About Me

I thought I would be a famous drummer when I grew up. My brother Jeff and I were in local bands together for many years through high school. When it came time to go to college and find a job, I put the band on the back burner and started looking at culinary schools.   When Jeff and I were growing up it was common to prepare some of the basic items needed for dinner. On the weekends both our parents cooked, and my mother always baked breads and sweets. Jeff and I often helped with preparing dinner so these were skills I was already comfortable and familiar with. The day I cut my long hair in exchange for a position in a professional kitchen, I still half believed I was going to be a rockstar one day.   My culinary journey began when I received my degree from The Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, Pittsburgh, in 1995. Since then, I’ve worked in multiple country clubs and, with some of the best chefs in the industry, I participated in countless competitions to hone my skills. In 2012 I took the CMC exam at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Passing and becoming the 77th Certified Master Chef in the history of the exam. That was and always will be the most honorable moment in my career.   The next year, I was selected to be a member of the exclusive ACF Culinary Team USA 2016, to represent the United States in international cooking competitions across the globe. In 2014, Team USA won third place overall at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg with double gold medals while obtaining the highest score out of all nations in the cold food category. In 2016 we once again reigned supreme by winning gold medals in every category and going on to place 1st in the world in the Culinary Art Category Cold Food.   I am currently the Vice President of Research and Culinary Development at Southbend where we have built a new type of unique and involved "customer to chef" support and advisory system that is second to none. This includes our brands Crown, Market Forge and my primary focus of Firex. 

 I am past President and currently Chairman of the Board of AMCO (The American Master Chefs Order) and I developed and host a webinar called "The CMC Pre-Plan" where I can assist CMC candidates in their path to taking the exam. This pre-plan is now a 6 part podcast series on the AMCO website that I did with Gerald Ford, CMC.  I look forward to assisting you in your journey whether it be food, strategy, development or equipment.