Alan Zeman - Head Judge
Chef Zeman graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America. He has earned CEC Certification from the ACF as well as being inducted into the American Academy of Chefs. He has been Executive Chef at Restaurants, Country Clubs and prestigious Resorts throughout the country. Most recently Chef Zeman owned and operated the award winning Fuego Restaurant Bar and Grill in Tucson, Arizona. Over the years the Z Man or "Fuegodaddy" has been featured with cover stories in Bon Appetit Magazine, the PBS "Great Chefs of the West" Series and hosted live talk radio shows, "The Dinner Hour" and "The Restaurant Corner" in the Arizona market. The Z Man has been a judge at the Nugget Rib Cookoff since 1999, and took the reins as Head Judge last year. Several years back he was quoted on air by the legendary commentator, Paul Harvey, saying, "....for a rib to be perfectly cooked, the meat should fall off the bone when you eat it...but not...when you pick it up!"

Mark Alano
Mark Alano is the Branch Manager for the US Bank at Damonte Ranch. He describes himself as having an extensive palate and tremendous experience in the consumption of food with carnivorous tendencies. Marks says he is honored to be a part of the 2011 Rib Cook-off, "one of the many spectacular events facilitated by J.A. Nugget that bind the Reno/Sparks community and our many guests visiting from across our great nation!"

Troy Black
Troy is known throughout the world of barbeque as an accomplished, award-winning grill master. He'll also be doing cooking demonstrations during the event in conjunction with the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour. This is Troy's third year as a judge at the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off.

D. Brian Burghart
D. Brian Burghart is the editor of the Reno News & Review. He's been in Reno since Aug. 7, 1984. Desperate for attention, he tended bar in Reno casinos and bars until November 1993, when some friends who were starting a newspaper needed someone to do the calendar for $25 a week. The Nevada Weekly introduced Reno to alternative journalism.

Tad Dunbar
Tad is a fixture in Northern Nevada and at the Nugget Rib Cook-off. A multiple-time judge, he has worked for 40 years as a TV news anchor in Reno with KOLO and KRNV. Tad is now retired and resides in Northern Nevada.

David Goodwin
David brings great culinary distinction to the judging panel. He has earned many professional accreditations (CEC, CCA, and AAC) and is the current Vice President of the Western Region of the American Culinary Federation. He is the Executive Chef/Director of Culinary Operations at Culinary Solutions A La Carte in nearby, Minden, Nevada.

Albert Hall
Albert's culinary career began more than 39 years ago in metropolitan Washington D.C. in a local seafood restaurant. Albert found himself in the company of European chefs on a crusade to spread the gospel of an emerging discipline called "Nouvelle Cuisine". This was the beginning of modern cooking in America as we know it today. After apprenticing at Statler Hilton in Washington D.C. he moved on to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has held chef positions at prestigious institutions such as the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, L'Auberge de Sedona on Oak Creek, The Phoenician Hotel and Resort and Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. In November of 2004, Albert and his wife Lila opened Acacia, a 100 seat contemporary American restaurant in the Catalina foothills of Tucson. Albert currently serves as a trustee for the Chef's Association of Southern Arizona and on the board of directors for the Arizona Restaurant Association.

Pat Hambright
Pat Hambright joined News Channel 8 in September of 2005. He is currently anchoring the 5pm and 6:30pm newscasts. Hambright has compiled a versatile resume over the course of his career spending time as a News Director, Anchor, Reporter, Meteorologist and even Sportscaster during stays at television stations in Colorado and Northern California.

Spud Hilton
Spud Hilton is the travel editor of the San Francisco Chronicle who during the past 10 years has written about (and been lost in) destinations on 6 continents, from the back alleys of Havana to the shrines of Kyoto to the floor of a hippie bus in Modesto. He also writes the Bad Latitude travel blog at SFGate.com.

Emma Krasov
Emma Krasov is a travel and lifestyle journalist covering art, food, wine, and travel destinations worldwide. Emma holds a position of A&E Editor with a Russian-American weekly newspaper in San Francisco, and writes food and travel columns for numerous other publications. Her travel blog, Art and Entertain Me won 2009 and 2010 awards from North American Travel Journalists Association (www.artandentertainme.blogspot.com).

John Maher
John Maher, President & Publisher of RGJ Media and the Reno Gazette Journal, is new to Reno - but not new to the rib scene. An avid consumer of barbecue, he spent over ten years in Missouri where he regularly indulged in both Kansas City and St. Louis style barbecue. Among his favorites are Arthur Bryants, Jack Stack, Gates & Pappy's Smokehouse. John is looking forward to participating as a judge in this year's contest, promising to put forth his best effort. Since he grew up in Milwaukee, we're not sure if his excitement is driven by the ribs - or the chance to clear his pallet with a cold beer early on a Sunday afternoon.

Mike Peters
Award winning BBQ Pitmasters and Grilling Professionals, Mike and his wife Christine travel the country promoting BBQ to the masses on behalf of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the country's largest BBQ organization. They do grilling demonstrations daily for the Great American BBQ Tour!

Al Pierleoni
Al is a behind-the-scenes guy in the media world. As an editor for the Sacramento Bee's weekly entertainment publication, "Ticket," he knows what's happening in Northern California and Nevada. He also knows BBQ and is a repeat judge.

Matt Russell
Matt is the host of On the Menu Live, a radio program that dishes out the latest buzz in the local restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment scene. Matt's radio career began in 1973 when, at the age of six in his native Washington, D.C. , he and NBC's Willard Scott joined their voices for several radio commercials. A life-long culinary enthusiast, Matt has interviewed scores of chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs from across the country. He has also interviewed some of the nation's highest profile celebrity chefs, including the Food Network's Guy Fieri, Melissa D'Arabian, and Jeffrey Saad. Matt has also served as a celebrity judge at several food and cocktail competitions, including Iron Chef Tucson, Agave Fest, and the Tucson Firefighters' Chili Cook-off.

Bill Schulz
A native of Wisconsin that now calls Northern Nevada home. Bill has been in the radio industry for over 20 years. After moving to Reno in 1996 Bill hosted the morning show on Oldies 104 (Now 103.7 The River). A few short years later Bill joined Connie Wray to form the area's longest running local morning show "Bill and Connie in The Morning" on KWNZ. The show was later moved to Americom Broadcasting's sister station Alice @ 96.5 where they have been ever since voted "Best of Reno" for multiple years. Bill is also is the Director of Programming for Americom managing six of the area's top radio stations. Bill enjoys meeting new people in the community, the outdoors, the Wolf Pack, eating ribs @ JA Nugget, and everything Nevada.