The Jacques Pépin Foundation’s 9th Anniversary Celebration is in the books! On April 9th, 2026 in New York City, the JPF’s community gathered for an evening shaped by thoughtful conversation, a delicious meal, and a sense of purpose that comes from creating opportunity through culinary education.
One of the highlights of the celebration was the moving speech by Maddrey Goode, Executive Director of New England Center for Culinary Arts and Technology (NECAT). In a presentation during dinner, Maddrey shared what it has meant to NECAT to receive the JPF’s first ever Partnership Circle Grant in 2023. See the full text of his speech below, and enjoy a few images from the incredible evening—more photos are coming soon!
Our heartfelt thanks to Maddrey for being an integral part of our celebration, and to everyone at NECAT for sharing your Executive Director—and your cookies!—with the JPF for the night.
Photo credit: Ken Goodman
Good evening everyone, I’m Maddrey Goode the Executive Director of New England Culinary Arts Training, otherwise known as NECAT, the proud recipient of the Jacques Pépin Foundation’s first Partnership Circle Grant.
It’s truly an honor to be here with you tonight, surrounded by people who believe in the power of food to change lives.
Thank you to Rollie, Claudine, Jennifer, and everyone at the Jacques Pépin Foundation for inviting NECAT to be part of this special night…. And thank you to Chef Jacques Pépin, the reason we are all here, for your partnership, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for all through culinary education.At NECAT, we experience every day what Chef Pépin has always believed: that we are all equal in the eyes of the stove, and that the kitchen can be a place of belonging and transformation.
When I started at NECAT as executive director a little over a year ago, I was told NECAT has no better friend than JPF, and today I know that to be true.
NECAT’s mission is to power adults facing barriers to employment through culinary skills, social-emotional development, and career-readiness for success and long-term financial stability. NECAT is a tuition-free program, and our students come to us with incredible desire to build something better for themselves, for their families, and for their future.
Through the JPF Partnership Circle Grant, NECAT was able to do something transformative. We launched a baking enrichment program that opened new career pathways for our students and helped our alumni develop new skills to help them level-up in their careers.
At the same time, we leveraged the equipment we were able to purchase and our alumni’s new baking skills to expand our catering social enterprise. That means more real-world experience for our students. More opportunities to earn income while they train. And much needed revenue to keep our training program tuition-free.
The organizations JPF supports, like NECAT, are stepping stones for our students stable careers, to financial independence, and to a sense of pride that comes from mastering a skill and being part of a team.
Today, NECAT has a contract to provide baked goods for a well-known café in our community. Our catering business is thriving, our number one employer partner is a baking company, and we have decided to add baking as part of our regular curriculum.
We hired a full-time catering manager, NECAT graduate Quandre McGhee, who has since been promoted to Catering Director. Chef Quandre—who is here with us tonight—is now an instructor and mentor to current students and alumni working in our catering social enterprise. These opportunities for NECAT and our students were only possible because we received that first Partnership Circle Grant.
And I don’t want to brag, but people love NECAT’s baked goods. Shortly after I arrived, I had to visit one of our donors. I think they wanted to get eyes on the new guy. Our Chef Quandre sent us with a tray of his oatmeal raisin cookies, which as luck would have it, were our donor’s favorite.
Well, we had a great talk, shared a couple of cookies, and the money hit the bank the next morning. The cookies are now referred to as our money cookies…and I’m happy to say that he drove some down from Boston, so you’ll get a chance to try them tonight.
We like to say that NECAT creates a space where people can transform their lives through culinary training… And that transformation can only happen because we have the support of JPF, and people like you, invest in it.
So, as we move into the live auction tonight, please think about what your support makes possible – it changes lives and brings communities together.
It’s access to training would otherwise be financially out of reach for some
It’s a new career in a vibrant industry
It’s a ripple effect of positive change in an individual’s life, family, and community.Thank you for being here tonight and supporting culinary job training, I am honored to be here representing NECAT and we are proud to be part of the JPF community.
Thank you!