Grand Traverse Resort & Spa Executive Vice President & General Manager Grant Channing said, "We are very excited that such a highly talented professional as Chef Ted has joined our team.  We know that he will bring our entire food & beverage operation to entirely new levels of excellence, and his expertise will be extremely important as we introduce a new and exciting restaurant on the 16th Floor of our Tower this spring."

Executive Chef Cizma comes to Grand Traverse Resort & Spa following an illustrious decade-long career as a Chef, Restaurateur, Caterer, and Consultant in Chicago and its suburbs.  His professional career highlights include, most recently, Executive Chef of Sodexho, overseeing the entire multi-million dollar on-site food & beverage operations at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium, a position he held since 2005.  His most notable restaurant experience is as Creator and Executive Chef of the award-winning Grace Restaurant in Chicago in 1999 and Elaine Restaurant in Naperville, Ill. in 2001. Earlier he was Executive Chef of The Outpost Restaurant in Chicago from 1995 to 1999. 

Since 2003, he also has been an independent Corporate Event Planner, Caterer and Educator for such diverse clients as Walt Disney World, Maple Leaf Farms and Clear Channel Entertainment, and was the Chef/Caterer for the 2006 and 2005 ESPN Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.  

Among Executive Chef Cizma's accomplishments are accolades as Food and Wine Magazine "Best New Chef" 2000, continuous "three-star" rating from the Chicago Tribune 1996-2003, continuous "three-star" rating from the Chicago Sun-Times 1996-2003, Chicago Magazine "Best New Restaurant" 1997 (The Outpost), 2000 (Grace), 2002 (Elaine), Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" 1997 through 2003, and Meals on Wheels Honorary Chef 2003 and 2004. 

Executive Chef Cizma holds a Bachelor's Degree from Loyola University in Chicago.  He also holds a certificate from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago and is a Culinary Foundations Certified Trainer with the Culinary Institute of America. 

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

With over $11 million in renovations throughout the property since March 2003, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is a new experience.  The 900-acre property is located near Traverse City, Mich. along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay. 

One of the Midwest's finest full-service, year-round, golf, spa, vacation and conference destinations, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa offers over 600 Hotel and Tower guestrooms and suites, as well as studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom Condominiums, 85,000 square feet of versatile meeting space, and 54 holes of championship golf including The Bear, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and The Wolverine - a Gary Player signature golf course, and golf school. 

Additional features include a full-service spa, comprehensive tennis program with indoor and outdoor tennis courts, complete health club with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, children's center, shopping gallery, diverse restaurants and lounges and year-round recreation. 

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.