Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Professionalism: Apply personal skills, including, but not limited to, adherence to accepted professional standards and codes of conduct. Apply hospitality and culinary terminology.
• Service: Analyze methods of service and management principles for all hospitality operations.
• Technology: Use computer technology appropriately in hospitality and culinary operations. Apply technology to hospitality and culinary operations.
• Inclusiveness: Explain the dynamics of the changing global business environment. Discuss food and dietary issues from cultural, religious, historical and geographical perspectives.
• Safety and Sanitation: Operate commercial kitchen equipment in a safe and efficient manner. Apply proper cooking and sanitation techniques.  Obtain ServSafe® Sanitation Certificate.
• Leadership: Develop and meet the highest standards of professional competence, ethical behavior, technical excellence and decision making.
• Marketing: Examine strategies to serve the current needs of the hospitality industry. Discuss contemporary hospitality and culinary trends.
• Nutrition: Apply accepted nutrition standards that lead to positive health benefits.
• Industry Math: Apply appropriate math skills to culinary arts operations and business environments.
• Purchasing and Cost Controls: Apply principles of effective purchasing and of cost control, related to the hospitality and culinary industry.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Professionalism: Apply personal skills, including, but not limited to, adherence to accepted professional standards and codes of conduct. Apply hospitality and culinary terminology.
• Service: Analyze methods of service and management principles for all hospitality operations.
• Technology: Use computer technology appropriately in hospitality and culinary operations. Apply technology to hospitality and culinary operations.
• Inclusiveness: Explain the dynamics of the changing global business environment. Discuss food and dietary issues from cultural, religious, historical and geographical perspectives.
• Safety and Sanitation: Operate commercial kitchen equipment in a safe and efficient manner. Apply proper cooking and sanitation techniques.  Obtain ServSafe® Sanitation Certificate.
• Leadership: Develop and meet the highest standards of professional competence, ethical behavior, technical excellence and decision making.
• Marketing: Examine strategies to serve the current needs of the hospitality industry. Discuss contemporary hospitality and culinary trends.
• Nutrition: Apply accepted nutrition standards that lead to positive health benefits.
• Industry Math: Apply appropriate math skills to culinary arts operations and business environments.
• Purchasing and Cost Controls: Apply principles of effective purchasing and of cost control, related to the hospitality and culinary industry.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Food Safety: Demonstrate food safety practices that will ensure safe food production from purchase to service.
• Customer Service: Apply the concepts and skills necessary to achieve guest satisfaction.
• Multicultural Perspectives: Demonstrate knowledge of multicultural perspectives to meet the needs of the guest and employees.
• Sustainability: Use knowledge of best practices to further sustainability (economic, environmental and cultural/social) in the industry.
• Management: Demonstrate ability to perform basic and supervisory level job functions in hotel and restaurant careers.
• Leadership and Human Relationships: Assess the leadership, supervisory and human relations skills within the hospitality industry.
• Marketing: Practice effective sales techniques and procedures including marketing, public relations and entrepreneurship.
• Application of Skills and Major Concepts: Apply the major concepts, skills and values of the restaurant, food and beverage profession to address industry problems both locally and globally.
• Technology Integration: Integrate current industry technologies in all aspects of hospitality management.

Email Donnisha Grant  or call 410-777-2314

Chef Donnisha Grant, M.Ed., MSIHM, CHE, is the interim director of the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute at Anne Arundel Community College. In this role she focuses on ways to attract and expand the minds of students who are entering the culinary arts, pastry arts and hospitality management fields.

Grant has 10 years of teaching experience, starting as an adjunct instructor at Morgan State University and Howard County Community College. She became a full-time instructor at Stratford University and a full-time instructional specialist at Anne Arundel Community College. Grant transitions from teaching hospitality to instructing culinary labs with ease. She has over 12 years of industry experience, beginning her career in hospitality as a certified front office trainer for Marriott Inner Harbor Baltimore; director of food and beverage for Flik at Freddie Mac; food and beverage manager for Coppin State University; food and beverage manager for Bon Appetite at Goucher College, food and beverage manager for Bon Appetite at University of Maryland, and assistant director for HCAT at AACC.

She holds a Master of Education degree, a Master of Science in international hospitality management, a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management and an Associate of Applied Science in professional cooking and baking. She is a certified hospitality educator and has taught leadership and hospitality courses on all levels. In addition to her teaching experience, she serves as the educational liaison for the Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association and an educational content reviewer for the American Council of Education. Grant strongly believes that every person deserves the opportunity to discover what they love, and they should be able to pursue it without any boundaries.

Email David or call 410-777-2063

Chef David Ludwig, CEPC, CHE, is an assistant director for the HCAT Institute who oversees the Culinary and Baking and Pastry programs. Ludwig believes that while it's easy to get a job in the hospitality industry, it is much harder to build a lasting career, and that education is the key to finding that level of success. He has coached Team Anne Arundel, is an adviser to the HCAT Chef’s Club and is a certification evaluator for the American Culinary Federation. Ludwig has worked as a boulanger under Chef Michel Gras at La Patisserie, Cape May, N.J., pastry cook at the Trellis Restaurant, executive pastry chef for the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., worked at the five-star, five-diamond Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, chef for the English Tea Room at Reynold’s Tavern in Annapolis, and adjunct instructor and instructional specialist for the HCAT Institute. He has completed several courses at the Culinary Institute of America, both in Hyde Park, N.Y., and Greystone, Calif. Ludwig holds an Applied Associate of Science in culinary arts from Atlantic Cape Community College, a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management from DeVry University, and is pursuing a master’s in distance learning with University of Maryland Global Campus.

Email Melissa or call 410-777-2099   

Chef Melissa Hawkins, CWPC, is an instructional specialist who teaches credit baking and pastry courses. Her specialties are cake decorating and bread. Hawkins believes there is no end to learning in the culinary world; every new dish you try is adding to your culinary education. In addition to teaching baking and pastry curriculum, she teaches the noncredit bartending courses. In her free time, she runs her own cake business, Chocolate Chic Connection. Hawkins has been the assistant pastry chef at The Maryland Club, executive pastry chef at Cosima and garde manger chef at the Baltimore Country Club. She has over 13 years of experience as a bartender at Hard Rock Café. Hawkins holds an Associate of Applied Science in baking and pastry and culinary arts from Anne Arundel Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in hospitality from Baltimore International College.

Email Michael or call 410-777-2488

Chef Michael Santos, CEPC, is an instructional specialist who teaches credit and noncredit baking and pastry courses. He passes down to his students the expertise and skills he has gained in over 25 years of industry experience. Santos has been awarded American Culinary Federation (ACF) competition medals in the categories of Single Tier Celebration Cakes, Hot Plated Dessert, Breads and Chocolate Candy Display, and Cold Plated Dessert. In 2014 and 2016 he was voted ACF Greater Baltimore Chapter’s Pastry Chef of the Year. Santos has 10 years of teaching experience as an adjunct instructor at Stratford University, Howard Community College and Anne Arundel Community College. He has held the positions of executive pastry chef, assistant pastry chef and food and beverage manager with The Olive Group, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Marriot Hotels and Hilton Hotels. Santos holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in baking and pastry making from Baltimore International College. He continues to attend trainings and conferences specializing in the science of baking and pastry to further advance his knowledge and skills.

Read more about Michael.

Email Michael or call 410-777-2918

Chef Michael Levins, CEC, CCA, WCCE, WCEC, is an instructional specialist teaching credit culinary courses. Levins believes in a positive learning environment that encourages students to think outside the box. He has held many roles in his 20-plus years in the culinary industry. Levins' career highlights include the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and working at Walt Disney at the Rotunda in the executive dining room. He is a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Levins participates in several positions and appointments for ACF; certification chair for the Greater Baltimore ACF chapter, certification evaluator trainer, and post-secondary accreditation education evaluator. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in culinary and hospitality management from Howard Community College.

Email Randy or call 410-777-1178

Chef Randy Stahl, CEC, is an instructional specialist teaching culinary courses. He specializes in bringing real-life experiences into the academic classroom and kitchen. He enjoys guiding students through fundamentals in culinary skills and life skills that are necessary for a career in the food service industry. Stahl believes in learning as a lifelong endeavor, mastered only through diligence, discipline and constant effort to reach for the stars and moon during your pursuit of excellence. He has committed to many local and national charities including Maryland Food Bank, Second Helping, Share our Strength, Operation Frontline, Great Chefs Dinner for the Center for Child Abuse Prevention Center of Maryland, American Cancer Foundation, Kidney Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Heritage Festival, American Culinary Federation, and Cystic Fibrosis. In 1997 Stahl was awarded the Maryland Governor’s Volunteer of the Year by then-Gov. Parris Glendenning.  

Stahl started his career while in high school at Merrickana Kosher Caterers in New York. He worked as a sous chef and chef de cuisine at Sal Anthony’s in Gramercy Park, New York City. He was a chef-partner for Country Fare Group in Fiori, co-founder of The Brass Elephant, and he co-designed, built and worked as executive chef/general manager at Remomo Café Italia in Anne Arundel County. A highlight in his career was preparing, with his staff, the banquet following Pope John Paul II’s Mass at Camden Yards in the private residence of Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore. 

Stahl earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics with a business minor from the University of Pittsburgh, and graduated with high honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Email Ken or call 410-777-2722.

Chef Ken Jarvis, professor, CEC, CCE, CHE, has been with the HCAT Institute since 1993. His 26 years of extensive professional experience in both front and back-of-the-house positions for full-service and catering establishments prepared him for his current position at HCAT. He has a long list of accomplishments including direct management of a 250-seat restaurant as well as an exclusive catering business; food, equipment and supplies distribution; and executive chef/management at a local waterfront restaurant. Jarvis holds a Master of Science in business administration, a Bachelor of Science in food service administration, dietetics and nutritional care, and an associate degree in occupational studies from the Culinary Institute of America. He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the American Culinary Federation.

Email Jenny 

Jenny Abreu, CMP, MTA, is an adjunct instructor who teaches catering management and event planning. She is also an adjunct instructor at Howard Community College and a lecturer in management at The George Washington University School of Business. Jenny is also the founder and chief experience officer of Forever Etched Events, LLC. For more than 20 years she has passionately and creatively produced association, academic, social, corporate and nonprofit meeting and event experiences. She is a meeting and event planning subject matter expert (SME) for EnventU. She has been recognized as an Ascent Luminary by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Convene Ascent Initiative. Abreu holds a Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) in event and meeting management from The George Washington University School of Business, a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Suffolk University, Sawyer School of Management, and an Associate of Science in Business Administration from Massachusetts Bay Community College.

Email Christine

Christine Anastasi is an adjunct who teaches Introduction to the Hospitality Industry.  She has been working in the restaurant/hospitality industry for almost 15 years, holding positions within both the back of house and front of house, as a private chef, teaching recreational cooking classes, catering, beverage sales and bartending. Anastasi is a Maryland native and returned home last year after living in New Orleans and along the West Coast of California. She is starting her 10th year of teaching culinary/hospitality classes at the post-secondary level and looks forward to being a part of the HCAT family. Anastasi holds a Bachelor of Science in culinary arts with a concentration in beverage management from Johnson & Wales.

Email Ericka

Ericka Campbell is an adjunct instructor who teaches internship in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Anne Arundel Community College. Passionate about people, Campbell believes that the world needs more kindness.  After college, she was competitively recruited to work at a 2,112-room resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando. While there, she was trained on how to deliver white-glove service at Disney University and managed a team of Disney employees. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management from Morgan State University.

Email Amy

Amy Carattini is an adjunct instructor for the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute and an assistant professor for anthropology and transfer studies. She gets excited to engage her students in the exploration of diversity that defines the human experience and applications for cross-cultural thinking. In HRM-232 World Culture and Cuisine, she hopes her students take the anthropological skills and perspectives they develop in her class to see how food people eat affect them culturally and socially. They will also come to understand what it means to cooperate and communicate effectively across various cultural backgrounds and experiences. In addition to developing anthropology curriculum, she is also creating a Home and Belonging Research Project at AACC for students to examine the many ways in which we connect to each other, our communities and our environments. Carattini has won awards such as Excellence in Equity (2019) and an Excellence in Scholarly or Professional Accomplishments (2021) at Montgomery College. Carattini holds a Ph.D. in anthropology as well as a Master of Applied Anthropology and a certificate in museum scholarship and material culture from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also holds a master’s degree in English literature from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.

Email Forrest

Forrest Caskey is an adjunct instructor for the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute and an associate professor of academic literacies, American studies, LGBTQ studies, and pop culture. He is currently the interim coordinator of Inclusive Excellence. Caskey believes that learning can and should be fun, personal and interactive as well as relevant to our own communities. In addition to teaching, he is the faculty advisor for AACC’s GSA and a leader for AACC’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. He has won multiple awards at the college such as the League of Innovation Award for Teaching Excellence, Rookie Professor of the Year, Innovation and Equity Champion, and Student Access and Achievement’s Founder’s Award. Additionally, he spent 25 years working in restaurants and bars and his family owned a successful soul food restaurant in Louisiana for over 40 years. Caskey holds a master's degree in sociolinguistics from Western Carolina University and is completing his doctoral studies in language, literacy and culture from UMBC.

Email John

John Delozier, MBA, CHA, is an adjunct instructor who teaches hospitality management at Anne Arundel Community College. Delozier owns and operates a small hotel management company with a $20 million portfolio of hotels. He also serves on several industry boards and professional committees often focused on education, training and leadership development. While some may question the impact of higher education on the hospitality industry, Delozier is passionate about workforce development. He encourages students to start their educational pursuits within the community college system where they can learn from experienced professionals, most of whom have significant industry experience. Delozier holds an Associate of Arts in Christian education from Lancaster Bible College, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational management from Eastern University and a Master of Business Administration from Lebanon Valley College. 

Email Leo

Leo Dilling is an adjunct instructor teaching culinary courses. He believes that every chef and cook should stay curious and never stop striving to learn. Dilling brings 20 years of experience cooking and managing in some of Washington, D.C.’s top fine dining kitchens. He has been an adjunct at the Art Institute of Washington for eight years and as a full-time instructor at Stratford University. His works a full-time job as culinary operations manager for Ceremony Coffee, an Annapolis-based company with seven locations. Dilling is a member of the American Culinary Federation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Mary Washington and the Diplome de Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Canada.

Email Fernando

Malinda Fernando is an adjunct instructor who teaches Introduction to the Hospitality Industry (HRM-111). He is the director of Operations with Aramark USA at Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda. Fernando believes that being in the field enables him to bring to the class actual scenarios and what is currently happening in the industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and a minor in management information systems.

Email Keiron

Keiron Forde, PMP, is an adjunct instructor who teaches hospitality courses. Forde has worked in the hospitality industry since 2008. He started his career as sales manager trainee at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.  He has been resident dining manager for Sodexo at Stevenson University, food and beverage director at Aloft hotel, Element hotel, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, Wyndham Baltimore, Radisson Baltimore Inner Harbor, and Crown Plaza Baltimore Inner Harbor, as well as food and beverage manager at the Westin BWI. In 2018, Forde received his Project Manager Professional certification (PMP). Upon receiving his certification he left the hospitality industry and became a supply chain planner at Northrop Grumman Corp. Today he is the supplier quality engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp. Forde holds a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management from Morgan State University.

Email Chris

Chef Chris Isennock, CDM, CLP, is an adjunct instructor teaching culinary courses. He is passionate about consistent quality standards in every dish that is prepared. Sustainability is an overarching emphasis that he practices in everything from seafood to carryout containers. Isennock has over 23 years of experience in the culinary industry and is a food service director in the education sector. He has appeared on television spotlighting local sustainable seafood and has created chef demonstrations for many local festivals. Isennock earned a Bachelor of Arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University.

Email Keahey

Chef Akemi Keahey is an instructional specialist who teaches Certification in Sanitation (HRM-119). She is passionate about food science, learning about world culture and cuisine, and the medicinal use of foods and herbs. Keahey has been an adjunct instructor at Anne Arundel Community College, Howard Community College and Community College of Baltimore County. She is an approved instructor/proctor for ServSafe®, ServSafe® Alcohol and ManageFirst® by the National Restaurant Association.

Keahey has worked as a chef and vocational instructor at the Harbour School at Baltimore, and as a consultant to the Restaurant Association of Maryland for writing HACCP plans and teaching ServSafe® certification courses. She has started several businesses, including Green Eating (nutrition education), HACCP Writer 123 (hospitality consulting), food truck owner and personal chef. She has worked as an event chef and in institutional dining facilities at the management level, Howard County public schools and Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, as well as at Disney World’s award-winning Contemporary Resort. Her most recent position was with St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore as the training chef spearheading the Food Service Training Program which provides job training to individuals with barriers to employment, preparing them for successful careers in food service.

Keahey, author of "Superfoods – Powerful Foods that Beat Cancer and Chronic Illness," also is consistently recognized for her high level of dedication, customer service and ability to coach others.

She holds an associate degree in liberal arts from Baltimore City Community College and has completed courses at the HCAT Institute.

Email Proctor

Darlene Proctor is an adjunct teaching Introduction to Baking and Pastry and Intermediate Cake Production. She began her career in health care, including positions in leadership, training and education. Midway through this career, she took a detour and returned to school, coming to the HCAT program at Anne Arundel Community College to follow a longstanding passion for baking and pastry. Proctor has been teaching at HCAT for over 10 years, where she translates that passion in her teaching.  She is the owner and operator of Party Style Cake and Desserts. Proctor holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Coppin State University, a Master of Science in nursing administration from the University of Maryland, and a baking and pastry certificate from AACC. 

Email Dan

Dan Rendulic has been adjunct instructor with HCAT since 2007, teaching both credit and noncredit culinary classes. He believes that with proper training and guidance, anyone can elevate their basic cooking skills from so-so to WOW! Eating is essential to life. Eating food that not only taste great but also look great makes that experience more delightful. He is hands-on in the culinary field and has worked at a variety of venues including restaurants, food production facilities and large volume catering. Rendulic is employed with Puttin’ on the Ritz catering company focusing on off-premise events. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in culinary arts from Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts.

Email Jason

Jason Roberts is an adjunct instructor who teaches various hospitality courses. Roberts believes that connecting students to the course material with the real-world experience and application of the curriculum objectives is paramount to creating a more well-rounded hospitality professional. He has 20 years of experience operating higher education dining facilities and hotels. In addition to managing large dining facilities at universities, he has built a reputation of mentoring reporting managers and turning around underachieving units. Roberts holds a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management from Morgan State University and a Master of Science in management: acquisition and supply chain management from University of Maryland Global Campus.

Melissa Hawkins, CWPC,  HCAT instructional specialist

Allison Igwe

Akemi Keahey

Steve Konopelski

Michael Levins, CEC, CCA, WCCE, WCEC, HCAT instructional specialist

Michael Santos, CEPC - HCAT instructional specialist

Rebecca Sileo

Ted Tyler

TABLE GAMES INSTRUCTORS

Natalia Bereznikova

Yeko Blanchard

Santos Calderon 

Meena Christopher

Jeremy Delacruz 

Cornell Evans

Estuardo "Alex" Jauregui

Michael Palad

Ronen Reuveni

Sammy Souvan

Yong "Steve" Sung

Robert Thomas

Yuxuan "Joey" Zhou

POKER INSTRUCTORS

Darby Ferrer

Richard Herbert

Ryan Sheehan

Travis Williams