Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business honored Christopher Koetke, executive director of Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, with its 2011 Outstanding Alumni Award during commencement exercises in May. Koetke, who is also the vice president of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts, received his master of business administration degree from Dominican in 2007.

Koetke joined the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in 1998, where he served as a culinary instructor, associate dean and dean of the School before becoming executive director earlier this year. Under his leadership, the School was awarded the 2008 Academy of the Culinary Arts Cordon d’Or Gold Ribbon Cooking School of the Year. Also under his leadership, the School launched a sustainability initiative which, in 2007, was awarded the Green Award from Food Service Consultants International. In 2008, Kendall became the only culinary school in the country to receive Certified Green Restaurant status for both its dining room and cafeteria from the Green Restaurant Association. In 2009, Kendall was named an official partner of the National Restaurant Association Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative.

Koetke began cooking professionally in 1982 and has worked in some of the finest kitchens in the world. The host of the Emmy-nominated cooking show “Let’s Dish,” Koetke is the author of the award-winning The Culinary Professional (Goodheart-Wilcox Publishers, 2010), a comprehensive introductory high school culinary arts textbook. In 2009, he was named the Cooking Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals and
in 2010 the Foodservice Educators Network International honored him with its inaugural Award for Excellence in Culinary Education.

Koetke is a member of the board of the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission, the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the International Food Editorial Council and the National Restaurant Association.

Founded in 1977, the Brennan School of Business at Dominican University was named in 2006 in honor of Edward A. Brennan, former chairman and chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and his wife Lois L. Brennan, a Dominican alumna. Today the Brennan School of Business is one of the leading, small business programs in the Chicago metropolitan area.