Southwestern Oregon Community College is announcing that Shawn Hanlin has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Oregon Coast Culinary Institute.

The Vancouver, Wash., resident comes to Southwestern with 21 years of professional culinary industry experience. He graduated from Santa Barbara City College in 1987 before studying under Certified Master Chef Hartmut Handke in the Greenbrier Culinary Apprenticeship Program at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Since then, he has worked in management positions across the country in California, New York, Alaska, Connecticut and Oregon. He currently is employed as Director of Dining Services/Executive Chef for Holladay Park Plaza and in addition serves as regional Corporate Chef for Pacific Retirement Services – a national company – in Portland.

“I’m excited about the opportunities at OCCI. I think I will be a valuable asset, along with all the other team members there.”

“I am looking forward to joining the team at OCCI,” said Hanlin, an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef. “I’m excited about the opportunities at OCCI. I think I will be a valuable asset, along with all the other team members there.”

Hanlin has won several regional and competitive awards with the ACF, including being named Western Regional ACF Chef of the Year in 2006. He also was appointed Western Regional ACF Certification Coordinator in 2005. OCCI is seeking ACF accreditation, and that’s Hanlin’s top priority for the institute. He also plans to increase OCCI’s enrollment and expand students’ options.

Southwestern Vice President of Instruction and Student Services Stephen Schoonmaker said hiring Hanlin fits with OCCI’s vision of becoming regionally, nationally and internationally recognized. Hanlin’s tentative start date is Jan. 22, 2007.

“This was a national search and we had very compelling candidates who made the choice difficult. Yet we were very impressed with Shawn’s credentials and his candidacy,” Schoonmaker said. “We are very pleased that he has decided to join us here on the South Coast.”