Saint Paul College chef instructor earned a national award for her commitment to culinary education and the foodservice industry.

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 22, 2026 – The Idaho Potato Commission, along with the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education, selected Saint Paul College’s Sara Johannes, chef instructor and culinary arts department chair, to receive the 2026 Postsecondary Educator of the Year award. This national honor recognizes an educator’s professional commitment to the educational community and foodservice industry.

Chef Johannes’s motto is to create student-centered experiences, empowering individuals to take ownership of their future and define their place in the food industry.

With this goal in mind, she implemented two new ground-breaking programs – the first-ever study abroad program at St. Paul College and a flexible Culinary Entrepreneurship certificate teaching first-time business owners how to avoid early, detrimental mistakes when opening a new restaurant.

12 Saint Paul College students, many first-time international travelers, ventured to Italy earlier this year in the spring. Because of Chef Johannes’s multi-layered fundraising efforts, including a scholarship dinner, private donors, and community support, seven of the 12 students received scholarships ranging from $2,500 to full coverage of the trip’s $4,300 cost.

Chef Johannes derived the college’s Culinary Entrepreneurship certificate curriculum from her graduate research on why restaurants fail. She identified early, avoidable business missteps and incorporated the antidote information into the lessons. The one-year program is flexible and can be completed online or in person. This flexibility increases access for all and creates a more equitable pathway for non-traditional students.

The Postsecondary Educator of the Year award provided Chef Johannes with a commemorative plaque and complimentary registration to attend CAFÉ’s 2026 Leadership Conference, held this summer in Chicago.

About Idaho Potato Commission

Since 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission has represented the growers, shippers, and processors of genuine Idaho® potatoes. Idaho potatoes are available in fresh, frozen, refrigerated, and dehydrated forms, and are renowned for their exceptional quality and taste thanks to Idaho’s unique combination of rich volcanic soil, climate, and irrigation water.

Idaho produces approximately one-third of all potatoes grown in the United States, with russets accounting for the majority of production. In addition to russets, Idaho growers produce a wide range of varieties, including reds, yellows, and fingerlings. Together, Idaho farmers harvest approximately 13 billion pounds of potatoes each year.

The Idaho Potato Commission supports the potato industry through education, research, marketing, and innovation. Our programs provide valuable resources, training, market insights, and culinary inspiration for consumers, retailers, foodservice operators, and industry partners around the world.

About the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ)

Founded in 2002, CAFÉ’s mission is to link culinary educators with the foodservice industry. The organization provides up-to-date resources to foodservice educators who are training students for vibrant, fulfilling careers in the ever-evolving hospitality industry. CAFÉ supports the unique needs of highly specialized professionals who wear two hats as culinarians and educators through its online magazine, The Gold Medal Classroom, free digital resources such as CAFÉ Talks Podcast and Coffee with CAFÉ webinars, as well as national outreach events. For more information, visit our website: CafeMeetingPlace.com.