Natural Chef Culinary Program
Instructors
These instructors and the adjunct instructors are extremely dedicated and enthusiastic about Culinary Arts. They all bring a great amount of knowledge and form the perfect team of instructors. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with you!
Chef Gregg Hamm has been cooking since he could reach the top of the stove. He always helped his mother, father, and grandmothers in the kitchen and would rather be inside cooking than out on the farm. Chef Hamm always aspired to work in education and had an original plan to attend college in the field of elementary education. Though he had an interest in cooking, his heart was on education. Then thru his inspiring high school culinary arts teacher, he found that he could combine education and food. From that point, he knew he would work as a Culinary Arts educator. Chef Hamm entered Johnson and Wales University as a student immediately after graduating high school. He has since worked in education for 12 years, in addition to owning a successful catering company and restaurant that includes a wholesale division that is in major cities across the state of North Carolina.
Chef Regina Minter grew an inspiration and passion for cooking as a young child watching her grandmother cook for holidays. As she matured and understood cooking, she enrolled in a culinary arts class where she first met Chef Hamm. After taking two years of his class she learned how to enhance her personal cooking and also the hospitality side of the industry. At that point in high school, she knew she wanted to make Culinary Arts her career. While working closely with Chef Hamm, she entered Johnson and Wales University. While attending JWU, she obtained an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Two years later, she received a bachelor degree in Foodservice Management. Since graduation, Chef Regina has managed many parts of the foodservice industry including fast food, theme parks, family dining, and institutional facilities. Regina has now joined CCCC as a Sustainable Culinary Arts Instructor and plans to share her passion with others interested in the industry.
Chef Robin Griffith is new to our faculty this fall, although she is not new to CCCC. She graduated from the Natural Chef Program in June 2011, which was a continuation of her education. She obtained a Masters degree in Holistic Health Education from John F. Kennedy University in 2010, and also holds a BA in Anthropology/Archaeology from St. Mary's College- both located in the San Francisco bay area. She is passionate about the relationship between what we eat (or forget to eat:) and the affect it has on our health, especially the connection between modern day health conditions and the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). She strongly believes food is medicine, and can be used therapeutically to facilitate healing. Born and raised in California, she appreciates fresh, local and seasonal food; therefore Pittsboro seemed like the perfect landing spot for her- "sort of like Berkeley in the woods". Her previous culinary experience includes: Chef at Bella Donna Restaurant and cooking more healthful options at Camp Royall- a camp for people on the Autism spectrum. She is both honored and thrilled to return to CCCC and teach nutrition.