Our History
The Chef’s Outreach Association was started and founded by Chefs Keith Butler & Victor Schmidt in Pittsburgh, PA.
Chef’s Outreach’s mission is to provide education and resources to under-served and minority Youth, that teaches them how to work with food, becoming a Chef, working in the culinary field, and the importance of healthy eating.
Chef Keith Butler is a Pittsburgh native. At a very young age he always expressed a genuine
passion for Culinary Arts. As a young adult Chef Keith trained with his mentor and uncle the
late Robert “Dr. Bob” McCall, a well-known local restauranteur, which helped develop his enthusiasm for Culinary Arts. He later became a Culinary Arts graduate of Community College of Allegheny County.
For over 25 years Chef Keith has instructed Culinary Arts at various institutions, workshops, and events. Chef Keith is a member of 100 Black Men National Health and Wellness Committee, the Pittsburgh Public Schools Advisory Culinary Arts Board, and the Nutritional Chef for Flourishing Communities and The Community Liver Alliance. He has also volunteered with other organizations and has received accolades and awards for his accomplishments and outstanding merit.
Chef Keith has performed countless cooking demonstrations throughout Pittsburgh including
“WQED Cooks”. He is the creator of the Facebook group, “Pittsburgh Chefs and Foodies Unite”,
which offers its members a platform for networking, recipe sharing, career opportunities and
resources in the food industry. He is also the owner and Executive Chef of “Hannah’s Catering”.
A more recent project of his, is the “Chefs Outreach Association”, a Non-profit organization
designed to educate the community on all aspects of culinary arts and focus on healthy cooking
while promoting generational health. Chef is honored to partner with Register Dietitian Judy
Dodd and PhD Student Pooja Tallapaneni to facilitate area and national healthy eating and
cooking educational events.
Chef Keith firmly believes in giving back to the community. He will continue to dedicate himself
in the Culinary Arts industry, through community outreach and educating the community on
health and wellness.
Chef Victor Schmidt is a distinguished culinary professional with a rich background in food service and leadership. Formerly the Executive Chef at Carnegie Mellon University, Chef Vic excelled under the management of two different companies, most notably navigating the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under FLIK’s banner, he played a pivotal role in a partnership with a leading medical device manufacturer, orchestrating the delivery of over 10,000 meals to team members and their families during a critical time.
Inspired by his roots as the son of Erich Schmidt, a humble farmer, Chef Vic’s journey reflects a blend of resilience, innovation, and dedication to his craft. He is excited to partner with his longtime friend and colleague Chef Keith in the Chefs Outreach Association.
Judy Dodd, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND
Retired Professor, University of Pittsburgh Dietetics and Nutrition
Judy Dodd is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and
Pittsburgh University. Community based nutrition and food education is her specialty although the
first years of her practice were in hospital and restaurant food service. For over
forty years she taught campus-based and on-line graduate and undergraduate courses at the University
of Pittsburgh, and Penn State.
Community experience includes working with schools introducing nutrition education from pre-school through secondary, serving as a WIC nutrition education director and as the food and nutrition advisor to Giant Eagle Supermarkets. All these roles included frequent television, print, and social media communication.
Most recently she has initiated and managed on-line communications with staff and volunteers at food pantries, senior centers, and agencies involved in
food distribution.
Active in the profession of dietetics and in the community, Judy has held numerous volunteer positions, most notably serving as President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Locally she has been involved in The American Heart Association, Action for Healthy Kids, Let’s Move Pittsburgh, OSHER, VSA and WIC. Judy has a track record as a speaker to professional and lay groups on topics related to nutrition and food.