Culinary Arts
Faculty
Our chef instructors are certified by the American Culinary Federation as chefs and certified culinary educators (C.C.E.).
All faculty regularly refresh their skills by working in industry to stay current with new styles of cooking and service.
Doug Fisher (CEC, CCE, AAC) attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Since then, he
has been with the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy (INCA) teaching Modern American Cuisine to the sixth quarter students. His
love for the art and craft of cooking leaves him feeling blessed to be an instructor, and he takes great pride in seeing the
students excel. He recently has been very busy becoming a Culinary Judge with the American Culinary Federation, and also a
Research and Development Chef through the CIA. He enjoys travel, most recently spending the summer teaching culinary arts to
the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. La Salle, out of Gaeta, Italy. During that time, he also took the opportunity to tour several
regions in Italy with his wife. Chef Fisher has sailed with the Navy teaching culinary arts on a trip from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
to San Diego, and from Cairns, Australia to Buson, Korea. In 2009, Chef Fisher was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs
by the American Culinary Federation. Chef Fisher has also participated in accreditation of many culinary programs around the
Pacific Northwest with the American Culinary Federation. In 2010, Chef Fisher went to Taiwan for 17 days with the USDA to
promote agriculture product from the western United States. Chef Fisher actively participates within the community, helping
with the local rescue mission, church involvement and in the local ACF chapter. You can reach Chef Fisher by email at
Doug.Fisher@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7284.
Julie Litzenberger is a 1986 graduate of WSU with a B.A. in Hotel/Restaurant Administration. She has been an
instructor here at INCA for eight years and is honored to be able to launch the next generation into a career field that she
feels has served her very well. She brings her 25 years of experience to the classroom while training culinary arts students
to work in and appreciate the front of the house. Widely involved in the community, she is a member on several boards, a few
to include the Washington Restaurant Association, Prostart Advisory Committee, Spokane County Health Advisory Board, and the
Women's and Children's Free Restaurant. In her time off, she loves spending time outdoors: hiking, swimming, golfing, and
spending time with her adorable 10-year-old. You can reach Julie Litzenberger by email at
Julie.Litzenberger@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7383.
Robert A. Lombardi (CEC, CEPC, CCE, AAC), Food Network Challenge Champion from Sugar Dome, Season One,
Episode One, instructs students in the science of production pastry. Highlights include: puff pastry, pate choux, tarts,
quick breads, tea cookies, pie production, and hand-crafted artisan yeast breads. In the plated desert station, topics
include classic plated with a focus on modern presentation. Garde manger is presented in the form of sugar and chocolate
artistry. Topics include: pulled, cast, blown and pressed sugar. Students in this rotation of the class create sugar
sculptures for the final grand buffet. Chef Lombardi graduated from the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy in 1978. To keep
the curriculum current with industry standards and trends, Chef Lombardi has taken continuing education classes at the
Culinary Institute of America and the International School of Confectionary Arts, and has attended classes in Chocolates,
Petits Fours, and French Cookies at the French Pastry School in Chicago. An instructor at INCA since 1982, Chef
Lombardi has maintained his skills by working in industry at some of the Inland Northwest's leading private clubs. He was
corporate chef from 2000 to 2010 at Black Rock Development, recognized as one of our area's top private exclusive golf
communities. Chef Lombardi is an active member of the ACF and Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest. He is a recipient of
both Educator and Chef of the Year awards. He is also a 2010 inductee into The American Academy of Chefs, The Honor Society
of the American Culinary Federation. You can reach Chef Lombardi by email at
Bob.Lombardi@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-8889.
» Photo Gallery
Charlie Martin graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Hotel Restaurant Management in 1977. He then continued his education at
Johnson and Wales University, receiving an A.S. degree in culinary Arts in 1979. He came to SCC in 1994. Over the years, has enjoyed getting
students excited about a career in hospitality. He takes on the challenge of finding an area of interest for each individual student and with
his wit and personality keeps us all on our toes! Recently married (in 2005), he also enjoys competitive long distance swimming and stays
current out in industry by working front of the house at Luna and by independently catering and consulting for restaurants in the area.
You can reach Charlie Martin by email at
Charlie.Martin@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7346.
Curtis Smith, a Spokane native, attended INCA at Spokane Community College from 1988-1989. From there, he attended the
Culinary Institute of America, receiving his degree in 1992. After cooking at restaurants in New York, Lake Tahoe and the Smoky Mountains of
Tennessee, he returned to the Inland Empire as opening chef of Tito Macaroni's Italian Restaurant, a new dining venture owned by the
Coeur d'Alene Resort. He quickly moved to Chef de Cuisine of Beverly's Restaurant, the Resort's signature fine dining restaurant. He later
served as Executive Pastry Chef at the Resort before becoming a chef/instructor at INCA in the fall of 2006. Chef Smith considers himself
a lifelong culinary student and enjoys seeing the excitement of learning across the faces of his own students. He is an American Culinary
Federation member and a Certified Executive Chef (CEC). You can reach Chef Smith by email at
Curtis.Smith@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7451.
Duane Sunwold is a 1977 graduate of Spokane Community College Culinary Arts program and a 1979 graduate of Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology. He has also done communication studies at Eastern Washington University. He has been an instructor with SCC for 25 years.
heading up the Hotel/Restaurant Management curriculum as well as teaching Introduction to Hospitality, and Human Relations. Duane takes pride in
educating students in how to better themselves, and he loves to see the eye-opening moments that happen when they start connecting the dots. He
also serves as a great mentor and resource for both current students and alumni. His outside interests include kayaking, and he loves
teaching swimming lessons to community children.
You can reach Duane Sunwold by email at
Duane.Sunwold@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7337.
Peter Tobin graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in
1980. He has worked at some of the top ski resorts thoughout the country - including The Lodge Dining Room in Sun Valley, ID. He is a transplant from
Salem, Massachusetts and has been part of the INCA staff for over 20 years. He encourages students to be responsible for their educational goals
and to strive to change the world. Chef Tobin is active in the local food scene. He promotes the success of the food industry and is often found
cooking in a local restaurants or helping out on a farm. He is a member of Slow Foods America and Chefs Collaborative. He serves on many task forces
that promote sustainablity in the Inland Northwest. His motto is: "Real People; Real Food." As a member of The American Culinary Federation, he
coached the Knowledge Bowl team for 10 years. If he isn't found running around our local food scene you may find him on the hockey rink or on the
ski slopes. You can reach Chef Tobin by email at
Peter.Tobin@scc.spokane.edu, by phone at (509) 533-8892, or on the Web at
users.scc.spokane.edu/PTobin/.
» Photo Gallery
Janet Breedlove, Program Coordinator, handles Orlando's Restaurant reservations for lunch and dinner functions
and coordinates scheduling of special
request functions such as banquets and receptions. Janet has a B.A. from the University of Tulsa and has worked as an administrative professional
for the past 15 years. She has been with SCC Hospitality since 2001. You can reach Janet Breedlove by email at
Janet.Breedlove@scc.spokane.edu or by phone at (509) 533-7283.