Executive Pastry Chef Portfolio

The Hiking Pastry Chef…

Hospitality has always been about creating memorable experiences for people. Whether it’s a plated dessert at a luxury dinner, a large-scale banquet for thousands of guests, or a personalized amenity for someone having a difficult day, I’ve always loved the ability food has to create lasting memories.

My career in hospitality started as a dishwasher in a busy restaurant, where I quickly fell in love with the fast-paced teamwork and energy of the kitchen. Over the next several years, I worked my way through multiple restaurants learning as much as possible about different cuisines and kitchen operations before deciding to specialize in pastry. That decision eventually brought me to Paris, France, where I attended Le Cordon Bleu and earned a Diplôme de Pâtisserie.

After graduating, I found my true passion in luxury hotels and resort operations. I was drawn to the unique balance of high-volume banquet production, restaurant service, weddings, VIP events, and multi-outlet operations that only hospitality properties can provide. I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of balancing large-scale production with consistency, creativity, and guest experience.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several exceptional hospitality organizations including Grand Hyatt Washington, The Jefferson Hotel, Boar’s Head Resort, Fairmont Georgetown, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, and now Turning Stone Enterprises in New York.

Along the way, my career evolved from hands-on pastry production into large-scale culinary leadership. I discovered a passion not only for pastry, but also for operational systems, mentorship, workforce development, and building strong culinary teams. Today, much of my focus centers around leadership development, operational efficiency, labor management, training systems, and creating environments where culinary professionals can grow their careers.

One of the most rewarding experiences of my career was thru-hiking the entire Appalachian Trail — a 2,191-mile journey completed on September 1st. The experience reinforced many of the same values that hospitality has taught me throughout my career: resilience, adaptability, teamwork, consistency, and long-term focus.

Currently, as Executive Pastry Chef for Turning Stone Enterprises, I oversee pastry operations supporting multiple casinos, hotels, golf courses, nightlife venues, restaurants, and large-scale banquet facilities often serving over 20,000 guests daily. Working within such a large hospitality organization has expanded my passion for enterprise culinary operations, team development, and operational leadership while continuing to push creativity and innovation within pastry programs.

No matter how much the industry evolves, I still believe the foundation of hospitality remains the same — great teams creating memorable experiences for guests. That is what continues to inspire me every day.