Rudi Fischbacher, dean of the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, is being inducted to the prestigious OHI Hall of Fame for his immense contribution to the hospitality industry.
The 2023 OHI Hall of Fame award winners will receive their awards today at the Ontario Hospitality Conference. They are the first group to be added to the Hall of Fame since 2018.
“Being inducted into the OHI Hall of Fame has been an honour for me,” Rudi said. “This acknowledgement means that I can continue to be a part of the leaders in our industry to address challenges and provide solutions such as creating programs to ensure the success for our students.”
Jeffrey Steen, associate dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, said their team is extremely pleased that Rudi was selected for the award.
“Rudi is a dynamic leader, who remains laser focused on student success,” he said. “His dedication, support of our students, programs and the college community has allowed him the opportunity to build strong relationships, internally and externally. CHCA is excited for the future, and the possibilities with Rudi at the helm.”
OHI, originally known as the Ontario Hostelry Institute, is stewarded by the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA). ORHMA is the largest provincial hospitality association representing 12,000 hospitality businesses in the province. OHI specifically focuses on hospitality workforce development through career outreach initiatives.
“ORHMA has been a driving force in supporting the training of future talents in the industry,” Rudi said. “Connecting colleges and industry leaders in this endeavour has helped to address current issues with talent acquisition and stoking interest for future students.”
Fischbacher joined CHCA in 2022 after nearly two decades of experience in the post-secondary sector and a wealth of industry experience in Toronto and Europe. Since joining George Brown College, Rudi has worked to expand opportunities for flexible learning, internationalization and competition.
“I am happy this recognition occurred in my first year of being at George Brown,” he said. “I am proud to represent the centre and college.”
Tara Montgomery-Ferguson, associate dean of the Chef School, said that Rudi has indeed made a substantial impact in his first year at the college.
“His vision of promoting programs for students to gain knowledge and experience at CHCA has been at the forefront,” she said. “His focus is ensuring that the student’s learning journey is streamlined, barrier free and workforce ready.”
Just recently, CHCA was honoured as the first chef school in Canada to achieve Gold Organic Campus Designation from the Canada Organic Trade Association.
