Candy Wallace, founder and executive director of the American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA), has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the 2009-2010 Cordon d'Or-Gold Ribbon International Culinary Academy Awards. She, along with other Cordon d'Or award recipients, will be honored by Cordon d'Or founder Noreen Kinney at a reception on April 30 at the Don CeSar Resort in St. Pete Beach.

Wallace (pictured, above) founded the American Personal Chef Association in 1996 to provide career and management training to those who aspire to become personal chefs. In 2002 the APPCA established a formal partnership with the American Culinary Federation to award certification to qualified personal chefs. She restructured the organization in 2006 to address private chefs as well, renaming it the American Personal & Private Chef Association. Last month, the Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) presented Wallace with its Medallion of Excellence to recognize her superior service to the foodservice-education industry.

For more information about the APPCA, visit www.personalchef.com.