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Cleveland Chapter History (HerStory) | EST. 2004

2024 | LDEI Cleveland celebrates 20 years!

From its founding in 2004, the Cleveland Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International has been made up of connectors, change makers, mentors and leaders in the Northeast Ohio culinary community. Our chapter’s twenty year history is a storied one, reflecting the evolution of the industry and the ingenuity of the entrepreneurs and creatives proud to call themselves Dames.

The Cleveland Chapter was founded by local leaders in Northeast Ohio’s culinary scene, including Crickett Karson, Laura Taxel, Bev Shaffer and Heather Havilland. The founding women knew the value that Les Dames d’Escoffier International could bring to the region, and through conversations and networking in the local industry, welcomed many of the region’s leaders into Cleveland’s first LDEI chapter. Since its founding in 2004, the Dames of the Cleveland Chapter have represented a wide diversity of professions, including food writers, restaurant owners, communications and marketing professionals, chefs, home economists, culinary instructors and agricultural professionals.

Since the founding, Cleveland Dames have dedicated their time and talent to supporting the entrepreneurs, small businesses and sustainable initiatives aimed at improving Northeast Ohio’s culinary industry. Through the chapter’s annual grants and scholarships programs, more than $30,000 has been given back to the community.

What began as social gatherings for women in the industry has evolved into one of Northeast Ohio’s most respected professional organizations, one where women lift each other up through networking, advice, scholarship opportunities and mentorship, all served with a side of something delicious – we are Dames, after all!

Notable Moments in Chapter History

The Cleveland Chapter of LDEI and its Dames have experienced twenty years of remarkable achievements, philanthropy and events, including:

2004 | The Cleveland Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International was founded.

2007 | The Chapter gives out its first grant to the Tremont Urban Learning Garden, beginning a practice of philanthropic outreach for local female entrepreneurs and students in the hospitality and culinary industry.

August 2012 | Dames came together for a celebration of Julia Child’s 100th Birthday. Attendees came dressed as Julia Child herself, each bringing a prepared dish from one of her cookbooks. With excellent food, wine and some exquisite pearl embellishments, it remains a fond memory for all.

May 2013 | Dames came together for a special fundraiser event “Dishing with Dames of the the West Side Market,” highlighting the diverse local vendors at Cleveland’s historic central food market.

2015 | Dame Shara Bohach helped to rebrand LDEI with a logo refresh, giving the organization's name more prominence, and strengthening and digitizing the mark. She additionally designed individual logos for each chapter, and designed a 30th anniversary logo for the organization in 2016.

2015 | The Cleveland Chapter staffed a benefit dinner to raise funds for Refugee Response in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

2015 – 2021 | Bev Shaffer served on the International Board for 6 years including the roles of President, First Vice President, Secretary, Chapter Board Liaison (CBL), and Past President. During her tenure as LDEI President, she led the organization through the pandemic and created its first virtual Gratitude conference.

2016 – 2017 | Dame Shara Bohach served as Co-Chair of LDEI's Legacy Awards, fostering mentorship experiences for upcoming women in the industry. She presented the winners at the 2016 Washington DC and 2017 Newport Beach, CA conferences.

2018 | Dame Elaine Cicora was honored with the Grand Prize for the LDEI M.F.K. Fisher Awards for culinary journalism.

June 2019 | The Cleveland Chapter and its chefs participated in the charity dinner series Dinner in the Dark, created by Brian Oaken and Jeff Jarrett. Dames donated their time and ingredients, serving as celebrity chefs for a coursed dinner at The Flying Fig, former restaurant of chef and Dame Karen Small.

2020 | Destiny Burns was awarded a LDEI Legacy Award, given to up-and-comers in the hospitality industry. She traveled to Wente Vineyards for a week-long immersive mentored experience learning from the Wente family. A year later, she joined the organization and became a Dame.

2020 | The Cleveland Dames came together during the Covid pandemic to support those hardest hit in the industry, creating a micro grants program that awarded funds to help our own members make it through one of the most difficult years for small businesses. Dames also came together weekly on ZOOM for virtual happy hours, to help everyone cope with the pandemic.

2022 | Cleveland Dame Bev Shaffer is honored with the LDEI Grande Dame Award, given to an exceptional woman every two years. This lifetime achievement award and honorary title is given to members in recognition of extraordinary contributions within the fields of food, beverage and hospitality.

2023 | The Chapter hosted the first annual Business Pitch Competition designed to support female entrepreneurs in the culinary industry. The competition was held at the Cleveland Garlic Festival, where three finalists were awarded grants to support their businesses.