Chef Christopher Burgos The fact that Chef Burgos is a chef/instructor is proof of a career that has gone full circle. After starting out as a pot washer, advancing to prep cook, going to school and earning his culinary degree, Chef Burgos believes that giving back to future chefs is only fitting. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1984 and landed his first line cook job at the Marriott Hotel at the World Trade Center, NYC. Soon after, he moved to San Antonio, TX, and worked at numerous restaurants and hotels, most notably The Four Seasons’ Anaqua Dining Room. There he worked as a sauté cook, roundsman and banquet chef. He also freelanced as a cook for several conventions in North Carolina. However, his hometown, New York City, beckoned and Chef Burgos returned. His diversified background includes jobs at every level of the kitchen at many types of dining establishments, from fried fish houses to bistros to three-star fine dining restaurants. He has worked as the Executive Chef of Charlton’s in midtown Manhattan, Kitchen Manager at the Fulton St. Café at the South St. Seaport, Executive Sous Chef at Cave Canem in the East Village, a catering chef at Dean & DeLuca in SoHo and a seasonal chef at Matthew’s Seafood on Fire Island, NY. After a long and distinguished tenure in the kitchen “trenches”, Chef Burgos decided it was time to share his knowledge and experience. He joined the staff of the Career Academy of New York in 1999, when it was known as the NY Food & Hotel Mgt. School. He served as the Culinary Chairman from 2001 through 2005. He left to pursue a career in the retail sector, at WholeFoods Market, but the teaching bug bit him again and he has since returned to the current illustrious staff. Chef Burgos believes that, “Teaching people how to cook professionally is a dream job. It combines the excitement and spontaneity of restaurant life with the satisfaction of seeing someone learn and develop. Recalling my experiences as a student, I definitely have an appreciation for what is going on in my students’ minds. I understand their anxiety to do well and I know how good it feels to create a feast from scratch. Watching a person grow in confidence is very rewarding. I strongly believe that food should be respected and taken seriously, but on the other hand it should be enjoyed and celebrated to the fullest.” |
Adriana Tortorello Adriana Tortorello joined the Career Academy of New York in August 2004 as the career services coordinator for the Hotel Division of the Hotel and Restaurant Management Program. She then became an instructor and, in 2006, assumed the responsibilities of chair for the Hotel and Restaurant Management program. Prior to joining CANY, Adriana was the front office manager at Registry Resort in Naples FL, a luxury resort on the Gulf of Mexico, managing and developing all front-of-the-house staff and operations within the Rooms Division Department. While pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from New York University, she worked in entry-level positions in housekeeping, the front desk and Concierge Services and continued to grow in various capacities in hotels in New York City, such as group reservations manager and resident manager. Upon earning her degree in 1997, she joined Millennium Broadway Hotel as guest relations manager and, after a year, became assistant director of guest services in charge of three concierge levels for Millennium Broadway and its new addition, The Premier, as well as overseeing the front office and Shipping and Receiving Dept. for the Millennium’s conference center and guest rooms. She has also acted as manager on duty. In 2000, Adriana pursued her dream of opening her own luxury bed and breakfast in the South of France. The five-room retreat maintained 95% occupancy in high peak season and appeared in Travel + Leisure magazine for outstanding quality and service in 2006. Having lived in various countries, she learned to speak four languages, connect with diverse groups and cultures as well as develop an insatiable desire to grow within the hotel industry. |
Morayma Yeng Morayma Yeng began her career in healthcare approximately 16 years ago. She worked as a medical administrative assistant for Gentiva Healthcare. Although this position was part-time, Morayma knew this was a way to understand and obtain some medical experience. Her duties included, but were not limited to: managing employee schedules, collecting time sheets, doing payroll, credentialing doctors, making travel arrangements, employee issue/complaint resolution, assigning home health aides patients’ orders, updating home health aides’ credentials for state licensing, cataloging inventory, ordering supplies and managing deliveries. In 1998, Morayma began to feel unchallenged in her position. She then enrolled in a Phlebotomy/Electrocardiogram Certification Program at the Healthcare Training Institute. Upon completing the program at the top of her class, Morayma’s instructor advised her to enroll in the Medical Assistant Certification Program. Her instructor also stressed that Morayma return to teach after obtaining several years of clinical experience. Near the end of the program and with externship approaching, Morayma contacted Dr. Oscar Pizzarro, a very well-known physician in Jersey City, New Jersey. She was hired by the oncologist when she completed the program. Morayma excelled and was soon promoted to office manager of the group, known as Newport Medical Associates, which included pediatrics, oncology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, nutrition, obstetrics/gynecology, chiropractic, podiatry, endocrinology and cardiology. In 2001, the group parted ways. Soon after, Morayma was contacted by an infectious disease physician and a cardiologist who had worked with her at Newport Medical Associates. She was promptly hired as their medical assistant and, before long, was promoted to medical office manager. Three years later, Morayma obtained a position as a medical laboratory team leader for Laboratory Corporation of America. There, she was in charge of eight patient testing centers with a total of 60 employees. Once again Morayma was promoted, this time to laboratory supervisor. After several years, including a teaching position at another school, Morayma found her way to the Career Academy and now serves as chair of the Medical Assistant Department. |
Chef Frank Condenzio Frank Condenzio was raised in a family of restaurateurs who enabled him to understand the food of his culture at a very young age by teaching him the things that had been passed down to them from European food and hospitality professionals that came to America in the early 1920’s. At the age of 17, he worked after school part-time for a small catering company as a Cook’s assistant. After high school, he entered St. Vincent’s Monastery/Seminary and quickly became head of all food services and fund raising banquets as well as consultant for all other houses and schools in the organization. After several years in the religious order, Chef Frank traveled and gained some international experience. He visited Sydney, Australia and became Sous Chef at a Natural Cuisine/Vegan/Vegetarian establishment. He traveled with a cook book author to test and experience Indian cuisine, as well as becoming co partner and chef in a catering company called Govindas Natural Cuisine. Chef Frank came back to New York City and attended New York Food and Hotel and Restaurant Management School where he received his Culinary Arts Certificate. He also attended New York University for his certification in Vocational Education. He then went on to teach at the Educational Training Institute for ten years. He also taught Culinary Arts to deaf, hard of hearing and learning disabled students for the New York Department of Education as well as Vocational Education at High School for Career Development. Frank worked as the Food and beverage manager for city group executive dinning for three years where he directed banquets and all receptions as well as managed staff for daily food services. Recently, Chef Frank Condenzio has brought all his experience to the Career Academy of New York, where he shares all the knowledge that he has gained in the culinary field with the chefs of tomorrow. |
Chef Bob Pertusi Chef Bob Pertusi’s love for food began early. Everyone, friends and family alike, always congregated in the kitchen. Bob was fascinated by all the knowledge of food that surrounded him. At age 15, he started working as a dishwasher and before long found the kitchen environment just like home. His co-workers were part of his extended family. Functioning well in a structured environment, Bob enlisted in the Air Force, where he worked as a cook in the service clubs at his base. The tough training taught him to be disciplined and to take pride in what he did. Through an honorable discharge and the G.I. Bill of Rights, Bob was able to pursue a culinary college education at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, a sort of culinary “think tank,” where he earned his associate’s degree. Bob’s first job was as an apprentice at the world-famous Four Seasons restaurant in New York. From there, he worked as a vegetable chef on the S.S. Rotterdam cruise line and then took on chef responsibilities at the Garden City Hotel, the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station and the landmark Amber Lantern restaurant. For the next 10 years, he was chef-owner of the Culinary Kitchen, a fine-food and catering establishment in New York City, and, since 2002, has been a senior chef-instructor at the Career Academy of New York. |
Chef DeVoria E. Simmons DeVoria Endean Simmons was born in Detroit, Michigan where her dream was and still is to have her own restaurant. She expressed her passion at an early age when she opened her “backyard” restaurant at the tender age of eight, specializing in good country food. At 17, she went to work at the Sheraton hotel as a bus girl. Growing up in the sixties as an African American woman, there were no female chefs to look up to, only the women in her family. On a whim, she went to the Executive Chef and asked if she could transfer into the kitchen. He agreed but placed her in the pantry as Garde Manager, telling her the hot line was for men only. Chef Devoria decided to become formally trained in culinary arts at Oakland Community College. After graduating, she moved to Houston where she became the Garde Manager Chef at the Houstonian Country Club and went on to become Chef de Cuisine at Ma Maison Restaurant. She then moved to Chicago, where she honed her culinary skills. She became Sous Chef at Monique’s, a French Bistro, and the Garde Manager at the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons Hotel. She further developed her culinary skills and went on to work for Chicago Caterers as Executive Sous Chef, executing on-site catering productions. Here, she was able to cook for former President Jimmy Carter, Coretta Scott King, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Mike Dittka, among others. She was also responsible for functions given by the Sara Lee Corporation. Chef Devoria also worked with celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at Spago Catering. She acted as Chef Consultant, helping to open three restaurants in Chicago and was also involved with Share Our Strength fundraisers to feed the hungry. She mentored some of Chicago’s inner city youth, teaching them about nutrition and cooking through the Kraft Food Mentors program. In 2000, Devoria moved to New York and held a position with Sodexho Management. Most recently, Chef Devoria has come to the Career Academy of New York to continue to make a difference in the lives of students. It gives her great joy to be teaching and sharing her craft with the future chefs of her community. |
Chef Elaine Mamary Chef Elaine began her culinary adventure as a little girl who avidly read her mother’s vintage Gourmet Cookbook from cover to cover. The photo of a whole poached ox tongue coated with pink tinged chaud-froid and decorated with ham and leek “flowers” was particularly mesmerizing. After graduating from Fordham with a degree in Art and Psychology, she became famous with her friends for her impromptu multi-course dinner parties. Unexpectedly, she began cooking at Ruelles Restaurant launching her decades long journey into professional food services. Her early experience also includes being Executive Chef at Gill’s Seafood Restaurant on East 50th street. She owned and operated Pizza Oasis, a gourmet pizza restaurant on East 14th street offering vegetarian specialties, whole wheat and dairy-free pizza, as well as standard pizzeria fare. Elaine worked several years at The Palm House, the exclusive on-premise caterer in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, supervising the preparation and expedition of hors d’ouerves as well as other facets of banquet food production. Her last major food service project was operating the food service concession (Novella Café cafeteria, coffee bar, and on and off-premise catering) at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. Her concept for the cafeteria was to produce delicious and inexpensive food with minimally processed fresh and natural ingredients. Elaine is now pursuing a Master Degree in Natural Health. Her interest lies in integrating the relationship between food, health and happiness and in challenging the cliché of “healthy” food being boring, tasteless and unsatisfying. She has also rediscovered her passion for her art and photography, joining and exhibiting with the Brooklyn Waterfront Artist’s Coalition (BWAC). In between all projects, Elaine works as a party planner, caterer and private chef with a regular clientele as well as helping her caterer friends. As a culinary coach and consultant, she offers support and practical guidelines for all culinary issues and the holistic handling of food with the emphasis on fun, flavor and presentation. |
Chef Lawrence DeSimone Chef Lawrence DeSimone started working in the restaurant business when he was 16 years old. After graduating from college with a degree in Political Science and Fine Arts he moved to NYC and attended school at the French Culinary Institute where he was under the guidance of Alain Sailhac and Jacques Pepin. After graduating, he specialized in classical French cuisine and worked for such New York City institutes as La Metairie, Chez Josephine and The Saint Regis Hotel. He has had the opportunity and privilege to work for some of New York City’s finest Chefs including Jeffery Zacharin at the Royalton Hotel and David Walzog with his ventures at Arizona 206 and Tapika which were well know for their 3 star Southwestern cuisine. Lawrence’s cuisine has grown to include everything from friendly comfort food to classical French cooking. In 2005 he left his last full time position as a Chef for Fauchon Paris, which he helped the company establish in New York. Before leaving Fauchon he was given the opportunity to be an invited guest Chef to the French Consulate on 5th avenue. His comment about the night - “Nice place!” |
Chef Ramy Mam Chef Ramy Mam’s interest in cooking began around age 5 when he became curious about flavors and how they intermixed. He has an early memory of adding a few dashes of soy sauce to his bowl of Cheerios and, even though this first concoction was unpalatable, to say the least, his culinary career had begun. Exposed to many contrasting cuisines at an early age, he began to buy children’s cookbooks and spent many hours in the kitchen with his grandmother, mother and an older cousin, who eventually became one of his greatest inspirations. Cooking professionally eventually became a natural path to take. Chef Ramy has more than 13 years of professional experience, working with some to the top chefs in the industry. After leaving the Blue Ribbon in SoHo, he moved on to become the saucier at The River Café. He then explored the rich gastronomical heritage of Japan, working at New York’s Nobu restaurant under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Ramy left the city for a while and worked in Honolulu, HI with the renowned Chef Mavro. He then returned to the Big Apple to spend time at yet another culinary temple, Le Cirque 2000. He continued his interest in Japanese cuisine by traveling to Japan for a one-month tour to explore the wonderful cuisine beyond sushi and sashimi. Chef Ramy has also cooked privately for many clients, including Sharon Stone for a summer in Bora Bora in the Polynesian Islands. Teaching has brought him full circle and Chef Ramy enjoys sharing his passion for the culinary arts in all its multiple dimensions. He is also a food activist, bringing awareness of the politics of agriculture, cooking and eating into the curriculum. Along with all this, he is also a part-time filmmaker. |
Chef Rod Perrino Growing up in New York City, Chef Rod Perrino’s earliest cooking memory is of watching the “Galloping Gourmet” on television and trying to write down recipes, but, being only 5 years old, he couldn’t write fast enough. His first professional job was at 16, opening up a kitchen on weekends in a bar his family managed. Largely self-taught, he gained experience in restaurants, as a caterer and as a personal chef, including a stint as a personal chef to an Italian baroness living in New York, but he resisted making cooking his career for fear of losing the love of it. But, after more than 20 years of cooking at every opportunity, between pursuing other careers, he realized this was not possible. His interest in historical cooking gave him the opportunity to write many articles and teach many classes on the subject. “Besides cooking, I have always loved teaching. Giving others knowledge creates something bigger than oneself. Putting the two together is a dream job for me,” he said. One of his favorite quotes is by Harriet Van Horn, “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” Chef Rod has a certificate from the New School, he’s fascinated by historical cooking and he’s an authority on medieval cooking. He plans to write a book translating medieval recipes for the modern cook. My philosophy: Cooking without passion is a task; cooking with passion elevates it to an art. Both will feed you, but only one will bring a tear to your eye… unless you are chopping onions. |
Chef Steven Oatis Steven Oatis was born and raised in Detroit, MI and began his culinary career while attending Oakland Community College when he landed a prep cook job at Opus One in downtown Detroit. After years of hard work, he was promoted to night sous chef. After leaving Opus One, he moved to New York City in 1999 and worked for Restaurant Associates at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a chef manager for the employee cafeteria, serving 2,000 customers daily. In 2003, he left Restaurant Associates to become the executive chef at Hacienda de Argentina, preparing authentic Argentinean cuisine. After a year, he left there to become the executive sous chef at Old Homestead Steakhouse, the oldest steakhouse in New York City. In 2006, he became the executive chef at Nikki Beach International New York, based out of Miami, FL. Under Chef Oatis’ reign, the restaurant had more than $1 million in catering sales, up 40% over the previous year. In June 2007, Chef Oatis joined the faculty at Career Academy of New York as a full-time chef instructor. |
Debbie Lewis Debbie joined the Career Academy of New York as a part-time hospitality instructor in May 2006. In September 2006, she became a full-time instructor. She came to CANY with 27 years of experience in the hotel business and many years spent in the food & beverage industry during high school and college. She became interested in this field at the age of 15 when she held her first job in a restaurant as a dishwasher and prep cook. She continued to work in restaurants throughout her college years. Debbie graduated Boston College and also attended Johnson & Wales Universityin a part-time capacity. She began her hotel career as a management trainee at the Sheraton Universal Hotel and continued to work for the Sheraton Corporation for the next 10 years. During this time, she worked as a front office manager and in sales & marketing management. Since leaving the Sheraton Corporation, Debbie has made New York City her home and has worked at various properties in the city, as both a director of sales & marketing and as a general manager. Presently, she has her own consulting company and teaches at CANY. |
Kayma Lee Kayma Lee owned and operated Lee’s Laundry in Queens for 10 years while raising two children. When she found a brochure for the New York Food and Hotel and Restaurant Management School at the laundromat, she decided it was time for a career change. Upon completion of her externship, she accepted a position as a restaurant manager at the Crowne Plaza United Nations, where she spent the next five years. During major construction and conversion to the Crowne Plaza United Nations, Kayma accepted a position as housekeeping manager for the 300-room hotel. She came on board at a time when the hotel was undergoing major changes and she was involved with all aspects. She handled purchasing new furniture, hiring and training new staff members, selecting wallpaper and stocking rooms with every necessary amenity. Kayma continued in her role as housekeeping manager for seven years. There came a time when Kayma wanted to give back to the school that gave her a start 12 years earlier. After giving several lectures at the Career Academy of New York, she decided to get her teacher’s license and become an instructor in the two fields in which she always excelled: food and beverage operations and housekeeping management. |
Ross Friedman Ross Friedman, a graduate of Cornell University’s Hotel School, has been working in the hospitality industry since high school, where he served as a front desk clerk. During Ross’s time at Cornell, he worked in Housekeeping and then in the accounting office at the Statler Hotel. Ross then worked with both the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton as an assistant director of finance and accounting. He also worked with Ernst & Young as a hospitality consultant. He then switched paths to hotel operations. He obtained his first general manager position at a Holiday Inn Express and then returned to the Statler Hotel to train then-current Cornell students in front office operations, the bell stand, reservations and concierge services. Next, Ross set his career sights on cruise ships, where he spent nearly four years as chief purser and hotel manager on different high-end ships, including the American Glory, which, under his watch, was named in Cruise Travel magazine’s October 2004 issue as “Cruise Ship of the Month.” He was also the opening hotel manager of the American Spirit. With his dedication to training, Ross moved on to education. He began teaching at Stratford University and then joined the Career Academy of New York team in April 2007. |
Erik J. Soto Erik Soto started as alaboratory assistant, where he gained a substantial amount of experience in the educational medical field training medical assistant students in phlebotomy, electrocardiograms (EKG), urinalysis & microbiology, clinical procedures, monitoring vital signs and charting. In addition, he trained students in biomedical waste disposal, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 and autoclave usage in sanitizing, disinfecting and sterilizing clinical equipment. During this time, Erik had already been working for one year as a medical assistant for an internal medicine practitioner. During the time he worked within this practice, the duties he performed daily included patient scheduling, charting, billing, insurance claims information, performing phlebotomies and EKGs, urinalysis and cleaning up examination rooms. During the spring of 2005, Erik was promoted to medical assistant supervisor,where he trained all incoming interns in several aspects of the medical assistant field, e.g., monitoring vital signs, phlebotomy, EKG, urinalysis and filing. In addition, Erik trained the interns in biohazardous waste disposal, autoclave usage in sanitizing, disinfecting and sterilizing clinical equipment. During the time he was with the internal medicine practitioner, Erik displayed a great amount of commitment and initiative. As a result of his years of education and industry experience as a medical assistant, Erik is now a full-time medical assisting trade instructor, having taught in several schools in the tri-state area. It pleases him most to be currently teaching at Career Academy of New York; it is a rewarding environment where the students and faculty are great. It also offers a fabulous learning environment. |
Lauren Scott Lauren Scott began her career in allied healthcare to provide efficient medical assistance to practitioners and quality care to patients. She attended the Mandl School of Allied Healthcare, where she received her certification in medical assisting. Upon completion of her externship, she was employed as a phlebotomist with Quest Diagnostic Clinical Laboratories, gaining the expertise and competency to handle specimen collection and processing with high patient volumes. Lauren was given an amazing and exciting new career opportunity to work as a medical assistant instructor with the Career Academy of New York, where she is currently teaching courses related to the allied healthcare field. |
Velma Freeman Velma Freeman attended the Mandl School in New York City, where she earned a medical assistant diploma. She is now a registered medical assistant. “Since stepping into this fabulous field, I have had the pleasure of working in some interesting places,” says Velma. Her first job, which was where she did her externship, was a multi-specialty clinic that included a general surgeon, a cardiologist, a gynecologist, a chiropractor, an internist and a visiting audiologist and pulmonologist. Later, she went to work for a cardiologist who demanded accuracy as well as speed. That doctor’s perfectionist requirements improved her phlebotomy and EKG techniques greatly. Her years of experience in the field have helped her be able to provide more that book knowledge to her students. She truly enjoys teaching because it affords her the opportunity to share what she has learned—not just from books and doctors but also from patients and life’s experiences. |
