AUGUSTA AND MACON, Ga., February 2, 2022 - - Helms College today announced the appointment of Bruce Ozga as the college’s vice president of culinary education. Chef Ozga brings with him over 35 years of food services industry experience across five states including serving as dean of culinary education for Johnson & Wales University, culinary program director for Galveston Community College, and culinary lead and purchaser for United Restaurant Group.
He is certified by the American Culinary Foundation as an executive chef and culinary educator. He is also certified as a hospitality educator by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute as a certified hospitality educator.
Chef Ozga is one of the most respected culinary educators in the country,” said Dr. David N. Pugh, president of Helms College. “The work he has done to innovate and advance culinary education over the last 30 years is unparalleled and will greatly benefit the students at Helms as we continue to grow new programs and enhance our experiential learning model to prepare our students for culinary and hospitality careers around the world.”
Ozga began his role as vice president of culinary education at Helms in April of 2021. Since then, he has developed and launched the Culinary Operations in Resorts & Clubs Degree and the college’s new Baking & Pastry Diploma.
As dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales for over 20 years, Ozga provided direction over curriculum, leadership to more than 30 faculty members, and 800 culinary arts students daily by directly observing classes, overseeing preparation of 15,000 meals in the dining hall weekly, performing evaluations and acting as a liaison for professors, students, and parents. Ozga served on the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation Board as a trustee-at-large over the last decade and on the board of directors for the Texas Chefs Association. He also served as the Vice Conseiller Culinaire with the Miami Chapter of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest gastronomic society.
Chef Ozga earned his associate degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University and a bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management. He also holds a master’s degree in Education and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University.
Ozga has won several awards during his career, but most notably as the 2018 Greater Miami Chefs Association educator of the year and the 2019 chef of the year.
About Helms College
Helms College is a private, accredited, not-for-profit postsecondary career school licensed by the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. Helms College provides a unique approach to experiential learning and career education. Named in honor of Rev. Edgar Helms, the founder of Goodwill Industries, Helms College creates opportunities for students to discover their strengths and build upon their knowledge, skills, and attitudes through extensive integrative and experiential learning.