Chef Kathryn McGushin, CDC Community Leader of the Year

Chef Kathryn McGushin, CEC, was chosen as the 2017 CDC Community Leader of the Year at October’s Ohio CDC Association annual conference! Chef Katie McGushin is the Culinary Arts Instructor at Tri-County Career Center in Nelsonville, Ohio and is truly a Community Leader. Known to ACEnet as Chef Katie, she actively serves as a member on the Board of Directors for two Southeast Ohio CDCs: The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) and Live Healthy Appalachia.

Chef Katie is passionate about local food and ensuring that individuals and families throughout our Appalachian counties have access to healthy foods. Since joining the Board of Directors for the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) in 2016, Chef Katie has been integral in many ACEnet projects, such as the Appalachia Accessible Food Network, a collaborative project between ACEnet, Rural Action, and Community Food Initiatives to promote the southeast Ohio Farm to School program. Her previous role at Hocking College proved critical in creating a new model: Farm to Institution to School. This model has enabled the partners to provide local school districts with fresh cut and frozen food processed from local farmers and the Chesterhill Produce Auction. By leveraging the resources of Hocking College culinary arts students and facilities, Chef Katie has increased the purchase of local produce by local schools and deepened her students understanding of healthy food processing and the need for healthy food access in underserved communities in Appalachia Ohio.

Chef Katie was also essential in the execution of ACEnet’s inaugural 2017 Women in Business Conference. Working closely with ACEnet’s 2016-2017 Workforce Development VISTA, Erin Phillips, she helped ACEnet deliver the best conference for female entrepreneurs as possible, coordinated lunch with Hocking College’s culinary program and provided event support throughout the conference. Attended by 75 women entrepreneurs, from 6 counties in southern Ohio, in all stages of business development, ACEnet’s Women in Business conference was greatly enhanced by Chef Katie’s involvement. Her commitment to the non-profit sector is impressive. Chef Katie is active on many sub-committees. She serves on ACEnet’s Audit Committee, chairs the Live Healthy Appalachia, Income Development Committee, and advises Live Healthy Appalachia cooking programs.