2025 Restaurant Gala Honorees
Community Honoree
The Atlantic Cape Foundation is excited to honor Ocean Casino Resort and its contributions, both monetarily and through Team Member volunteerism, across multiple local and regional organizations, as the organization endeavors to improve health & human services, culture, education and the lives of veterans and disadvantaged citizens.
Ocean Casino Resort is proud to serve as a pillar of the Atlantic City community and is steadfast in its philanthropic efforts, including its ongoing commitment to Atlantic Cape Foundation fundraising initiatives and most recently, the generous contribution made toward the Inlet CDC’s Atlantic City Inlet Now! Revitalization Project.
Academy of Culinary Arts Honorees
The Atlantic Cape Foundation is proud to recognize (left to right) Chef Linda Wohlman ’93, Chef Vincent Tedeschi ’99, Chef Ruth LaTorre ’02, and Chef Annmarie Chelius ’82, ’84, our four Academy of Culinary Arts chef educators, for their continued dedication to teaching the aspiring chefs attending ACA programs in Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry, and Hospitality Management. These culinary experts bring their extensive years of industry experience and culinary expertise into the classroom to train future culinary masterminds who will ultimately pursue careers locally, nationally, and event internationally. Learn about these four exceptional chef educators below.
Academy of Culinary Arts Honorees - Bios
Chef Annmarie Chelius '82, '84, C.C.E., C.W.P.C., C.H.E.
Academy of Culinary Arts, Chef Educator
Chef Annmarie Chelius holds an M.S. in Hospitality from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a B.S. in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State College, and degrees from the Academy of Culinary Arts and Atlantic Cape Community College. She began her career as a pastry chef in the casino industry and gained professional experience at The Parker House in Massachusetts, the Michelin three-star-winning Frenchman’s Creek Yacht and Country Club in Florida, and Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia. In addition to her pastry expertise, she has extensive experience in hot foods and catering, with a passion for teaching plant-based cuisine and sustainability.
Chef Chelius is also the founder of Classy Chef LLC, which offers cooking and baking instruction both in person and online, including projects for the American Diabetic Association and a British Bakes series.
Chef Chelius has received numerous accolades, including the 2019 CAFÉ “Innovation in Education Award,” the 2015 Sysco/CAFÉ Postsecondary Foodservice Educator of the Year Award, and two gold medals at the New York Food Shows. She was also a coach for the award-winning 2007 ACA New York Food Show team.
An advocate for healthy eating, Chef Chelius participated in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign, delivering cooking demonstrations to children as the “Queen of Lean” and involving her students, the “Sprouts,” in educational presentations. Her affiliations include the American Culinary Federation, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Atlantic City-Philadelphia Chapter of NEWH.
Chef Ruth Latorre '02, BS, CWPC
Academy of Culinary Arts, Chef Educator
Chef Ruth Latorre is an accomplished culinary professional residing in Atlantic City. A proud graduate of the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA), she embarked on her career by joining the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 2003, where she worked in the Bakeshop for several years under the mentorship of former White House Pastry Chef, Thadeus Dubois.
Chef Latorre transitioned into teaching in 2010 as a baking and pastry adjunct instructor at the ACA, where she later became a full-time Chef Educator. Over the years, she developed an extensive knowledge of artisan breads, helping students understand the art of creating complex doughs and mastering various bread styles, including sourdough, baguettes, and rustic loaves.
In addition to her teaching role, Chef Latorre is an active advisor to the Academy's Culinary Student Association (CSA). In this capacity, she provides guidance and mentorship to students outside the classroom, helping organize events, develop leadership skills, and navigate the culinary world.
After her years as an educator, Chef Latorre expanded her career by working with a local gluten-free bakery and meal prep company, where she developed expertise in alternative baking methods. She then joined the Hard Rock Casino in 2018 as the Food and Beverage Department’s Health and Safety Manager, overseeing food safety and life safety inspections, ensuring the highest standards of operation across the property.
Now back at the Academy as a full-time Educator, Chef Latorre is eager to share her wealth of experience and knowledge with the next generation of culinary professionals. She specializes in Baking and Pastry, and continues to inspire students with her dedication to the craft and her commitment to culinary excellence.
Chef Vincent R. Tedeschi '99, AAS, CCC, CCE
Academy of Culinary Arts, Chef Educator
Chef Vincent R. Tedeschi brings over 35 years of experience in the food service industry and more than 25 years as a Chef Educator at the Academy of Culinary Arts. His culinary expertise spans the U.S. Eastern heartland up through New England, which he incorporates into his teaching.
Chef Tedeschi specializes in hot foods, Italian cuisine, garde manger, charcuterie, ice carving, restaurant operations, and culinary competitions.
Career highlights include working at the Woodstock Inn and Resort in Vermont, owning and operating a successful catering and private chef business where he cooked for high-profile clients, including singer and performer Cher, and more recently, establishing an ice carving business serving South Jersey.
Chef Linda Wohlman '93, BS, CWPC
Academy of Culinary Arts, Chef Educator
Chef Linda L. Wohlman was born and raised in New Jersey, where she developed an appreciation for local and seasonal foods, influenced by her parents' values of conserving resources and supporting regional produce like Jersey Fresh products.
Chef Wohlman has traveled throughout the continental United States, Canada, South America, and Europe, gaining diverse culinary insights along the way. She is a graduate of the Academy of Culinary Arts and Johnson and Wales University.
Her professional experience includes roles with independent establishments and notable organizations in the hospitality industry, such as Marriott Corporation, McCormick and Schmick’s, Wolfgang Puck, Viking Corporation, and the nonprofit Covenant House.
For over twenty years, Chef Wohlman has been a faculty member at the Academy of Culinary Arts, where she has focused on educating and mentoring culinary students.