“All across the country ordinary Americans are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate,out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” - The White House.

On April 22nd, the White House honored Dublin native Chef Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve) as one of these ‘champions of change.’

Under President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative (whitehouse.gov/champions), the White House features a group of Americans who continue to ‘Innovate, Educate, and Build’ throughout their respective communities. In honor of this recognition, the Office of Public Engagement hosted an event at the White House to commend Armstrong and like minded individuals who promote empowerment and inspiration. Armstrong stood among chefs and nutrition specialists with shared goals to innovate their local communities through projects including the healthy schools initiative.

In the summer of 2010, after being invited by White House Chef Sam Kass, to tour the kitchen of a local DC elementary school, Armstrong created the non-profit Chefs as Parents (www.chefsasparents.com), an organization dedicated to improving school lunch for America’s children. Armstrong believes, “One change to one dish everyday will make a massive impact.”

A 2011 James Beard nominee for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, and a board member of Fresh Farm Markets (which operates eight farmers' markets in the Chesapeake Bay region), Armstrong’s role consistently expands far beyond the kitchen. His devotion to the ideals of environmentalism, health, and conservation has led him to lecture abroad at the request of the US State Department and to recreate Mrs. Obama’s garden at Ireland’s Bloom Festival, (Europe’s largest horticultural festival) where he demonstrated the joys and benefits of “growing your own.”

“I was extremely honored and humbled to receive this recognition from The White House,” says Chef Armstrong. “I hope through Chefs as Parents and other my community involvements I can continue to use my role as a chef to give back.”

How Amstrong thinks it can work: White House Video

Or on New York Grub Street.