Meet Chef Daniel Pliska

Daniel Pliska is the savory Chef Instructor at Ozarks Technical College in Springfield Missouri. He decided to make this career change to full-time teaching after 42 years of working in the field of culinary and pastry arts. His last position was as the Executive Chef and Assistant Manager for the University Club of MU located in Columbia, Missouri.

In his early years, Chef Daniel trained and worked at first-class hotels, restaurants, and pastry shops in Washington DC, Dusseldorf West Germany, and New Orleans. His 49-year career in the culinary and pastry field includes more than 27 years as an Executive Chef in private clubs and hotels.

In July 2015 at the ACF National Convention Chef Daniel was awarded a Presidential Medallion for his dedication to the ACF and his work on the National Apprenticeship Committee. In 2014 he was inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Chefs. He has been a Certified Executive Chef with the ACF for more than 20 years and also tested and earned the Certified Executive Chef designation while working for the Club Corporation of America. He has received ten ACF awards and medals in cooking and pastry, including two grand prizes and a gold medal in traditional cold food competitions.