Overview
Jon Hill ( 1954) is an American chef who was White House Executive Chef from October 1, 1987, to January 7, 1988. He was the first American-born chef to serve in the capacity.
Early life and education
Hill was born in Spokane, Washington, about 1954 to Victor M. Hill, a chef and instructor of hotel-motel and restaurant management at Spokane Community College. After graduating from high school, he studied restaurant management under his father at Spokane Community College in 1974, then transferred to Portland Community College in 1976. He then entered the three-year Greenbrier Culinary Apprentice Program at The Greenbrier luxury resort near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, where he was taught classic French cooking by master chef Hermann G. Rusch. Hill excelled at sauces and the presentation of cold food. Rusch later called him the "best of the 18 graduates" of 1977, and had high praise for his skills and attention to detail. He also called Hill one of the best students he ever had.
Rodney Stoner, food and beverage director at The Greenbrier, called Hill "definitely one of the outstanding graduates in the history of the school". Hill then enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where he received his associate degree in restaurant and food services in 1980.
Early positions
Hill's professional career began as a Chef de partie (or station chef) at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Kohala, Hawaii. He was promoted to sous-chef. After five years at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hill was transferred to a position as executive sous-chef at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Kim Dietrich, chef de cuisine (executive chef) at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel at the time, called him an exciting and all-around chef, a perfectionist, loyal, and extraordinarily gifted at detail work. After two or three years at the Arizona Biltmore, in September 1986 Hill took a position as the chef de cuisine (executive chef) at the Westin Cypress Creek Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (which he helped opened). At the Westin Cypress Creek, Hill oversaw a staff of 100 and the preparation and presentation of modern American cuisine in two restaurants.
He was noted for his delicately flavored sauces and finishes and for his exquisite skill as sculpting ice and tallow. Jen Campbell, food and beverage administrator for the entire Westin Hotels chain, praised Hill as gregarious, care-free, and very relaxed. Raymond Sylvester, general manager of the Westin Cypress Creek, called Hill gifted with "a great disposition and an extraordinary sense of organization".
White House
Hill first came to the attention of the White House in 1979. Hill was still a student at the Greenbriar, and his class made a visit to the White House to see its kitchens. White House Executive Chef Henry Haller made Hill's acquaintance at that time. He won the position largely because Haller endorsed him, He was the first native-born American to become White House Executive Chef.
Post-White House
After leaving the White House, Hill enrolled at the University of Phoenix, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management. He then received a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Grand Canyon University. He also received a certification as an Executive Chef from the American Culinary Federation and a certification as a Food and Beverage Executive from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. In 2002, Hill was appointed director of the Culinary Studies program at Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale, Arizona. He is a member of the Resort Food Executive Committee, a group of current and former luxury resort chefs de cuisine which discusses, analyzes, and helps to resolve issues and challenges faced by resort chefs.