Ronald DeSantis, Master Chef

Ronald DeSantis was previously Director of Culinary Excellence and Quality Assurance for Yale Dining, and is still an advisor. In that role, Chef DeSantis oversaw the production of over 13,000 meals each day at Yale. He provides leadership for all facets of culinary concept design, development of innovative menus and cuisine and training of culinary teams.

A former Marine, Ron is often called back to service as a guest presidential chef at Camp David and the White House.

Before joining Yale, Ron was Director of CIA Consulting at The Culinary Institute of America. This role kept him on the cutting edge of the food service industry. Chef DeSantis worked closely with the food service industry’s blue chip companies and has delivered successful results for companies like, Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Barnes & Noble Café, Hormel, and Duncan Hines.

A 1981 CIA alumnus, Chef DeSantis has received many citations during his professional career, including the highly regarded certification as a master chef (C.M.C.) by the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He was also inducted into the American Academy of Chefs (A.A.C.), the ACF’s honor society. Chef DeSantis received silver and bronze medals at the Nuremberg Culinary Exhibit, and a gold medal at the ACF National Championship. In 2002, Chef DeSantis received the ACF President’s Medallion for contributions to the master chef exam, and The Cutting Edge Award in 2013 by ACF national president Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, in recognition of his leadership and service to the culinary profession. Chef DeSantis is currently the Chair of the ACF Certification Commission. A Certified Hospitality Educator (C.H.E), Chef DeSantis holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, NY.