Our Advisory Committee

The culinary world is dynamic and always evolving, which means that our school needs to be too. One of the many ways in which we ensure that our programs are up-to-date is by gathering feedback from a group of chefs and industry professionals who are all notable leaders in their field.

These Program Advisory Commitee (PAC) members meet on a regular basis to provide assessments on curriculum content and relevance, as well as the state of our facilities and equipment. By incorporating feedback from PAC members, we can stay in step with the latest industry trends and give our students a relevant education that will better prepare them for the challenges they will face in the real world.

Culinary Arts PAC - New York Campus

• Chris Beicher, executive chef of Mercer Kitchen
• Dan Kluger, executive chef of ABC Kitchen
• Ed MacFarland, chef/owner of Ed's Lobster Bar
• Laura Pensiero, owner of Gigi Hudson Valley in Rhinebeck, NY
• Ben Pollinger, executive chef of Oceana
• Tommy Todd, general manager of AJ Maxwell's
• Robert Ubhaus, chef/owner of Rob’s Bistro in Madison, NJ

Culinary Arts PAC - California Campus

• Peter Armellino, Executive Chef of Plumed Horse in Saratoga
• Charlie Ayers, chef of Calafia in Palo Alto
• David Bazirgan, Chef of Fifth Floor in San Francisco
• Marty Cattaneo, Executive Chef of Dio Deka in Los Gatos
• Gordon Drysdale, Chef of Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley
• Marco Fossati, Executive Chef of Quattro in East Palo Alto
• Matt Greco, Executive Chef of Wente in East Palo Alto
• Steven Haughie, Executive Chef of Arcadia in Larkspur
• Bruce Hill, Owner/Executive Chef of Restaurant Picco in Larkspur
• Gerald Hirogoyen, Executive Chef of Piperade in San Francisco
• Christopher Kostow, Chef of The Restaurant of Meadowood in St. Helena
• Eddie Lam, Executive Chef of Straits Restaurant in San Francisco
• Corey Lee, Executive Chef of Benu in San Francisco
• Thomas McNaughton, Executive Chef of Flour + Water in San Francisco
• Peter Rudolph, Executive Chef of Madera in Menlo Park
  
• Joshua Skenes, Executive Chef of Saison in San Francisco
• Cal Stamenov, Executive Chef of Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley
• Jin Suzuki, Executive Chef of Hachi Ju Hachi in Saratoga

Pastry, Bread and Cake PAC - New York Campus

• Dominique Ansel, owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery
• Kierin Baldwin, executive pastry chef of The Dutch
• Ann Burgunder, director of operations of Amy’s Bread
• Colleen Grapes, pastry chef of Beanstalk Restaurant Group
• Fritz Knipschildt, pastry chef/owner of Knipschildt Chocolatier in Norwalk, CT
• TJ Obias, owner of Du Jour Bakery in Brooklyn
• Dorina Yuen, pastry chef/owner of Oro Bakery & Bar

Pastry Arts PAC - California Campus

• Patti Dellamonica, Pastry Chef of One Market in San Francisco
• Salina Diaz, Pastry Chef/Owner of Bits and Pieces Bakery in San Jose
• Caitlin Freeman, Pastry Chef of Blue Bottle Coffee in Oakland
• Ethan Howard, Pastry Chef of Cavallo Point, Sausalito (Murray Circle) in Sausalito
• Paul Lemieux, Executive Pastry Chef of Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford
• Lisa Lu, pastry chef of Central Kitchen in San Francisco
• Nicole Plue, Pastry Chef of SideShow in Healdsburg
• Michelle Polzine, Pastry Chef of in San Francisco
• Bettina Pope, Baker/Owner of  La Lune Sucree in San Jose
• Boris Portnoy, Pastry Chef of The Restaurant of Meadowood in St. Helena
• Yigit Pura, Executive Pastry Chef of Tout Sweet Patisserie in San Francisco
• Janet Rikala Dalton, Pastry/Dessert Consultant of in San Francisco
• Jessica Sullivan, Pastry Chef of Boulevard in San Francisco
• Aaron Toensing, Pastry Chef of Bix in San Francisco
• Terri Wu, Pastry Chef of Farallon in San Francisco