Jeff entered the culinary field at the early age of thirteen as a caterer, later attending The Culinary Institute of America.

After graduating from the CIA, Jeff joined chef Jimmy Schmidt as part of the opening team to the nationally acclaimed Rattlesnake Club Restaurant in Michigan, continuing for six years in the capacity of Chef de Cuisine, assisting in opening four restaurants, with the last one being a Southwestern concept, which lead him to become Chef de Cuisine of Mark Miller’s Coyote Café in Santa Fe for seven years, including involvement in the Coyote Cocina line of premier Southwestern food products and cookbooks.

The love of the outdoors and a desire to contribute to a thriving restaurant community took Jeff and his family to Jackson Hole. For over 23 years, Jeff’s modern American cuisine found its home in the rustic elegance of the Snake River Grill.

He was one of eight professional chefs from across the country awarded a scholarship to the prestigious  Beringer Vineyards School for American Chefs in Napa.

Jeff was nominated “Best Chef: North West” three years in a row at The James Beard Award and has been a guest chef in several parts of the country, including The Masters of Food & Wine, The James Beard House, and most recently The Milan Culinary Expo at the World’s Fair in Italy.  He has been featured in various television segments, including The Food Channel, CNN, and The Travel Channel.

Jeff retired in 2023 and returned to Santa Fe, considering himself “back home.” He continues to pursue his passions through teaching at The Santa Fe School of Cooking and leading Historical Bicycle Tours in downtown Santa Fe.