For me food is a creative outlet; I love the art of preparation, cooking and presentation of cuisine. I also enjoy the company of people and the communal environment of like minded professionals on a yacht.
I’ve worked to extend my knowledge by incorporating the latest trends in the culinary world while maintaining a focus on healthy cuisine through the use of organic vegetables, fruits, grains and protein while limiting fats, carbs and starches.
Michael was born and raised in Michigan where he developed a love for sailing and fishing. Developing a love for cuisine and cooking came as a natural extension of the environment Michael was raised in; his father was Coordinator of Food Services at Michigan State University and his mother was a Home Economics teacher at a local high school. Michael began cooking at home while in grade school.
After graduating from high school he moved to Aspen, Colorado where he worked in restaurants, skiing, fishing and hiking in his free time. After three years in Aspen, Michael returned to Michigan to complete a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Michigan State University. Upon graduation Michael was recruited by the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands where he worked for several years and moved from there onto a yacht and started his career as a yacht chef.
In over twenty years as a yacht chef Michael has traveled throughout much of the world cooking for clients on yachts ranging from 25 to over 50 meters in length. Michael was based in the Caribbean for over three years on yachts traveling throughout the Caribbean from Venezuela to the Bahamas. This was followed by a two-year stint in the Mediterranean to include the coastal regions of France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. He then spent several years on yachts cruising between the North Eastern United Sates, Mexico, Central America and the west coast of the United States.
Michael pursued other interests and another career on land for numerous years completing graduate and postgraduate degrees and working as a psychotherapist before returning to his love for cooking and yachting.
Most recently, prior to joining the yacht “She Is A Ten”, Michael worked for a family both on their yachts, in homes and in resorts the family owned for a period of eight years including over two years in the South Pacific to include Tahiti, Fiji and New Zealand. Prior to leaving this position Michael oversaw the culinary department for a 50-meter yacht and the yachts 60-meter shadow boat with a combined fleet crew of 18 crew members and the capacity to house the owner and 16 guests.
Michael is married and enjoys living in Fort Lauderdale with his wife, Jacki, and they’re two Yorkies, Coco and Calvin.
Interests include practicing yoga with his wife who is a yoga instructor, fishing, cooking and spending time on the water.
