Brookdale Alum and Professor Leads Team USA to Culinary Olympics

Brookdale Community College is beaming with pride as one of its own prepares to represent the United States on one of the most prestigious culinary stages in the world. Chef Chad Schoonveld, a Brookdale graduate and now a celebrated professor in the college’s Culinary Arts program, has been named captain of Team USA for the 2028 Culinary Olympics, a once-in-a-lifetime honor that places him among the world’s most elite chefs.

Schoonveld’s journey began right here at Brookdale, where he discovered his passion for cooking after initially pursuing a career in architecture. “I was working in a restaurant at the time, bussing tables and making pizzas at an Italian place, when staff of the culinary school encouraged me to give the culinary program a try. ‘You’re already cooking,’ they told me. ‘Take a class. If you don’t like it, you can always drop it.’ “I walked into my first kitchen class, and it just clicked,” he recalls. “Everything else fell away; it felt freeing, like I had found my place.”

He went on to graduate with honors from Brookdale’s Culinary Arts program, where he also earned a competitive European grant that allowed him to live and train in Scotland for five months. There, he honed his craft in top kitchens and competed on the international stage. Upon returning to the U.S., Schoonveld continued his education, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in hospitality management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Since then, Schoonveld’s career has taken him across the globe, from competing in Europe to leading award-winning kitchens. Today, he’s back where it all started, teaching future culinary professionals and sharing with them the same spark that launched his career.

“Being part of Team USA allows me to bring the latest techniques, philosophies, and competitive strategies directly back into my classroom,” he said. “My students aren’t just learning from a textbook, they’re learning from someone training alongside the best chefs in the world.”

Making the national culinary team is no small feat. After an intensive screening process that included interviews, background checks, and a rigorous multi-day tryout at Johnson & Wales University, Schoonveld earned a gold medal with the highest score in the competition and secured his spot on the team. Since then, he’s been traveling across the country for demanding training sessions designed to simulate Olympic competition.

This past summer, his dedication and leadership were recognized once again when he was not only selected for the prestigious “box team,” the group of chefs who will cook on the Olympic floor but also appointed captain of Team USA.

“To be named captain is surreal,” he said. “I’m still shaking my head. It’s a huge responsibility, but one I’m deeply proud to take on.”

For Schoonveld, this journey is about more than culinary excellence; it’s about representing something bigger. “My father was a military man; he went to West Point, and I grew up with a strong sense of pride for our country,” he shared. “So, for me, wearing ‘USA’ on my jacket isn’t just an honor, it’s emotional. It’s about representing our nation, my family, my students, and everyone who’s helped me along the way.”

Team USA’s menu will celebrate the country’s diverse culinary heritage, highlighting regional ingredients and flavors that tell the story of America.

“We’re showcasing what makes American cuisine unique,” Schoonveld explained. “Our menu is designed to reflect the origins of the United States. We’ve mapped out regions using longitude and latitude lines to highlight specific produce, ingredients, and varieties of meats that are only available in certain areas and then built dishes around them. From Northeast seafood to Southwest spices, every plate tells a story of our nation’s culinary landscape. I’m bringing that same concept back to my students at Brookdale, where our dinner class now features a regionalized American menu that highlights the distinctive ingredients and traditions of each part of the country.”

One of the signature events at the Culinary Olympics, Restaurant of Nations, gives teams just five hours and 15 minutes to prepare and serve 110 three-course meals, totaling 330 plates, to a live audience and a panel of world-renowned judges. Every element from flavor and presentation to kitchen organization and timing is scrutinized by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies. It’s a high-pressure, adrenaline-fueled challenge where precision, creativity, and teamwork must come together flawlessly.

“You know, it’s one thing to say, ‘Okay, I think I’m an okay chef,’ and then to be honored in such a way to be chosen based on the entire country, that’s a whole different thing to wrap your head around,” Schoonveld said. “It’s humbling, and honestly a little surreal. But staying humble and relaxed about it is how I got here, and it’s the mindset I plan to keep when we’re out there competing on the world stage.”

Schoonveld leads a team comprised of some of the most accomplished chefs in the country, including the executive chef of a major restaurant group in Texas, the head of culinary operations at the University of Massachusetts, and the executive chef of the historic Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The team also includes a gold medal winning chef from the U.S. Coast Guard’s national culinary team.

“To be in the captain’s role, leading chefs of that caliber, and to do it as a professor at a community college says everything about the quality of our program,” Schoonveld said. “We’re proving that world-class talent, innovation, and leadership don’t just come from big-name institutions. They’re happening right here at Brookdale.”

“For me, success isn’t measured in medals or titles, it’s measured in people,” Schoonveld said. “It’s the conversations, the connections, and the relationships that form along the way. Being surrounded by extraordinary chefs I never imagined I’d meet, learning from them, sharing ideas, that’s the gift I can never repay. It’s what drives me through the long nights, the hard work, and the pressure. Win or lose, it’s the people who make this journey unforgettable.”

Brookdale Community College congratulates Professor and Chef Schoonveld on this extraordinary achievement and wishes Team USA the best of luck on their journey to gold.