HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0494.015 2008-2010
Jean W. Hull CCE AAC---HOSPITALITY
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Professional resource consultant for the hospitality industry
10-6-09
STATEMENT BY JEAN HULL, CCE, AAC, RETIRED, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 1989-2001,
HAWCC-WH FOOD SERVICE FOR THE HAWAII PLANNING COMMISSION
As a former professor of culinary arts at the Kealakekua site, I
assisted with plans and logistics for a real campus to train and educate a
strong culinary workforce on our island from 1990 to this day. My
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attendance at this meeting renews my hope that this group and future groups
of interested people are heard for a new campus designed to train the next
generation of culinary students to service the hospitality industry in West
Hawaii. The current collegiate culinary arts facilities are woefully
inadequate and cannot meet the existing need for trained personnel for
current and future needs.
. During my tenure promises were made, hopes were high. However,
no action was taken to complete the process of finding a site and/or building
a campus to accommodate an adequate culinary arts program until recently.
Even so we trained and continue to train, with an excellent instructional
team, a workforce that today employees graduates as Executive Chefs,
Chefs, Cooks and Pastry Cooks at Kohala and Kona properties (such as the Mauna
Kea Beach Resort, Mauna Lani Resort, Four Seasons Resort, Fairmont Orchid Mauna Lani, Hilton
Waikoloa, Royal Kona Resort, Outrigger Keauhou Beach and restaurants such as Jackie Reys, La Pasta,
Kona Country Club, Huggo's, Merriman's, Hokulia, Kei'i Cafe.) A small percentage of
graduates are employed with signature chefs/properties such as Nobu, Mario
Betallia, Canlis, Wolfgang Puck.
Since 1990 we have prepared a small number of students to achieve
significant success in culinary and culinary related fields, offering a sound (j
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living wage and benefits for over twenty years. It is time to increase this
opportunity to many more potential students who could benefit from higher
education in culinary arts, offering job opportunities and a better life style
for our next generation of cooks and chefs and their families.
The statistics of the needs of the industry for trained workforce are high:
o Employment is clearly available, hourly wage is high, benefits are
great---why are we not training the thousands of young high school
graduates to work in this industry?
o Can we provide a viable option for Hawaii's youth to stay in
Hawaii?
o Training more than twenty students each year requires enough space
with a dedicated physical plant including up-to-date kitchens and
dining room space.
o Will the planning commission have vision to allow a dedicated plant
large enough to accomplish the goal of educating our workforce
with have a state of the art program, and facility?
I urge you to vote in favor of BiBs 136 & 137 without Brenda Ford's 42-
page amendments.
As an active member in the American Culinary Federation, Kona-
Kohala Chefs Association, I, and our chapter are united in support of the
best possible educational facility for future
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generations. Weare committed to developing a
strong, well-trained hospitality workforce on our
island. We hope you are also!
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Jean W. Hull, CCE, AAC
75-240 Malulani Dr.
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(808) 326-2350 phone and fax
e-mail: ieanhull@hawaii.rr.com