RYE BROOK, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2026—Jason Arellano, executive chef for CulinArt Group at John Wiley & Sons, has been named Chef of the Year. Manager of the Year honors go to Ana-Alysse Russo, director of dining services at Emma Willard School, while Regional Controller Jacob Cash is CulinArt’s Corporate Associate of the Year.
Arellano will be honored as part of Envision Group’s celebration of Chef Appreciation Week, coming up next month. In October, Russo and Cash will be spotlighted during the Compass Night of Stars Celebration in Orlando. Meet each winner below.
Jason Arellano joined CulinArt in 2025 as executive chef at John Wiley & Sons. He is a CIA grad with a rich background in farm-to-table cuisine cultivated, in part, by time he spent as a farmhand on a 100-acre farm growing and harvesting organic produce and animals. At the time, Jason had 15 years of experience in private dinners, catering, and a la carte tood production, including cooking in the New York Yankees’ private clubhouse suite and private dinners for the rich and famous. Earlier this year, Jason participated in the Waste Warrior Challenge, held at Stryker.
“Chef Jason is the model new-age chef,” says VP Culinary Excellence Paul Basciano. “He is skilled and experience beyond his years, poised, professional, dynamic, with a magnetic personality that team members organically gravitate towards. His food philosophy brings a perfect balance between progressive ideas and classic favorites, both prepared with unwavering foundational technique and a level of passion that is simply contagious. In his short time with the CulinArt team, Chef Jason has practically single-handedly revolutionized the dining program at Wiley and played an integral part in our recent contract extension.”
Ana-Alysse Russo joined CulinArt in 2024 as director of dining services at Emma Willard School. She had worked in senior living food service during high school and college, where she studied culinary arts and hotel and restaurant management. Having become a senior director of culinary services, she earned a reputation for “fixing kitchens” outside her region. She also won local cooking competitions and opened a restaurant and catering business specializing in Soul food and Italian comfort fusion.
“Ana-Alysse has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” says VP Education Jeff Powell. “Drawing on a strong background in hospitality and foodservice leadership, she successfully launched and now oversees a dynamic dining and catering program while leading her team through complex operational challenges with professionalism, resilience, and a commitment to service excellence. Ana-Alysse has elevated standards across all facets of the operation, from hospitality and culinary execution to safety, sanitation, and team development.
“Known for her collaborative leadership style,” adds District Manager Hilary Ham, “Ana-Alysse readily supports colleagues across the district, shares operational expertise, and contributes to high-profile events beyond her own account. Her creativity, attention to detail, and focus on delivering exceptional client and guest experiences have earned the trust of her team and clients alike. Through her innovation, dedication, and ability to consistently exceed expectations, Ana-Alysse exemplifies what it means to go above and beyond and is highly deserving of this recognition.”
Jacob Cash joined Compass in 2019 as part of the Expense Compliance Team as a short-term contractor (becoming permanent six months later) overseeing the approval and payment of out-of-pocket expenses, as well as random auditing of P-card expenses across all sectors. He moved to CulinArt as a senior financial analyst in 2022 after working for several years in the Compass Corporate Treasury, was promoted to Regional Controller in 2023, and now oversees the workplace dining and California regions.
“Jacob is an exceptional financial leader whose impact as Regional Controller extends far beyond his role,” says VP Finance Elliott Enyedy. “Known for his can-do attitude, collaborative spirit, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Jacob consistently approaches challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset and a willingness to support teams across the organization. He played a critical leadership role in the successful S4 transition, guiding complex cross-functional efforts with precision, transparency, and a steadfast focus on maintaining financial integrity.
“Jacob is also a driving force behind budgeting and forecasting initiatives, leveraging his deep financial expertise to provide clarity, strengthen performance, and enable informed decision-making across business lines. Equally impressive is his dedication to mentoring and developing fellow controllers, helping build a stronger, more confident finance team through thoughtful guidance and example. Respected for his professionalism, humility, and dependability, Jacob fosters trust and collaboration wherever he works. His leadership, strategic insight, and commitment to the success of others make him highly deserving of this recognition.”