The San Francisco Professional Food Society presented the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award to Antonia Lastreto Allegra ’67 on Feb. 4, 2020. She was also honored in Congress with remarks by Congressman Mike Thompson and the House of Representatives, naming her the Woman of the Year. In his comments, Thompson said, “…Madam Speaker, Antonia Allegra is the kind of citizen we should all strive to be. I am proud of her steadfast leadership and acknowledge that our community would not be the same without her service…”

Allegra has contributed to the culinary and wine industries since 1974. At that time, she taught French cooking at her San Diego cooking school. Since then, she has helped establish numerous culinary and wine associations, conferences, and launched the School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards, as well as the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley and La Cocina que Canta at Rancho La Puerto in Baja California. A former President of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, she has lived in her “treehouse” in St. Helena, CA since 1988, coaching hundreds of writers in their cookbooks and careers. She is also a poet and will take part in the local drama, “Omnium Gatherum” spring, 2020.