People are often surprised to hear about Chef Chad Pagano's past career in the Army, where he was trained in the Airborne division, went on to Ranger school, and headed up a sniper division that was deployed in the Gulf War. It's an unusual background for a chef, but Pagano thinks it's contributed immensely to his success in the culinary world. He credits the Army with helping him develop leadership skills, stamina, focus and something he calls "a really thick skin" — all of which he finds essential in an industry kitchen.

Pagano grew up in a foodie household, where his family's Italian heritage dictated that all social events revolve around "hours of eating." He fell in love early with food, but never thought about pursuing cooking as a career. After leaving the Army in 1992, he finished up a degree in business administration at Dowling University but found himself disheartened by the prospect of beginning work in that field. Some soul searching led him to the resolution to be a chef, and he attended New York Restaurant School. He found he had an affinity for the artistry and science of pastry, so he followed graduation with a year of specialty training at the Culinary Institute of America.

Pagano admits he always dreamed of being an instructor, but knew that he needed to be an industry expert first. His first stint was at Larry Forgione's American Place, later moved on to help open the Times Square Hilton, and eventually took the Executive Pastry Chef position at the highly regarded caterer Great Performances. Chad left to become a full-time instructor in the pastry program last year. Pagano's wife is also an educator (she teaches special education in the Long Island school system), and the two welcomed their first child, a baby girl, just this summer.

January, 2003