Fil-Am chef Cris Comerford retires from White House after 29 years
MANILA, Philippines – After nearly three decades of conceptualizing and executing menus for state dinners and official functions, White House executive chef Cristeta “Cris” Comerford, 61, has retired from her post.
A spokeswoman for First Lady Jill Biden said that the latter released a statement recognizing Comerford’s “barrier-breaking career,” which spanned 29 years and 54 state dinners. He last day is on Friday, August 2 (US time).
“I always say food is love. Through her barrier-breaking career, Chef Cris has led her team with warmth and creativity, and nourished our souls along the way,” the First Lady said.
“With all our hearts, Joe and I are filled with gratitude for her dedication and years of service,” she added.
According to the Washington Post, Comerford stood out among 450 applicants when she skillfully handled an official dinner attended by 134 guests in honor of then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
She began her stint at the White House in 1995 as an assistant chef and was promoted to executive chef in 2005, under the George W. Bush administration. She served under five US presidents: Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
The Filipino-American chef is the first woman and first person of color to serve as White House executive chef. She led a team of three sous chefs and Susie Morrison, the White House executive pastry chef.
Comerford grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in food technology and migrated to the US soon after. At age 23, Comerford began her culinary career at the Sheraton Hotel and Le Ciel in Vienna, Austria, before joining the White House kitchen staff. She is known for blending her Filipino heritage with global culinary techniques.
James Beard awardee and humanitarian chef José Andrés shared his admiration for Comerford, calling her a “national treasure.”
“[She] is a culinary diplomat who has shown the world how an immigrant can celebrate American food & share it to the world’s leaders,” Andrés wrote. – Rappler.com