CHEF NICK TOLBERT

Nick Tolbert began his career as a chef at the age of sixteen, when he worked part-time as Floor Chef in various hotels in his native city of Cincinnati. He honed his skills at the CIA, graduating in 1977. For fifteen years after graduation, Nick worked as Head Chef at several major gourmet restaurants, pastry shops, hotels and country clubs on the East Coast, developing management skills at the same time that he improved upon his culinary and baking abilities.

Nick built a reputation for his effective management skills, and was asked to take a position in the TAP program, which focuses on providing opportunities for disadvantaged individuals. In this capacity, he traveled throughout the Midwest to promote the program.

In recent years, Nick has been dedicated to teaching others the art of classical cooking. He has been a featured writer for several magazines and newspapers. In 1998, he launched "Denova" - a company that created a popular local cable television program called The Midnight Gourmet. The show was nominated by Access Awards and featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Business Courier, the Cincinnati Post, Herald Newspapers, as well as City Beat, and Everybody's News magazines. In 2001, The Midnight Gourmet was picked up by BET (Black Entertainment Television) on Jazz to be broadcast nationally and internationally. In 2001, Denova also debuted a popular radio show, "Recipes for Romance" that has the same innovations and high standards of romantic cooking as the "Midnight Gourmet."

The Alumni Affairs department is proud to recognize this versatile alumnus for his creative, diverse career.