2027 ACF & SC Seafood Competition Judges
This Years Panel of Decision Makers!
Meet our team of Judges, who collectively bring with them the highest level of national talent to the 2027 competitions. We are excited to have this group of highly distinguished Judges with many years of expertise and a passion for the food sector of the Hospitality Industry.
LEAD JUDGE
Anthony L. Lauri
CEC, AAC
Been an ACF member for over 40 years. A ACF judge for 25 years. Have been a avid competitor for 40 years. Numerous ACF Gold medals, 5 Best of show awards, 2 Presidential Medals, twice nominated for Southeast Regional Chef of the year. LJ Minors Professional Chef of the year for the Southeast Region. Experience at hotels, resorts, high volume restaurants, and Divison One NCAA College Campus at University of Miami. Hobbies include tinkering with my show cars, mentoring young culinarians and creating exciting plant based recipes.
Ted Polfelt
CEC,CEPC,CCA,AAC
-Owner of Brood Restaurant and Bar 07/23- present
-Won 16 local dining awards including Best Chef and Best Fine Dining in the Roanoker Magazine 11/24, 10/25
-Selected as a Team Chef to ACF Culinary Team USA 2024 – 06/21
-Team Chef on ACF Culinary Team USA 2024 (2021-2024)
-National Team 2 Silver medals Luxembourg World Cup 2022
-National Team 2 Silver medals at IKA Culinary Olympics 2024 -Winner Turkish Tastes 2023 New Orleans Competition
-Member of the ACF Certification Commission 01/22- present
-ACF Southeast Chef of the Year 2016 / National finalist
-Culinary Competitor all over the USA achieving 27+ medals
– Member of the ACF National Accreditation Commission 01/20-01-22
– ACF Cutting Edge Award Recipient 02/17 at NYC Chef Connect
– President of SWVA American Culinary Federation 07/13-07/17, 8/25- present
– Vice President of SWVA American Culinary Federation 07/17-09/19
– President’s Medallion #69 Recipient 02/15 at Baltimore Chef Connect
-Executive Chef at Roanoke Country Club 05/22-05/24
-Certified Executive Chef from the American Culinary Federation
-Certified Executive Pastry Chef from the American Culinary Federation
-Certified Culinary Administrator from the American Culinary Federation
-Inducted into the American Academy of Chefs 07/18
-Culinary Instructor (full-time) at Virginia Western CC 01/12-present
-Executive Chef at JSMG 06/13-05/22 overseeing 7 restaurant concepts
Susan Notter, C.E.P.C.
STAFFORD T. DECAMBRA
CEC, CCE, CCA, WCMC, AAC
After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1978, DeCambra, CEC®, CCE®, CCA®, WCMC, AAC® worked in several foodservice capacities in Hawaii, his home state, from the Cruise Line Industry to the continental United States and recently retired serving as a Global Culinary Consultant. In 2005 DeCambra was inducted into the Epicurean World Master Chefs Society and in 2013 he received his Master Chef Certification from the World Association of Chef’s & Cook’s Society, an honor he says is a dream come true. He is the past National Chairman of the American Academy of Chefs®, the honor society of the American Culinary Federation and the past National President of the American Culinary Federation. Chef DeCambra also served on the American Culinary Federation’s National Culinary Team USA as the 2016 ACF National Youth Team Manager. His most recent position he served as the Corporate Executive Chef for Poach Creek Indians where Chef DeCambra oversaw all Culinary Operations for 3 different properties to include Creek Casino-Tallapoosa, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel-Atmore and the newly built Wind Creek Casino Creek-Wetumpka generating over $40 million a year in Food revenue. DeCambra currently resides between Hawai’i, Mexico and Alabama.
Edward Adel
C.E.C., A.A.C.
Edward Adel is a Professor culinary arts Johnson County Community College and a ACF Certified Culinary judge.
Edward has worked at Johnson County Community College for 15 years, previous to that he spent 30 years in hotels and restaurants working an executive chef and Food and Beverage director. Most recently I was and advisor to the Culinary Olympic Junior team in 2024, the Coach to Junior team USA in 2020 for the IKA in Germany, and the captain of a regional team at the culinary Olympics in 2016. I have coach culinary teams competing in regional, national, and international competitions since 2010 to present. I started competing in culinary competition in 1988 and was a junior member or the junior culinary Olympic team in 1992. I have competed in 4 different continents internationally as well as different regions of the United states.
Jason Hall
CMC
Jason Hall earned an associate degree from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in 1995 and has built a successful culinary career across the United States, working in high-end private country clubs and restaurants from Ohio to California, as well as in the Carolinas and Florida. He currently serves as the Vice President of Research and Culinary Development for Southbend, Crown Steam & Firex of the Middleby Corporation.
Jason holds over 25 ACF and international competition medals and has been recognized for his contributions to the Northeast Florida Culinary Apprenticeship Committee. His charitable work includes supporting Habitat for Humanity and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 2012, he became the 77th chef to pass the Certified Master Chef Exam (CMC®) at the Culinary Institute of America. As a member of ACF Culinary Team USA, he earned multiple awards in international competitions, including first place in the cold food category at the 2016 IKA Culinary Olympics. Currently, he chairs the Advisory Council of the American Master Chefs Order.