ECC culinary instructor earns national honor

In a male-dominated profession, Executive Chef Jill Russell has once again proved to be the creme de la creme.

Russell, an instructor at Elgin Community College's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Institute, last week received the American Culinary Federation's Presidential Medallion.

The award is one of nine other honors the Naperville resident has received in recent years - including the Instructor of the Year award from the National Restaurant Association, and the Chef Educator of the Year award from Windy City Professional Culinarians.

Russell is just one of 92 female certified executive chefs in the country, among a field of 2,000 males.

"You know, it's funny," the Chicago native and Queen of Peace High School alumnus said. "I never took home economics or a food prep course in high school - I was all about calculus and physics ."

Despite a high school job working as a prep cook at a local Marriott Hotel, "unfortunately," she said, "in the 1970s, girls just didn't go to culinary school."

After a try at nursing school at Illinois State University, Russell in 1979 switched to Triton College's culinary arts program.

A short time later, Russell began teaching at the College of DuPage, where she met her husband David, a part-time instructor there.

In 2004, Russell moved to Elgin Community College, when it opened the Institute.

"When I went to culinary school, I was the only girl in my class," she said.

Today, Russell said, the tides are turning. "It's about 60 percent female and 40 percent male (in ECC's program)," she said. "You can just tell by the lockers - the girls' lockers are all taken, we had to add more."

In her tenure at ECC, Russell has focused on exposing her students to top professionals in the field, by bringing them on campus and renewing efforts for ECC to compete in national culinary competitions, including the American Culinary Federation Knowledge Bowl.

Unlike her souffles - Russell hasn't let the numerous awards make her head swell.

"When I won the Medallion (last week), I asked a board member 'how am i deserving among all these wonderful people?"

"They told me that the role an educator plays in the industry should never go unsung. I was just blown away by that," she said.