Director

thing De Pinto wanted to do from an early age. His first job at age 12 was as a helper at a Dunkin’ Donuts owned by a friend of the family.

“By 13 or 14, I was mixing dough and making donuts,” he said in the release, adding that he also worked at a deli owned by his parents. “I never thought about doing anything else.”

De Pinto earned his bachelor’s degree in culinary arts management from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and his master’s degree in leadership development from Penn State University, Great Valley.

He has received the Operational Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, as well as the Dirona Award of Excellence and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence from the Founders at Park Hyatt at the Bellevue.

De Pinto also serves as a staff sergeant for logistical planning in the Air National Guard; recently returning from a seven month deployment to Kuwait.

The Culinary Arts Institute of Montgomery County Community College opened in Aug. 2013. The 15,000 square foot facility features four stateof-the-art kitchens and equipment, three SMART classrooms and a retail bakery café and restaurant — which allow students to develop realworld food preparation and customer service skills. Montgomery County Community College’s curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications. For more information, visit www. mc3.edu. Email business story ideas to business editor/ writer drovins@21stcenturymedia.com.