 
                          HOSPITALITY STUDIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 8, 2008

  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of the twenty-fifth 
anniversary of Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality 
Studies, in Louisville, Kentucky.
  Nearly four thousand students have graduated from NCHS and gone on to 
impact the culinary, travel, and hospitality fields. The impact of 
Sullivan's exceptional program can be felt throughout the nation, from 
Las Vegas to New Orleans and many lucky cities in between, but 
nowhere--I am pleased to say--has NCHS and its alumni had a greater 
influence than in my hometown of Louisville.
  On any given weekend night, there are over 600 Sullivan students 
working in our community's hotels and restaurants. Alumni include many 
of our city's finest chefs and restaurateurs, who have helped ensure 
that Derby week, when our town becomes the nation's top tourist 
destination, visitors will leave raving about more than just horse 
races.
  But while I certainly recommend it, one does not need to come to 
Louisville to recognize the excellence of the program. President and 
CEO A.R. Sullivan has assembled an award winning faculty, including 
program director Chef Tom Hickey, a Culinary Olympics medal winner who 
has overseen culinary operations for presidential inaugurations; 
catering department chair chef Kimberly Jones, who has developed 
nationally renowned recipes and catered some of the world's highest 
profile events; chef John Castro, our local celebrity chef who bested 
the competition on the TV Food Network's Throw Down with Bobby Flay and 
has been featured on the Travel Channel; and baking and pastry 
department chef, the nationally ranked Derek Spendlove, who won a gold 
medal in the 1988 Culinary Olympics.
  That faculty and leadership has helped Sullivan's Culinary 
Competition team win 291 medals, including Southeast Regional Pastry 
Chef of the Year in 2008 and Southeast Regional Champions in 2001, 2004 
and 2005. The school was the first culinary school in America to be 
invited to cook at New York's prestigious James Beard House.
  The alumni list of four-star chefs has the length of a school 
celebrating its centennial. Still for all that has been accomplished 
through NCHS in a quarter century, the promise for the future is 
equally bright. The program now builds on a proud tradition where 
students and alumni never cease to exceed our highest expectations.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Sullivan University's 
National Center for Hospitality Studies on the last twenty five years 
of distinction and to wish the center the best as it continues to 
satisfy our taste for excellence in the years to come.

                          ____________________