Faculty and Instructors

At the heart of any fulfilling education experience is a talented, dedicated faculty. With the most Certified Masters Chefs in culinary education, The Culinary Institute of America draws upon credentials and industry experience that are unequaled in culinary training. And these faculty members continue to learn even as they teach, through continued training, conferences, cultural immersion overseas, and certification programs. As a result, our instructors are always on the cutting edge of the foodservice industry. Learn from this culinary expertise as one of their students in the Advanced Culinary Arts Certificate program, and gain unparalleled culinary training that will guide you throughout your career.

William M. Briwa '80, 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. Chef Briwa is a board member of the Napa Valley Farmers Market.

Aaron Brown
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 Wines Instructor A graduate of the University of California at Davis' renowned school of enology and viticulture, John Buechsenstein now teaches extension courses at Davis as well as at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. As an active and enthusiastic winemaker at Fife Vineyards in the Napa Valley, he is constantly exploring the world of enology and sensory analysis.
	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.
	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.
	Stephen L. Durfee, C.H.E., C.E.P. Pastry Instructor A pastry instructor at Greystone since 2000, Chef Durfee was previously executive pastry chef at the French Laundry in Yountville, CA, during which time he won the 1998 James Beard Award for Pastry Chef of the Year and was named one of the 10 Best Pastry Chefs in America by Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier in 1999. He was also a pastry chef at Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco and the Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox, MA, and a pastry instructor at Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, where he earned his Certificate in Pastry and Baking in 1991. Chef Durfee has traveled, worked, and apprenticed in France. In 2005, he represented the CIA at the National Pastry Team Championships, where his team finished 4th.
	Dr. 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.
	Toni Hendrickson Sakaguchi '84, C.H.E. Chef-Instructor Prior to coming to the CIA, Toni Sakaguchi was the grill chef for the fine-dining 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.
	Joyce Hodgkinson Adjunct Instructor in Liberal Arts 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. Team Leader, Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program 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 13 years 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).
	Lars Kronmark Chef-Instructor A graduate of the Restaurationsindustriens Laerlingeskole (restaurant and hotel apprenticeship school) in Copenhagen, Lars Kronmark has taught cooking professionally for more than 17 years. Chef Kronmark is a member of the A.C.F. Pacific Coast San Francisco Chapter and Les Toques Blanches International. He was named the 2007 Chef of the Year by the Cordon d' Or-Gold Ribbon Academy of the Culinary Arts in St. Petersburg, FL.
	Brenda LaNoue, C.E.C. Chef-Instructor Most recently a corporate executive chef for the Arahmas resort consortium in Thailand, Brenda LaNoue has enjoyed a culinary career with a decidedly international flavor. Her career stops range from doing food anthropology research in Asia, Latin America, and Europe to working in a variety of executive chef and instructor positions throughout California to being chef and caterer for the U.S. Army in Germany. Chef LaNoue has been honored with a Bronze Medal for Customer Service Excellence from the Pentagon.
	Corinne Meddaugh, M.B.A., C.P.A. Adjunct Instructor in Liberal Arts Certified Public Accountant Corinne Meddaugh possesses a 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.
	Thomas Wong '86, C.H.E., C.E.C. 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.H.E., C.E.C. Chef-Instructor Before joining the Greystone faculty, Ken Woytisek held a variety of foodservice positions in California for more than a decade, most recently serving 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 Cafe, and South Park Cafe in San Francisco.
	* Note: The CIA reserves the right to alter its instructor assignments as may be deemed necessary.