Volunteer in Madison
Each year, the ACS Conference & Competition takes place with the help of countless volunteers who share their time and talents to ensure that our events run smoothly. If you love cheese, or simply enjoy lending a hand, consider spending a few hours with us!
ACS is seeking volunteers to support the 2013 Conference & Competition in Madison, Wisconsin from July 25 – August 4, 2013. Shifts vary in length. Volunteers must be age 18 or older.
All volunteers receive an official volunteer t-shirt and a complimentary ticket to the Festival of Cheese on Saturday, August 3 as a token of our appreciation (additional tickets for family or friends can be purchased online beginning on May 6).
Interested in lending a hand?
Create a free account on our Shiftboard site, and find the assignment that’s right for you:
2013 Official Conference Cheesemongers
ACS is pleased to to announce its 2013 Official Conference Cheesemongers, Jason Herbert of Whole Foods Market in Deerfield, IL and Leah McFadden of Whole Foods Market in Santa Clara, CA. Jason and Leah are both members of the first class of ACS Certified Cheese Professionals.
The Official ACS Conference Cheesemongers are the lead volunteers in charge of conference cheeses, including but not limited to prepping cheese for meals and breaks, plating cheese for tasting sessions, assisting sponsors with preparing and displaying their cheeses for special events, etc. The Cheesemongers track the movement of cheese to and from various venues, ensuring proper preparation and handling by volunteers, and overseeing a team of volunteers to deliver cheeses to the appropriate events at the appropriate times.
Are you interested in becoming an ACS Official Conference Cheesemonger in 2014 or beyond? Consider volunteering alongside Leah and Jason in Madison to learn more about their roles and responsibilities. Those cheesemongers interested in volunteering should contact Jana Hemphill via email or at 720-328-2788.
Jason Herbert, Whole Foods Market, Deerfield, IL
Originally a set designer and technical director for the theatre in Chi
cago, Jason moved from back stage to back of the house in 2002, earning le Cordon Bleu from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, starting in restaurants working under Chef Steve Chiappetti, then catering with Food For Thought where he began learning about cheese from CMC John Reed. In 2005, Jason joined Chicago Game & Gourmet wholesale and moved back into high-end catering until 2007, when he began work at Whole Foods Market, Deerfield, IL as a cheese buyer. While purchasing and selling more then 350 different cultured milk products daily, Jason has earned commendation for customer service and merchandising. In 2012, Jason was among the first to be awarded as an ACS Certified Cheese Professional. He looks forward to an amazing conference and honoring the cheesemakers.
Leah McFadden, Whole Foods Market, Santa Clara, CA
Leah grew up in a warm and food l
oving family. She started working at Whole Foods Market in 2008 and was first bitten by the cheese bug when she held the Demo Specialist position in 2010 and was sampling out French cheeses to customers. Once she took a bite of Boucherondin, she was hooked. Very shortly after that Leah became the cheese buyer in the Specialty department where she learned as much as she could about cheese and how to take care of it. Now she is running her own Specialty team at the Whole Foods Market in San Jose, CA.
Last year, Leah was part of the first class of Certified Cheese Professionals and after being certified, she has been doing everything she can to further her career in cheese. She currently writes a cheese blog called Shootin’ the Bries and is helping spread the word about artisan cheese.
