His family taught that food brings people to the table. While serving as a marine, he relished the opportunity to try foods from all over the world. Upon completing his service, he decided to make food his career.
When enlisting in the United State Marine Corps, I had the privilege of serving throughout the United States and Southeast Asia. It was during this time that I developed a passion for trying new foods and discovered the pleasure of cooking for others.
While stationed in Japan, I would often invite my Marines to my house, where I would cook them dinner and give them a chance to escape the barracks for a few hours. “Home-cooked Wednesdays” became a tradition and something we all looked forward to when possible. Being able to provide a meal, a taste of home, and a place for the Marines to go will always be a highlight of my life. Those evenings taught me the joy of hospitality and gave me an indescribable sense of pride in serving the food I had prepared.
Over the span of eight years, I was stationed in New Orleans, North Carolina, Tampa, and Okinawa, Japan, and spent time in South Korea, the Philippines, Hawaii, California, and many other places.
As an older student with a background in the Marine Corps, I naturally found myself mentoring and supporting my classmates. Through those experiences, I discovered a passion for teaching and helping others succeed. Realizing that goal would require more than an associate’s degree, I began looking for opportunities to further my education.
After leaving the Marine Corps, I ended up enrolling in a culinary school back home in New Jersey and graduated with an associate's degree in culinary arts. When I realized I enjoyed teaching, I knew I would need more than an associate's degree. I visited Pennsylvania College of Technology and met with Chef Charles Niedermyer about transferring. His passion for Penn College and the culinary program spoke volumes to me. Surrounded by people who cared about my success, I thrived both academically and personally as I achieved my bachelor's degree.
I was honored to be selected to work at the Kentucky Derby under Chef Charles Niedermyer (instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts) and to participate in A Taste of Technology with Chef Frank Suchwala (associate professor of hospitality management/culinary arts). In the spring of 2017, Chef Frank nominated me to be the commencement speaker for my graduating class.
After graduation, I moved back to New Jersey and accepted a position as Food Service Director at a senior living community. While the role provided valuable experience, I soon realized I wanted something more different. About a year later, I was invited to stage for the executive chef position at JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River. I immediately fell in love with the mission and the atmosphere. It combined my passion for food, my heart for service, my desire to teach, and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others within my community.
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the restaurant industry, I took the opportunity to further my education by pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Johnson & Wales University while continuing to work full-time at JBJ Soul Kitchen. In the spring of 2024, I graduated from Johnson & Wales University, achieving my MBA with a 4.0, and was promoted to serve as the assistant general manager of JBJ Soul Kitchen. Currently, I am pursuing my doctorate in business administration.
I've been with JBJ Soul Kitchen for eight years. In 2025, we served over 23,000 meals, with 74% of them going to customers who identify as food insecure. We also opened a pop-up location in an area facing a growing unhoused population, where we served an additional 17,000 meals, 89% of which went to food-insecure guests.
In June 2026, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen traveled to Chicago to receive the James Beard Foundation Impact Award in recognition of our work serving the community.
My family taught me that food brings people to the table. The Marine Corps taught me the value of fellowship around the table. JBJ Soul Kitchen taught me the most important lesson of all: Everyone deserves a place at the table because "All Are Welcome at Our Table."
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