The Spice of Life As you wend your way through the aisles of the century-old West Side Market in Cleveland, OH, you are assailed by aromas,
’07
Brittany Frick is executive
’08
Bree Brown-Rosa is a
pastry chef for Red Velvet
Cupcakery in Washington, DC.
personal chef and baker for
colors, and sounds that seduce you to try
Baking By Bree in Bronx, NY. She got
and buy. For the Market’s approximately 100
kowski can be found in Chongquing,
vendors, their stalls in the massively arched, yellow-brick building are home. And it’s at
married in May 2009. Jarrod MarChina working as executive pastry chef for the bakery/cake shops of Couture Cakes. It’s the only company in China
stall E-2 where Dion Tsevdos ’94 found the
that makes fondant cakes—something new
spice of life.
to the Chinese people. John D. Pickett
After graduating from the CIA, Dion took
Chester, PA. He is married to Katrina
what he called the “typical route,” working his way up from sous chef, to banquet chef, and finally to executive
is sous chef for Blue Pear Bistro in West Schmidt-Pickett ’08. Lauren Welsch is supervisor at Cameron Mitchell’s Ocean
chef at his own place. But his wife was keeping banker’s hours and Dion was working 24/7—not the life he
Prime restaurant. She recently received
wanted. He found CIA alum Gary Thomas ’87, owner of the wholesale and retail operation called Ohio
her B.S. in hospitality management from
City Pasta. Dion took a job working the retail arm of the company at the West Side Market. He also began managing Ohio City Pasta’s Urban Herbs stall at the market. Eventually Dion bought that business from Gary and now provides 350 herbs and spices to the wholesale and retail market. It was another CIA alum and friend who presented Dion with an opportunity to enrich his life by helping aspiring culinarians. Tim Michitsch ’84, who teaches at Cleveland’s Lorain County Joint Vocational High
Ohio University.
’09
Antonio Ibanez is chef tournant at Fig and Olive in
New York City. Logan Ronkainen is executive chef for Krazy Kate’s Landmark Inn in Boiceville, NY.
School, tapped Dion to help him train students for the ProStart® competitions that can help them win scholarship dollars. That affiliation has expanded to include annual CIA recruitment events that bring together 300–400 students. Topping the bill are usually CIA Ambassadors like Fritz Sonnenschmidt and
In Memoriam
a host of CIA alumni like Iron Chef Michael Symon ’90, owner of Cleveland’s famed Lola and Lolita
Fred Yamashita ’53
restaurants. What Dion might be proudest of is his part in recruiting a couple dozen students who have gone
Charles Fournier ’62
on to attend the CIA.
Carroll S. Heydt ’64 Cleveland A. McGee ’71
Love Match
Ralph J. Wirthlin ’71
When Frank Saporito ’08 noticed that
Walter Hessling ’74
Sarah Ann Marriott ’08 was in all of his
Frida (Bericic) Koci ’74
B.P.S. classes, it crossed his mind that he
Thelma King ’76
would like to get to know her better. And
Gerald Andolora ’78
he did. Their common interests and shared
Michael Setzer ’81
values made it a CIA love match. They
Gregory Yucisin ’82
received their bachelor’s degrees in February
Robert James Fox ’94
and 18 months later, in August 2009,
James VanDong Hatter ’95
they were married on Martha’s Vineyard.
Margaret Votta ’97
Happily, they are now both working at jobs they love. Frank is sous chef at Pond
John Francis Brown (attended ’98–’99)
House Restaurant in West Hartford, CT, and
Susan Swanezy ’02
Sarah is operations specialist with Marriott
Vicky Chen (attended ’09)
Charles Brower ’73
International in New England.
34
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