Department Head Biographies >>

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Robert L.E. Egger
President

Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, the nation’s first "community kitchen", where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while donated food is converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the DCCK has distributed over 20 million meals and helped 700 men and women gain full-time employment.

Robert served as the Co-Convener of the first Nonprofit Congress in 2006, and was the founding Chair of the Mayor's Commission on Nutrition, and Street Sense, Washington’s "homeless" newspaper.

Robert has been on the Non Profit Times "50 Most Powerful and Influential Nonprofit Leaders" list in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. He was the recipient of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's 2007 "Lifetime Achievement" award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation "Humanitarian of the Year" award. He has also been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 14-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.

Robert's book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for "Best Nonprofit Management Book" by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.

Robert currently leads the V3 Campaign, which educates politicians to the economic contributions of America's nonprofit sector. Robert speaks nationally and internationally on hunger and homelessness, social enterprise and nonprofit unity. For a complete list if speaking engagements, or to access Robert’s op-ed, podcasts, videos or blogs, please go to www.robertegger.org.

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Mike Curtin
Chief Executive Officer

Mike comes to DCCK after a 20 year career in the hospitality business, most of which has been spent in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. With a focus on organizational design and training, he has focused on redefining DCCK departments and creating new positions that have allowed DCCK to run more efficiently. After graduating from Williams College with a BA in Religion, Mike lived and worked in Osaka, Japan for three years. It was then that Mike decided he wanted to open a restaurant back in the States. After returning to the Washington area, he worked at the Hay-Adams Hotel, the Dixie Grill and McCormick and Schmick’s on K Street before opening his own restaurant, The Broad Street Grill, in Falls Church, VA.

In addition to growing the many programs of the Kitchen, Mike has focused on expanding our social enterprise efforts. In 2008, 50% of the revenue raised by DC Central Kitchen, over $2.2 million, was the result of social enterprise and employment projects. This work is continuing through the DC Central Kitchen Growers' Co-op, an innovative program where DC Central Kitchen works directly with local growers to purchase unclassified produce, or "seconds," and turn that product into better food for the Kitchen's partners while saving money and employing more graduates of the Kitchen's Culinary Job Training program. This program is now focused on processing and adding that business to the Kitchen's social enterprise portfolio.

Mike lives in Falls Church with his wife, Maureen, and their three children, Maeve, Michael III and Ciara.

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Marianne Ali
Director of Culinary Job Training

Marianne Ali recently developed & implemented our revamped Culinary Job Training Curriculum. As Chef Instructor, Marianne works closely with trainees in the special skills classes specific to the new curriculum. This enables trainees to participate in classes on theory linked with hands on skills in a kitchen-classroom setting. She coordinates training activities, including the participation of guest chefs on a weekly basis. She is responsible for coordinating special projects that involve training as well as working with local food establishments and culinary schools to establish internships for trainees.

Marianne graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine, a French Culinary Arts School in Gaithersburg, Maryland in 1996. Shortly thereafter, she came to DC Central Kitchen to work as a chef in Fresh Start Catering. Marianne was always fascinated by the Culinary Job Training Program and was later hired as a Training Chef working directly with trainees. Promoted to Director of Foodservice Training & Kitchen Operations, she was responsible for the culinary training and a kitchen brigade of approximately 15 employees. Marianne is responsible for the birth of our contract foods program, which is a revenue generating project of DC Central Kitchen as well as an employment project.

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Jerald Thomas
Kitchen Director

As a graduate of our Culinary Job Training Program and a formally trained chef, Chef Jerald has moved through the ranks in our kitchen to become the Operations Chef. Jerald not only oversees the day to day production of 4,000 meals, but he is responsible for all ordering, storage and sanitation in order to help maintain the professional standards of an industrial kitchen. Because Chef Jerald is a graduate of our program, and has gone on to become formally trained, he is a natural choice as a teacher/mentor for all students of our Culinary Job Training program. Chef Jerald recently graduated cum laude from Stratford University, while working full-time at the Kitchen.

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Brian MacNair
Chief Development Officer

Brian is responsible for public relations and communications; raising over $2 million in annual funds, and is also responsible for organizing the Capital Food Fight, an annual fundraising event. Before coming to DC Central Kitchen, initially as a Development Associate, he worked for nonprofits for more than ten years in New York City. He then changed careers to become a chef, first with his own catering business in New York, then as sous chef for various restaurants in Virginia. Brian’s favorite part of DCCK is the 12-week personal transformation that occurs for participants in DCCK’s Culinary Job Training program.

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Gregg Malsbary
Director of Programs and Revenue Generating Operations

Gregg Malsbary is DC Central Kitchen’s new Director of Programs and Revenue Generating Operations.  Gregg oversees general Kitchen Production and Execution of Meal Distribution, the Culinary Job Training and Partner Relations Programs, Fresh Start Catering and our Transportation Department.

Prior to DCCK, Gregg played an integral part in the opening of the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center located in National Harbor, Maryland. Gregg was previously the Regional Executive Chef for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center located in Downtown DC. This 2.3 million square foot venue allowed Gregg to execute events up to 52,000 guests.

Gregg has also been involved with development of curriculums for start-up culinary programs in Central and South America.  He has become a leader with charitable organizations throughout the U.S., internationally participated on environmental initiatives as well as active involvement with community volunteer and internship programs.

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Rafael Chapman
Director of Finance

Rafael oversees the accounting and financial management for both DC Central Kitchen and The Campus Kitchens Project.  Rafael comes to DCCK with over 15 years of financial and operational experience in the non-profit and for profit industries.  Before joining DCCK, he held positions as CFO and Director of Finance for an international non-profit and one of the major health grassroots organizations.

Rafael is a native New Yorker that moved to the DC area for college where he received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Management from Howard University and a Master of Arts in Political Science from American University.

Rafael lives in Bowie, Maryland with his 10 year old son.  In his down time he enjoys cooking, playing poker and travelling.

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