Chef Tom Hickey, CEC, CCE, CHE, CFE, HOGT
Director

Was born and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Chef Hickey started his career training at the age of 18.  He entered the U.S. Army and was trained as a cook and baker.  He spent 22 years in Food Service in the Army and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer/Food Service Technician.  In the late 60’s, Chef Hickey took a break in Army Service and worked in Pennsylvania as Sous Chef at the Kennett Kandy Kitchen and also Hugo’s Inn a southern Italian style restaurant.

After retirement from the Army, he was an instructor at Baltimore’s International Culinary Institute and in July 1987 moved to Louisville, Kentucky to start the Culinary Program at Sullivan College’s National Center for Hospitality Studies and acted as Culinary Chairman for the next nine years. Now besides being Culinary Chairman, he also teaches Garde Manger, his passion in the kitchen.  Chef Hickey has written for and been featured in Food & Dining Magazine, Louisville Edition,  The National Culinary Review, The Lane Report and US Air’s Magazine.

He is a Certified Executive Chef and a Certified Culinary Educator with the American Culinary Federation and is a Certified Food Executive with the International Food Service Executives Association and a Certified Hospitality Educator. Chef Hickey has also been a member of the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque since 1991 and presently serves as their Secretary on their board of directors.

He has won numerous medals in competitions in the United States and also won both a Silver and Bronze medal in the 1984 Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.  During his time in Food Service Chef Hickey has worked in Korea, Japan, Germany, and Turkey and has made culinary excursions to Hong Kong, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Luxemburg and Belgium.  He feels one of the highlights of his career was being in charge of all Food Service for the Presidential Inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1984.