Organization: Homeward Bound of Marin/Fresh Starts Culinary Academy/Wagster Treats, Novato, CA
Title: Chef Instructor
Nominated by: Maura Thurman, Communications Coordinator
Chef Andrew Wild joined Fresh Starts Culinary Academy as Chef Instructor in 2021, as the training program and our organization recovered from drastic changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. He relaunched our training, undaunted by protocols requiring masks and distancing as much as possible in the kitchen.
Every description of Chef Andy uses the word ‘service,’ which references his approach to life and his time with the U.S. Navy from 1985-93. He embraces his role wholeheartedly, whether he is rewriting curriculum, encouraging students, or organizing a team with Napa Valley Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue. He has won awards in the Napa community for organizing meals for wildfire first responders and other efforts.
Chef Andy has transformed our program by continually updating lessons and reinforcing high-demand skills. His broad career provides a wealth of insights, from working in a three-star kitchen to heading the team in a brewery and overseeing food for the “Emeril Green” TV series with Chef Emeril Lagasse.
Graduates often credit Chef Andy as the best teacher of their lives. Todd Melton, now PM Kitchen Manager for Homeward Bound, sees a non-judgmental commitment to learning for each individual. “What I remember strongly is the feeling of being comfortable. I saw Chef Andy was a great teacher by the way he put you in search of an answer rather than giving an answer. And by welcoming questions 100% of the time.”
Training & Culinary Operations Director Matt Shapiro describes Chef Andy as a singular talent who has attracted a rising number of applicants and also boosted job retention for graduates at the six-month mark to 88%. “He never thinks twice about making personal sacrifices to advance the interests of his students and Homeward Bound,” Chef Matt says.
Chef Andy has drawn on more than a decade of experience as an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America to refresh and refine our program. He has updated his curriculum for each and every one of his 14 classes so far to optimize trainee experience. The enhanced structure of our training has led to higher retention and a rising number of applications. Chef Andy has also played a key role in adding opportunities for students through transitional positions with our culinary staff, as well as growing the avenues to upskill promising employees to new roles.
Our 11-week training program sees Chef Andy arrive long before the 9 a.m. start time for trainees. He makes sure ingredients for the day’s lesson are available, whether it will be learning to operate a Robot Coupe, sharpening knives, making omelets, or boning a chicken. He often teaches in the front half of our commercial kitchen at The Key Room, where students can be surrounded by culinary staff as they prep for a catering event or cook meals for our shelter and housing programs. His lessons go step by step: Learning to make a roux will include how to carefully melt butter, use a whisk, and judge consistency. After demonstrating, Chef Andy will help each one to do their best on the task. He teaches teamwork by assigning parts of a more complex recipe to groups of trainees, guiding them to become a brigade that can accomplish bigger things as their skills grow. Chef Andy also instills the pride of working in a tidy kitchen by continual practice in prompt cleanup. A morning in the kitchen may be followed by time in the classroom to go over terminology, recipe sizing, or review the next day’s project. Even after a full day with his class, Chef Andy gladly lends a hand to cook for on-site catered events or celebrity chef evenings in our venue.
Between cohorts, Chef Andy’s day will include interviews with prospective students, reporting class outcomes needed for grant reports, revamping lessons, and visiting our shelter or outside organizations to talk about the program. He also occasionally writes recipes for our Halo line of jams and sauces.
Chef Andy has attended two Catalyst Kitchens summits to learn from his peers and their program materials. These experiences not only added knowledge but also deepened the camaraderie and common understanding of purpose for our team. The workshop on “Trauma-Informed Training” gave essential skills to Chef Andy for supporting and creating success for trainees in our program. The value shows in the growth of retention for each class. Chief Executive Officer Paul Fordham says, “Chef Andy is great at toeing the line between compassion and accountability.”
SPECIAL ALERT!
Thanks to a generous donation from a founding Catalyst Kitchens board member and friend of David Carleton, the Catalyst Kitchen’s Founder’s Fund has an opportunity to raise matching funds up to $5,000 during this year’s Catalyst for Change Award Season!
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Here are the 2025 Catalyst for Change. As you read their stories, consider supporting the work of Catalyst Kitchens and our members, enabling the amazing impact of frontline staff like our nominees.
