Experience

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  Kingdom Wind Ministries

  • St Petersburg, Florida, United States

  • Founder, President

    • Jul 2021 - Present
    • St Petersburg, Florida, United States

    Speaker, Prophetic Evangelist.... Bringing the presence of Jesus to the nations. Kingdom Wind Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the lost, hurting, and broken of this world, with the good news of Jesus Christ. Through speaking engagements, conferences, and training events we call on the wind and fire of heaven to release the goodness of God. Kingdom Wind is dedicated to equipping the Saints for the work of ministry through healings, miracles, signs and wonders.

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  CELI, Culinary Executive Leadership Institute

  • Saint Petersburg, FL, United States

  • President

    • Oct 2017 - Present
    • Saint Petersburg, FL, United States

    A culinary educational institute and foodservice consultation firm devoted to culinary brand development, NPD, maximizing profits, menu development & refinement, operational structure & sustainability, and team training & development for clients in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and casino industry. Our team of culinary and operational strategists pairs out-of-the-box thinking with tried-and-true restaurant & hospitality consulting skills. We're on the cusp of culinary trends, flavor enhancement, financial and operational infrastructure, culinary brand messaging, social media trends, and new technologies.

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  Thompson Hospitality

  • Reston, VA

  • Vice President, Culinary & Innovation

    • Feb 2016 - Oct 2017
    • Reston, VA

    Vice President, Culinary & Innovation, Corporate Executive Chef, Restaurant/Retail Division for Thompson Hospitality. Responsible for culinary brand & concept development, casual dining, fast casual, and quick service restaurant operations.

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  Pheast Food Group

  • Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • Chief Culinary Officer

    • Feb 2016 - Oct 2017
    • Washington D.C. Metro Area

    Chief Culinary Officer for an amazing restaurant company! Joined Thompson Hospitality as VP, Culinary & Innovation. Promoted to CCO, Pheast Food Group. Responsible for all things culinary, concept and brand creation.- Created three brands, revitalized two brands, and opened 5 restaurants in the last 10 months....Create, innovate, translate the flavorful world around you!

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  The French Goat

  • Lewisburg, West Virginia

  • Executive Chef

    • Jul 2015 - Feb 2016
    • Lewisburg, West Virginia

    Developed concept, infrastructure, and roll-out for this cutting edge neo-bistro fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Lewisburg’s historic district. Restaurant attracts diners from across the region including Charleston, WV, Washington DC, Maryland, & Virginia. Acclaimed as the best dining experience in the state of WV (5 stars on open table, trip advisor, yelp and Facebook.) A regular culinary hotspot for the elite clientele at the world famous Greenbrier Resort. Most recently featured in Charleston Gazette and the Wonderful West Virginia Magazine (Winter 2015).Culinary emphasis: a modernist approach to French bistro cookery infused with regional southern and application flair. Work with the local farming community (Greenbrier Valley Grown and the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition) procuring local, free-range, and organic products. Community contributions: conducting classes on charcuterie and sausage making to artisan producers across the region. Most recently: Sausage making session for the WVFFC Rabbit & Poultry Products Workshop covering production, processing, preparation and marketing of rabbit and poultry products. J.Q Dickinson salt-works WV - go local dinner event showcasing a variety of proteins from Swift-Level farms, Lewisburg, WV. Wine-pairing dinner event with winemaker Eric Bonnet from La Bastide Saint-Dominique from Chateauneuf du Pape.

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  CELI, The Culinary Executive Leadership Institute

  • Conover, North Carolina

  • President

    • Jul 2014 - Jul 2015
    • Conover, North Carolina

    A foodservice consultation firm devoted to culinary brand development, NPD, maximizing profits, menu development & refinement, operational structure & sustainability, and team training & development for clients in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and casino industry. Our team of culinary and operational strategists pairs out-of-the-box thinking with tried-and-true restaurant & hospitality consulting skills. We're on the cusp of culinary trends, flavor enhancement, financial and operational infrastructure, culinary brand messaging, social media trends, and new technologies.Some of our clients:✔ Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurants & Casinos, MS: o Concept development geared towards international expansion.o Airport QSR development ✔ Isle of Capri Casinos, Gulf Coast: multiple concept development

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  My Fit Foods

  • Austin, Texas Area

  • Vice President, Culinary & Innovation

    • Jul 2013 - Jul 2014
    • Austin, Texas Area

    A senior leadership position reporting to the COO. Responsibilities include culinary brand positioning, new product development (NPD), and strategic culinary infrastructure development sustaining 90+ locations, 13 commissary facilities, and 1 sous vide facility across five states doing excess of 100 million in revenue, while feeding 18 million people annually. ✔ Developed financial infrastructure to identify and monitor ongoing financial improvements and sustainability including P&L restructure, a full set of benchmark standards, reporting tools, and COGs management analysis including COF, COL, menu engineering, inventory control (turn-time), labor productivity, and Retail shrinkage management.✔ Developed extensive multifaceted QA program tied to unit-level reward system.✔ Developed extensive promotional programs including seasonal LTOs, Bundling, and Supply Chain driven campaigns.✔ Developed new on-trend and sustainable menu program. Menu engineered to maximize margin with a 6% net impact on margin and top line revenue growth. ✔ Developed and implemented standards, specifications, production systems, and inventory management.✔ Created the database infrastructure for recipe analysis, engineering, nutrition, new production recipe, build-to model. Software platforms include: Genesis R&D: Nutrition, CTUIT.✔ MFF meals have help fuel such sport endeavors as the Seattle Seahawks training to their 2014 Super Bowl win to Brian Vera’s boxing training camp for HBO’s rematch fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

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  Guest Services, Inc.

  • Fairfax, VA

  • Corporate Executive Chef

    • Jun 2007 - Jul 2013
    • Fairfax, VA

    A senior level position and executive committee member reporting to the President and COO. Developed, organized, and established a highly successful culinary brand with the infrastructure to sustain 250 facilities nationwide, doing excess of 350 million in revenue, while feeding 25 million people annually. ✔ Created and implemented comprehensive needs assessment: culinary identity, culinary brand positioning—across core divisions, Hospitality, Government/Military, and B&I.✔ Developed quantifiable culinary mission/vision. Set sustainable culinary values policy.✔ Revitalized brand portfolio across segments.✔ Branded concepts include: Trio (contemporary American cuisine), Marche (Euro fast casual concept), Bang (Korean BBQ concept), EuroRap (fast casual concept), VI (Asian concept), SONG (Asian grazing concept), Q (international BBQ concept), Olives (California flats pizza concept) Fjuz Burger, Thrive (Grab n Go), Sprouts (action salad concept), and others. ✔ Developed a comprehensive culinary training department. Implemented culinary succession planning for 1,200 associates and 350 executive chefs and chef managers, including an extensive training on-demand and pod casting. ✔ Developed extensive wellness program: “The Healthy Course,” is a fact based consumer program.✔ Instrumental in leveraging product procurement by consolidating products to drive spend. Developed product specifications and managed order guide.✔ Developed full set of benchmark standards, reporting tools, and analysis for COG, menu engineering, inventory control (turn-time), labor productivity, and participation growth.✔ Major special events include: and large special events annual Legg Mason Tennis Classic: 500,000 over 9 days; Fourth of July on the National Mall: 500,000, one day; Presidential Inaugural Events 2009/2013: 1.7 million in attendance.

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  EarthMark, Resort and Club at Little Harbor

  • South Tampa Bay, Florida

  • Executive Chef, Concept Development

    • 2003 - 2007
    • South Tampa Bay, Florida

    Operational oversight of Resort culinary operations including three restaurants and banquet facility; duties include menu development & engineering, development of staff with strong emphasis on training and growth orientation; standards development, specs, SOP, and operational efficiencies; procurement, systems, and operations; all financial including budgetary and operational finances.✔ Developed dining concepts including: Upper-Casual dining with a Caribbean Zen style in food, Beach Casual concept with food styles representing an infused blend of tropical Florida, Asian, and Latino cuisines – reinterpreted; Fine Dining – West Indies French cuisine; Mojito Raw Bar featuring Oyster Shooters and signature Mojitos; a Gourmet Market & Cooking School; a Cuban Café & Cigar Bar; Rustic Wood-fired Pizza Eatery; Wine & Cheese Bar; and a Bait & Tackle Deli concept for the main marina.✔ Developed purchasing operational specs and system automation through ChefTec including automated ordering system, par generation, purchase specs, interface to eSysco of streamlined operations, automation in cost tracking. ✔ Instrumental in all areas of design & development for culinary and restaurant operations for EarthMark properties; from concept development & brief, space planning, financial assumptions, layout & design including space detail vie AutoCAD

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  NuVo Hospitality Group

  • Orlando, Florida Area

  • President

    • 2002 - 2003
    • Orlando, Florida Area

    NuVo Hospitality, Inc. (Nouveau) is a culinary driven consulting company specifically dedicated to the hospitality industry and to companies and individuals for whom excellent food service is a critical element for their success. NuVo offers services, resources, seminars, and educational materials to the hospitality industry. Our clients include restaurant, chains, casinos, resorts, attraction owners, commercial project developers, hotels, state and community colleges, cruise ships, and private clubs. NuVo offers culinary and operating initiatives that support menu development efforts and enable top executives to establish high performance operating systems and maximum profitability. Nu Vo has an impressive record of accomplishments helping clients to achieve their goals.

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  Ameristar Casino

  • Las Vegas, Nevada Area

  • Corporate Executive Chef, R&D

    • 1998 - 2002
    • Las Vegas, Nevada Area

    Responsible for 40 restaurants, buffets, and catering facilities at 6 resort casino properties doing in excess of 90 million per annum in food revenue. Property food revenue average $15 million, feeding 25,000 people per day. Properties located in Las Vegas, Northern Nevada, Iowa, Missouri, and Mississippi. Reported to the Corporate VP of Hotel Operations and interacted directly with the Chairman, Craig Neilson, on all menus, concepts, and restaurant design projects. Responsible for culinary R&D, competitive analysis, brand identification, trend identification, roll-out and sustainability. ✔ Concept development for all new and retrofit F&B operations, supporting design, construction, and master planning,✔ Developed all concepts including menu development, engineering, layout, design, and price positioning and supporting infrastructure (plate styling, standards, recipes, and systems),✔ Concepts include: Fine Dining, Casual, 24 hour cafe, up-scale Steak House, Asian, Contemporary Italian, Tuscan Italian, Mexican /Latin, 50's Diner, Blues & BBQ, Cajun Seafood, Midwest Bakery, Euro Cafe, Southern Café, Multi-Action station buffet, and full commissary and bakery operations,✔ Developed operational standards and operating policies and procedures relating to culinary,✔ Developed no-nonsense, comprehensive, training programs relative to F&B,✔ Developed core company purchasing specs. Established the infrastructure for Stratton Warren food management system,✔ Instrumental in the financial turnaround of F&B operations at the Reserve Casino in Las Vegas from a food and beverage loss of 20% to a departmental profit of 13%. Instrumental in the financial turnaround of F&B operations at Ameristar Casino Vicksburg, with the roll-out of a Southern Café, increasing sales by 400%, and a Up-scale Steakhouse with sales that led the company in venue category,✔ Implemented quarterly menu analysis of all restaurants company wide.

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  Grand Casinos, Inc

  • Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

  • Corporate Director Culinary Operations

    • 1996 - 1998
    • Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

    Responsible for 48 ala carte-venue operations at 7 casino/hotel properties, doing in excess of 150 million per annum. Property food & beverage revenues range from 10 to 30 million, feeding 35,000 people per day. Properties are located in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Dining concepts include casual, fine dining, steak-house, kiosk, snack bar and specialty theme (i.e. 50's Diner, Cajun, Italian, Seafood, and New Orleans Pan-Roast), buffet, and off premise commissary operation utilizing cook/chill preparation methods. F&B revenues: 90 million. Key areas of responsibility include the following: Developing operational standards & operating policies and procedures relative to ala carte venues; Routine audits of property operations to ensure compliance to corporate standards. Developing comprehensive training programs ala carte operational standards and cost management. Responsible for identifying new trends in the industry and making recommendations that would delight the guest and increase market share. Identifying operational deficiencies and assisting property operations in addressing concerns. Accomplishments include the following:✔ Developed operational standards, policies and procedures for all ala Carte venues throughout the company. ✔ Developed distribution system for S.O.P. rollout and policy update. ✔ Developed Quality Assurance program for ala carte operations following the TQM model✔ Developed property operations audit system. Developed external service audit system for external audit firm. ✔ Developed sanitation standards following the HACCP guidelines. Developed and executed venue manager training program with focus on floor management. Developed room service operational standards for all property hotels.✔ Instrumental in the development of a company culinary apprenticeship program.✔ Instrumental in the development of F&B service training videos, venue specific✔ Developed a Culinary Business Management training program

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  JR Interantional

  • Orlando, Florida Area

  • Corporate Director of Culinary Services

    • 1994 - 1996
    • Orlando, Florida Area

    Responsible for working with major national and international clients in the following areas: Food operations critical analysis and reorganization. Menu, concept, and new product development. Menu R&D, and new business development. Clients include the following:✔ Darden: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones ✔ Florida Hospital Systems: commissary operations ✔ Walt Disney World: Celebration Health✔ Concessions International: Airport Food Service Division✔ Galaxy Cheese: NPD and ideation✔ City of Maitland: Concept development Maitland SportsPlex - “The MVP Grill and Lounge

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  Walt Disney World

  • Orlando, Florida Area

  • Area Chef

    • 1989 - 1994
    • Orlando, Florida Area

    DISNEY VILLAGEDisney village culinary operations and assistant to VP of Culinary Operations, Johnny Rivers. Responsible for multiple restaurants and food related retail outlets, doing an excess of 18+ million annually in food sales, at the Disney Village. Instrumental in the development of many concepts. Project chef assigned to troubleshoot problem areas and train new culinary professionals. Accomplishments include the following:✔ Refined product and merchandising at several gourmet retail outlets.✔ Menu development and concept refresh – Disney Marketplace✔ Coordinated international interns in the development and enhancement of their culinary skillsDISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT 1989-1990Victoria and Albert’s: an upscale fine dining restaurant located at the Mobil 4 Star - Grand Floridian Resort Hotel. The menu is Table D’hôte, fixed price ($110.00 p.p. with wine pairing). V&A is the only 4 Star restaurant within the Disney Co. V&A was rated the best of "89" and what to look for in "90" by Food and Wine, Esquire voted it in the top 20 restaurants in the nation, and Bon Appetite magazines. R&I's 1990 "IVY" award. Responsible for menu development (menu changed daily), execution, training, and financial. ✔ Coordinated the training of all 3rd year culinary students in the art of fine dining and eclectic cuisine✔ Orchestrated menu development for a concept that required a 21-day rotating menu of 7 courses infused daily with new and creative ideas in a very upscale and seasonal environment.

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  Wyndham Hotel Group

  • Greater Milwaukee Area

  • Executive Chef

    • Jan 1987 - Jul 1989
    • Greater Milwaukee Area

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  La Quinta Resort & Club

  • La Quinta, Ca

  • Executive Chef

    • Jan 1983 - Jul 1987
    • La Quinta, Ca

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  Marriott International

  • Rancho Mirage, CA

  • Sous Chef

    • 1980 - 1983
    • Rancho Mirage, CA

    Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Club