A brief history of things I’ve done…

Foodie and Health Nut

I started my foodie career in the restaurant business in the 80’s working as a bartender and server in some of the finest restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma Valley in California.  I also spent 10 years making wine for Carmenet Vineyards in Sonoma working in the vineyards and the cellars, picking the grapes and racking the wines from barrel to barrel.   In my time at Whole Foods Market I worked as cheese buyer and became quite an enthusiast for cheese and wine!  I am passionate about good food and, while I still love a burger, I have learned to create some incredibly beautiful and tasty vegan dishes using minimally processed, whole food ingredients.   Finally, I recently created a vegan cafe in the Southside called, Amazing Cafe whose dishes are pictured in the margins of this resume.  

My interest in food as a path to better health began as a result of some serious digestion problems.  I started taking a closer look at what food could do for me and in the 30 years since I have become a nutrition expert.  In addition to my personal research and investigations, I studied Plant-Based Nutrition with Dr. T Colin Campbell, Cornell University, author of The China Study and featured in the film "Forks Over Knives” and  have continued my Nutritional Excellence Training with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live and Disease Proof Your Child.  

I finished my training as a Health Coach in 2010 with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's Health Coach Training Program.  I studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; and Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University to name a few.   I’ve also worked directly with John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution and his son Ocean Robbins, creators of the Food Revolution Network committed to healthy, sustainable, humane and conscious food for all.   My dedication to wellness and continuing education and research has equipped me with extensive knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and preventive health.

I am an excellent and engaging communicator delivering excellent customer service with detailed follow-through and accurate anticipation of needs, instilling veracity, trust, professionalism and authority.

Some places I’ve worked

Whole Foods Market, Team Member Development, Healthy Eating Specialist — 2003 - 2014

I worked as the Team Member Development Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Store creating and implementing  New Team Member training programs and continuing leadership development programs including leadership classes for Associate Team Leader, Buyers and Supervisors.  Training included the use of Mircosoft Office programs (word, Excel, Outlook) as well as leadership and supervisor/buyer development skills.  Courses were comprised of lectures/video presentations, role playing, research and reports, practical application and guided discussions. 

As Healthy Eating Specialist I developed customer focused nutrition and cooking classes to promote healthy eating, developed community outreach programs for underprivileged communities and initiated Team Member classes and other forms of motivation to improve the general health of all Team Members.  

Point Park University - 2003-2012

Adjunct professor in theater arts department leading courses in movement, Shakespeare and acting.  Movement courses included work with Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Approach, intuitive body rhythm 

Actor, director, new work development - ongoing since 1989

I’ve been a professional actor for over twenty-five years and have performed in Europe, Japan, Korea and the US.  Stage credits include performances at the Tokyo Globe,Japan, the Seoul Opera House, Korea and the Kennedy Center, USA.  Local performances with Quantum Theater, City Theater, Pittsburgh Playhouse, PICT and more.

I’ve directed ensemble creations adapted from books like RHINO, A Dog & Pony production, a collaborative adaption of Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, ensemble created musical version of the poem by Dylan Thomas and The Adventures of Pinocchio - ensemble created puppet show adapted from the original version by Carlos Colodi for Point Park University. Bricolage B.U.S 7,8 & 9   

Amazing yoga/cafe - 2010-2014

I used to teach hot power flow, Baptiste style yoga classes for all levels and conducted beginner yoga workshops.   

I directed the creative development and execution of Amazing Cafe from it’s initial conception to the Grand Opening.  Amazing Cafe is an holistic, whole food, plant-based wellness cafe, creating simple clean, healthy food from scratch.   I developed the mission statement, menu, and implemented procedures to maintain the integrity of holistic, real food cafe, making everything from scratch; from simple nut butters and almond milk to sandwich breads, veggie burgers and raw, vegan carrot cake. 

My current project!

Well, honestly, it’s the project of a lifetime… literally!

My wonderful wife and I adopted two amazing boys, Aiden and Jace. After marrying my wife, this is definitely the best thing I have ever done in my life. Certainly one of the most challenging and rewarding ‘projects’ I’ve ever started. They have inspired me to discover more about myself, about how I am and why I do things the way I do. And where I can make changes. You see, I let go of a lot of stuff to be able to be there for them fully, to be engaged in their growing up. They had a rough go for the first couple of years of their lives and I wanted to learn for myself , ways in which I could be a healing agent for them. To create the circumstances for them to thrive. I soon discovered that I also needed to BE the person I wanted them to be, not just tell them, put practice it. So I had to get my ducks in a row and that is the second part of this project.

Our Home

It took me a few years to accept it but Pittsburgh is my home! I really love it here for so many reason. I could go on and on but I think this webpage would explode. Most recently, the tragic events at The Tree Of Life Synagogue have really opened my eyes to the beauty of the people of Pittsburgh. To the brotherhood, the sisterhood, the family-hood of our loving community. I am so honored and grateful to be here in this time of my life and to raise our two beautiful boys here.