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Your Team of Educators

An Unparalleled Team of Educators

At the heart of any outstanding education experience is a talented, dedicated faculty. The credentials and experience of our teaching team are unparalleled in culinary education.

	William M. Briwa '80, C.E.C., C.H.E., Chef-Instructor William Briwa was the resident chef for the Hess Collection Winery in Napa, CA before becoming an instructor at Greystone. He then served as the executive chef in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant for a year before returning to the faculty. He has also worked at The French Laundry and Domaine Chandon. Chef Briwa is a board member of the Napa Valley Farmers Market.
	Aaron Brown, C.B., C.H.E., Baking Instructor Aaron Brown was bakery manager for Big River Breads, where he designed and equipped a new bakery facility. His extensive industry experience includes serving as head baker for Il Fornaio America Corp. in Denver, CO (where he won the company-wide "Baker of the Year" award) and in Las Vegas, NV. He was also baker/pastry chef for Il Fornaio in Portland, OR. Chef Brown previously owned Spent Grain Baking Company in Seattle, WA.
	John Buechsenstein, C.H.E., Visiting Wines Instructor John Buechsenstein is winemaker and chief explorer of Sauvignon Republic Cellars in Santa Rosa, CA. He has worked for several well-known wineries, including Joseph Phelps Vineyards and Fife Vineyards. Past president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Mr. Buechsenstein also teaches at the University of California, Davis School of Viticulture and Enology.
	Tucker Bunch, Chef-Instructor Tucker Bunch brings more than 16 years of industry experience to the classroom, having worked at a wide variety of Houston, TX foodservice establishments. Most recently research and development chef for the 150-unit Joe's Crab Shack casual dining chain, Chef Bunch was also chief operations officer and executive chef for Crescent City Beignets, Inc., the winner of the Nation's Restaurant News "Hot Concepts!" Award in 2004.
	Patrick Clark, Chef-Instructor Before joining the faculty at Greystone, Patrick Clark was the chef at the critically acclaimed Sutro's at the Cliff House in San Francisco, CA. He previously served as executive chef at a variety of top California establishments, including California Café, Santa Barbara Grill, and the Silver Creek Valley Country Club. A member of the American Culinary Federation, Chef Clark has won numerous medals in competitions around the world, including eight gold medals at the 1992 Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany as a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Culinary Team USA.
	Almir Da Fonseca, C.E.C., Chef-Instructor Almir Da Fonseca studied culinary arts in his native Brazil and during an apprenticeship with Chef Jacques Arpi in France. His vast industry experience includes chef and executive chef positions in establishments throughout Northern California, including the Lucas Wharf Restaurant, Jack London's Creekside Restaurant, the Marconi Conference Center, and Café 450. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Greystone, Chef Da Fonseca is chef/consultant for the San Francisco Towers and chef/owner of Flavor Source Sauces and Catering Services.
	John Difilippo, Pastry Instructor John Difilippo was executive pastry chef at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, CA prior to joing the CIA faculty. Chef Difilippo has held a number of professional pastry positions in California, and served as pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Phoenix, AZ. He also attended Chef Ewald Notter's International School of Confectionery Arts.
	Stephen L. Durfee, C.E.P.C., C.H.E., Pastry Instructor Most recently serving as pastry chef at Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco, Chef Durfee worked for over five years at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA. He won the 1998 James Beard Award for "Outstanding Pastry Chef" and was named one of the "10 Best Pastry Chefs in America" in 1999 by Pastry Art & Design. In 2005, Chef Durfee represented the CIA at the National Pastry Team Championships, where his team placed fourth.
	Jeffrey Feldman, Adjunct Food Safety Instuctor Jeffrey Feldman is owner/food safety instructor for Sonoma Food Safety and foodservice instructor for the United States Coast Guard, both in Petalumna, CA. Mr. Feldman's many certifications include a ServSafe® Instructor Certificate and a ServSafe® Food Safety Certificate from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation as well as Food Safety Certification from the National Registry of Food Service Professionals. His 25-plus years in the fooservice industry include positions as varied as sous chef, catring manager, and director of food and beverage. Mr. Feldman also served for 12 years in the United States Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.
	Connie Guttersen, Ph.D., R.D., Visiting Nutrition Instructor For more than a decade, Connie Guttersen has specialized in wellness and preventive medicine. She has been involved with the program research and development of a major wellness center in Bellevue, WA, where she published their Standards of Care I. Ms. Guttersen was also a professor at Texas Christian University and is the author of The Sonoma Diet and The Sonoma Diet Cookbook.
	Joanne Hatch, M.S., R.D., C.N.S.D., Adjunct Nutrition Instructor Joanne Hatch brings more than a quarter-century of experience in nutrition to the Greystone classrooms. Ms. Hatch is chief clinical dietian for St. Helena Hospital in St. Helena, CA and was previously senior nutrition systems specialist for the HealthCare Network in San Leandro, CA, where she served as a nutrition consultant for long-term care facilities. She also worked for eight years as a nutritional care manager with Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs, CA. Ms. Hatch holds an M.S. in clinical nutrition from Rush University in Chicago, IL and a B.S. in dietetics from the University of California, Davis. Her many professional affiliations include membership in the American Dietetic Association and the American Society of Parenteral Nutrition.
	Joyce Hodgkinson, M.A., C.H.E., Adjunct Writing Instructor Joyce Hodgkinson has built a long list of credentials in education, from teaching to consulting to administration. Most recently an adjunct professor, field supervisor, and evaluator at the University of San Francisco, she has also served as principal for two Northern California schools and as an educational consultant, creating teacher training workshops for organizations including an inner city charter school and a preschool for at-risk children. Fluent in Spanish, Ms. Hodgkinson holds a master's degree in administration from the University of San Francisco.
	Robert Jörin, C.M.B., C.E.P.C., C.C.E., C.H.E., Team Leader, Baking and Pastry Arts Robert Jörin brings a wealth of experience to Greystone as past owner and pastry chef of the highly successful Upscale Downtown Bakery in Petaluma, CA, and as an instructor with more than 20 years of teaching baking and pastry professionals. Chef Jörin was a member of the U.S. team that won the coveted Grand Prize at the 1999 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (The World Cup of Baking).
	Martha Keller, Adjunct Table Service Instructor Martha Keller's foodservice industry experience includes eight years as a manager and director for Jeremiah Towers's Stars restaurant in San Francisco, CA, where she was responsible for event and private dining, restaurant budget development, staff training, and public relations and marketing. She was later a winery associate for the Rudd Estate in Oakville, CA and an industry consultant offering hospitality management services as well as HACCP and customer service training programs. Ms. Keller holds a master's degree in public administration and is a graduate of the Seagrams Foundation Wine Program.
	Lars Kronmark, C.W.P., Chef-Instructor Lars Kronmark was educated in Denmark and gained his culinary training throughout Europe. His 24 years of teaching experience have taken him around the world—to Mexico, Italy, Spain, China, and across the United States. Chef Kronmark is a member of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, and is a founding member of the Marin County Wine Society.
	Christopher Loss '93, Ph.D., Director, Ventura Foods Center for Menu Research and Development Along with his responsibility for the new Ventura Center, food scientist and CIA graduate Chris Loss is the designer and writer of "Food Science & Technology Applications in Menu Research & Development" for the CIA's menu R&D e-learning course. Dr. Loss was previously a graduate research and teaching assistant in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he earned his doctorate, master's, and bachelor's degrees.
	Corinne Meddaugh, M.B.A., C.P.A., C.H.E., Adjunct Liberal Arts Instructor Certified Public Accountant Corinne Meddaugh possesses depth of experience in finance and technology. She has held a variety of positions in these fields, with leading Northern California companies including Agilent Technologies, Zainer Rinehart Clarke DFK, Balancing Pointe, Hanna Winery, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). She was most recently volunteer director and Finance Committee member for the Girl Scouts of Konocti Council. Ms. Meddaugh holds an M.B.A. from Sonoma State University.
	Richard Rybicki, Adjunct Law Instructor Attorney Richard Rybicki has been practicing law for several California firms since graduating with his juris doctor degree from Cornell University Law School in Ithaca, NY. Specializing in labor and employment law, he is currently a director (partner) with Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty, P.C. in Napa and Santa Rosa. In addition to teaching at the CIA at Greystone, Mr. Rybicki is also an adjunct faculty member for the Napa Valley College Hospitality & Tourism Management Program. He has shared his knowledge of the law in countless seminars and presentations for organizations ranging from the Personnel Association of Sonoma County to the Universidad Adolfo Ibañez in Santiago, Chile. Mr. Rybicki is an active member of the Sonoma County, California, and American Bar Associations.
	Toni Hendrickson Sakaguchi '84, C.E.C., C.H.E., Chef-Instructor Prior to coming to the CIA, Toni Sakaguchi was fine-dining restaurant chef at The Grille, the restaurant in the Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma, CA. She also served as executive chef in two of the nation's top restaurants, Border Grill Restaurant and City Restaurant in Los Angeles. Chef Sakaguchi has published recipes in Time Life Books, several newspapers, and Vegetarian Times magazine.
	Scott Samuel, Chef-Instructor for Strategic Initiatives With more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, Scott Samuel is an accomplished chef with a wide range of experience. Chef Samuel was most recently a chef-instructor for Seattle Culinary Academy and the owner of Simply Brilliant, a business specializing in catering and private culinary instruction. He was previously a private chef; sous chef for the four-star Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, WA; and the original executive chef at Brie & Bordeaux in Seattle, where he was nominated for the James Beard Foundation "Rising Star Chef of the Year" award. In addition to other chef positions in Hawaii and Washington State, Chef Samuel completed an apprenticeship at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA. He holds a B.A. in hotel/restaurant administration from Washington State University.
	Roger J. Studebaker, C.C.I.M., Adjunct Management Instructor Roger Studerbaker's more than 25 years in the hospitality management field have included positions ranging from small unit restaurant manager to vice president of a large regional restaurant chain. Also an expert in real estate and business investment management, Mr. Studebaker is a Certified Commercial Investment Member and member of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers. He is owner-branch manager of CR Funding, a mortgare lender; and president of the Studebaker Family Corporation, a real estate and business investment company. Mr. Studebaker holds a B.S. in hotel and restaurant management from Florida State University and is a retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
	Thomas Wong '86, C.E.C., C.H.E., Chef-Instructor Thomas Wong's culinary career has taken him to a variety of restaurants, resorts, and hotels. Just prior to joining the Greystone faculty, Chef Wong was executive sous chef for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows in Kohala Coast, HI. He was previously executive chef for several other Hawaiian hotels, including the Hotel Hana Maui in Hana, and the Waialae Country Club and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, both in Honolulu.
	Ken Woytisek, C.E.C., C.C.E., C.H.E., Chef-Instructor Ken Woytisek has held a variety of foodservice positions in California over the past 10 years, most recently as chef de cuisine and consultant at Insalata's Restaurant in San Anselmo, CA. His career has also included stops at Square One, China Moon Café, and South Park Café in San Francisco. Chef Woytisek has traveled to India, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and China to help enrich his classes on Asian cuisine.