Chef Tom Hickey is the new Director of Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS). He was instrumental in the founding of   the NCHS in 1987 and has been an integral part of the program ever since. Chef Hickey has been the Chairman of the Culinary Art program for most of his 20 years at Sullivan and is well qualified to serve as NCHS director. He spent 22 years in food service in the U.S. Army, responsible for meals for up to 3,500 people at a time; he was a member of the Army's culinary competition team and has won numerous medals in competitions in the U.S. and in the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany. Chef Hickey has worked in Korea, Japan, Germany, and Turkey and has made culinary excursions to Hong Kong, Greece, Italy, France, England, Spain, Luxembourg, the Azores and Belgium. In 1984, he  was in charge of all food service for the presidential inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

Chef Hickey has earned the following certifications:  Certified Culinary Professional (CCO), Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Culinary Educator (CCE), Certified Food Executive (CFE), and Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE). He has served as Chair of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), and is a member of the Les Amis d'Escoffier Society, the American Culinary Federation, the International Foodservice Executives Association, the National Restaurant Association, the Research Chef's Association and the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque.

“It is a great honor to be named the Director of the National Center for Hospitality Studies at Sullivan University. I will work to better the educational value our students receive, and know that will be easily done by the excellent faculty and the superior facilities. Chancellor Sullivan and I have had the same dream for the National Center for the past 20 years, and that is not to  be the biggest but the best when it comes to Hospitality Education. With the inception of our Alumni Association, Sullivan students will be able to see the success stories that we have in the industry today. Those individuals who preceded our present students trusted us to deliver quality education, and their success is something we are very proud of. Sullivan University’s primary goal is educating students to find viable employment in the working world.”

CHEF TOM HICKEY, CEC, CCE, CFE, CHE, CCP