Ed McArdle of Bath County has been named the new head of the Culinary Arts and Management Program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, it was announced by Dr. Benjamin Worth, Vice President of Academic Affairs. McArdle assumed his new position at the DSLCC Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista, where the culinary program is mainly located.
McArdle, fondly known as “Chef Ed”, is no stranger to DSLCC; in 2005 and 2006, McArdle taught a very popular series of gourmet cooking classes through the DSLCC non-credit program. He returns to DSLCC with many more years of experience under his belt.
“I’m very excited to apply the skills that I’ve learned by passing them on to students,” says McArdle. “I look forward to continuing to build this program. This is a dream come true for me.”
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, McArdle, a native of Pennsylvania, first entered the restaurant business when he worked for restauranteur Cameron Mitchell. McArdle came to Virginia as head chef at “The Muse” at The Three Hills Inn in Warm Springs. He also owned and operated Chef Ed’s Community Market in Hot Springs and was Executive Chef at the Garth Newel Music Center in Warm Springs.
“He is well known to area chefs and restauranteurs and has offered his services as a consultant in such highly regarded dining facilities as the Highland Inn Restaurant and the Inn at Gristmill Square,” says Dr. Worth. For the last seven years, McArdle has served as a culinary arts instructor with the West Virginia Department of Education.
McArdle will be assisted by adjunct instructor Anita Staton.
McArdle is married to the former Jaime Letourneau, who is well known in the area for helping to spearhead Garth Newel’s Allegheny Mountain String Project for area youth.
For more information about the Culinary Arts program at DSLCC, contact McArdle at (540) 261-1211 ext. 3514, or email emcardle@dslcc.edu. The fall semester begins August 21.