Steven Keifer
Steven Keifer received the 2020 Chefs de Cuisine Educator of the Year Award. This San Diego native credits his passion for food with the “audacious multicultural flavors of this city”.
He served in the United States Navy and then pursued his dream to be a chef by attending culinary school and embarking on a robust career in the hotel and restaurant industry.
After 30 years in the foodservice industry, his love of family, community, and belief in feeding one’s soul led him to Father Joe’s Villages, a local charity that serves the needs of the city’s homeless population.
During his tenure as their Executive Chef, he oversaw the preparation of more than 1,000,000 healthy and delicious meals and built an outstanding culinary education program.
His commitment to ever-evolving as a chef, helping others, and running kitchens that embrace the value of teaching others made him the perfect addition to Kitchens for Good where he served for several years as Chef Instructor for Project Launch, a program that offers offers career second chances to individuals from troubled backgrounds.