Connecticut Chefs Association / American Culinary Federation

CCA/ACF Business Meeting Agenda

2026–2027 Planning & Board Leadership Meeting

Date: Monday, September 14, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM
Meeting Focus: Establishing realistic priorities, officer responsibilities, measurable goals, and a sustainable operating plan for 2026–2027

1. Call to Order

• Welcome and opening remarks

• Roll call of officers and members

• Approval of agenda

• Approval of previous meeting minutes

• Treasurer's report and current financial position

2. State of the Connecticut Chefs Association

Brief discussion of where the chapter currently stands and what can realistically be accomplished during 2026–2027.

• Membership and participation

• Student and young-chef involvement

• Financial condition

• Meeting attendance

• ACF national/regional engagement

• Educational programming

• Competitions and certifications

• Industry partnerships

• Communications/social media

• Strengths and challenges from 2025–2026

Desired outcome: Agree on 4–6-chapter priorities rather than attempting too many initiatives simultaneously.

3. Proposed 2026–2027 Chapter Goals

Priority

Realistic 2026–2027 Goal

Measure of Accomplishment

Membership

Increase active membership and improve retention

Membership count reviewed quarterly

Student Membership

Strengthen relationships with CT culinary schools

Student outreach at 3+ schools/programs

Meetings

Establish predictable monthly/quarterly programming

Calendar published in advance

Education

Offer meaningful professional-development programs

3–4 educational demonstrations/workshops

ACF Certification

Promote certification and continuing education

At least 1 certification-focused event

Industry Engagement

Reconnect with chefs, restaurants, vendors and employers

3+ new/reengaged industry partners

Community Service

Complete a manageable signature service project

At least 1 documented chapter project

Financial Stability

Operate events with budgets and accountability

Treasurer reports at each business meeting

Recognition

Celebrate members, students and industry partners

Annual awards/recognition program

Communications

Maintain consistent member communication

Monthly email/social media communication

4. Board Officer Delegation of Duties

The objective should be to move from a model where a few people perform most chapter functions to one in which each officer owns a clearly defined area of responsibility.

President – Leadership & Accountability

• Chair meetings and establish agendas.

• Maintain relationship with ACF national/regional leadership.

• Coordinate the annual chapter plan.

• Assign committee responsibilities.

• Conduct quarterly progress reviews.

• Ensure officers have the resources necessary to complete assignments.

Vice President – Programs & Events

• Develop the annual meeting/event calendar.

• Coordinate chef demonstrations and educational programs.

• Identify host locations and guest chefs.

• Oversee event planning committees.

• Maintain an event planning checklist.

Treasurer – Finance & Budget

• Present financial reports at business meetings.

• Develop the 2026–2027 operating budget.

• Establish event budgets before commitments are made.

• Track revenue, expenses and reimbursements.

• Provide quarterly budget-to-actual reports.

• Work with committees on financially sustainable events.

Secretary – Records & Communications

• Record and distribute meeting minutes.

• Maintain attendance and official chapter records.

• Maintain an action-item log showing responsibility and deadlines.

• Distribute meeting notices.

• Maintain an annual archive of chapter activities and accomplishments.

Membership Officer/Chair – Recruitment & Retention

• Maintain current membership information.

• Contact inactive or expiring members.

• Develop a membership recruitment campaign.

• Welcome and orient new members.

• Report membership progress quarterly.

Education/Certification Chair – Professional Development

• Coordinate ACF educational programming.

• Promote ACF certification.

• Identify CEH opportunities.

• Coordinate certification workshops/review sessions where feasible.

• Develop relationships with culinary educators.

Student/Young Chefs Representative – Emerging Professionals

• Connect CCA with Connecticut culinary students.

• Promote student ACF membership.

• Encourage student participation in meetings and events.

• Develop mentorship opportunities connecting students with professional chefs.

Marketing/Social Media Chair – Visibility

• Maintain a predictable communication schedule.

• Promote meetings, demonstrations and member accomplishments.

• Maintain appropriate social-media presence.

• Coordinate event photographs and post-event communications.

5. Establish a 2026–2027 Operating Calendar

Rather than filling the year with events immediately, identify several anchor activities:

Fall 2026: membership/recruitment initiative; culinary education or chef demonstration; culinary-school outreach.

Winter 2026–27: holiday/community-service activity and member networking.

Spring 2027: professional-development or ACF certification program; student/young-chef event; industry networking.

Late Spring/Summer 2027: annual recognition event, officer/year-end report, and planning for 2027–2028.

6. Committee Assignments

Determine a Board Officer Lead and supporting members for:

• Membership

• Programs/events

• Education/certification

• Students/young chefs

• Community service

• Awards/recognition

• Sponsorship/fundraising

• Marketing/communications

Expectation: Every committee should have a defined purpose, responsible lead, deadline, and measurable deliverable.

7. Financial Planning

• Establish available operating funds.

• Determine reasonable event expenditures.

• Sponsorship/vendor opportunities

• Membership revenue

• Fundraising philosophy

• Event pricing

• Student subsidies/scholarship possibilities

• Approval process for expenditures

2026–2027 goal: No major event should proceed without a simple projected revenue/expense budget and designated event lead.

8. Membership & Succession Planning

• How do we bring former members back?

• How do we recruit working chefs?

• How do we convert culinary students into professional members?

• How can vendors and industry partners participate?

• Identify members who could become future board officers.

• Create opportunities for newer members to lead manageable projects.

9. Define What Success Looks Like by June 2027

A successful year does not require dozens of events. By June 2027, the CCA should reasonably be able to demonstrate:

A functioning and accountable board; improved membership engagement; a published meeting calendar; several high-quality educational/networking programs; stronger connections with Connecticut culinary schools and students; at least one meaningful community-service initiative; responsible financial management; increased communication with members; and documented accomplishments that can be presented to the membership and ACF.

10. Immediate Action Plan – September–October 2026

Before leaving the September 14 meeting, assign:

Action

Officer/Committee

Deadline

Status

Confirm officer responsibilities

Board

Sept. 14 Establish 2026–27 priorities

Board

Sept. 14 Prepare annual operating budget

Treasurer

Oct. 1 Develop annual event calendar

VP/Programs

Oct. 1 Review current membership

Membership Chair

Oct. 1 Contact CT culinary programs

Education/Student Chair

Oct. 15 Establish communications schedule

Secretary/Marketing

Oct. 1 Identify first educational program

VP/Education

Oct. 15 Identify community-service project

Assigned Committee

Oct. 15 Present first progress report

All Officers

Next Meeting

11. New Business

• Member proposals

• Upcoming ACF activities

• Competitions

• Certification opportunities

• Culinary-industry announcements

• Sponsorship opportunities

12. Officer Commitments

Before adjournment, each board officer should state one specific responsibility they will complete before the next meeting. The Secretary records these commitments in the minutes and carries unfinished items forward.

13. Next Meeting / Adjournment

• Confirm next meeting date, time and location.

• Review action items and responsible officers.

• Adjournment.

A strong working theme for the year would be “Engage • Educate • Grow • Serve.” It keeps the CCA/ACF plan centered on four achievable outcomes rather than simply increasing the number of meetings and events.

The most useful next step would be turning this into a formal one-page CCA/ACF meeting agenda plus a separate 2026–2027 Board Action Plan, so the agenda remains concise while the officers have a working accountability document for the entire year.

Refine the 2026–2027 board plan

• Create a one-page meeting agenda

• Build the board action plan