Meet the Dean
Christopher Koetke
Christopher Koetke has presided as Dean of Kendall's School of Culinary Arts since 2005. One of his first leadership acts was to set the culinary arts school on the path toward ecological sustainability. Today, sustainability is woven throughout the curriculum and guides the school's operational practices.
In May 2008, Dean Koetke expanded Kendall's sustainability commitment to provide education on this critical issue to the broader foodservice industry. The program reaches out to working professionals and educators to provide them with the information and tools they need to embark on their own sustainability journey. Since then, Dean Koetke has become a well-known speaker on sustainability and is a member of the National Restaurant Association's Conserve Action Council.
In April 2009, Dean Koetke was named Cooking Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). The Award of Excellence annually honors one individual globally who demonstrates and effectively communicates an exceptional knowledge of culinary studies and techniques in a vocational, avocational or traveling-teacher capacity.
Dean Koetke joined the Kendall team in 1998, serving first as a culinary instructor and later as associate dean, 2002 - 2005. Chef Koetke began cooking professionally in 1982, starting at local restaurants in his hometown, Valparaiso, Indiana. He soon moved to Chicago and took a position at L'Escargot on Halsted.
Eager to expand his knowledge of fine cuisine, Chef Koetke traveled to France where he worked in some of the country's finest kitchens: Pavilion Elysees, Pierre Gagnaire, Taillevent and Pierre Orsi. While there, he also made time for his second passion, wine. In Paris, he studied at L'Academie du Vin and with L'Association des Sommeliers de Paris. The last term of his European employment was spent honing his pastry skills at Patisserie Mage in Geneva, Switzerland.
Upon his return to the United States, Chef Koetke began a five-year tenure at the world- famous Le Francais in Wheeling, Illinois. During this time, Christopher finished third in the U.S. finals of the Bocuse d'Or culinary competition.