Latest College Video Features Alumna Executive Chef in L.A.

The fast-paced world of Pennsylvania College of Technology alumna Kristi L. Ritchey comes alive in the latest video added to the college's YouTubeChannel .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2__sBzKrA



Ritchey, a 2002 culinary arts technology graduate, is the executive chef and director of operations for Los Angeles-based Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop.

The video encapsulates a typical day for Ritchey as she ensures the restaurant meets its objective of providing great flavors and products that fit a healthy lifestyle.

Greenleaf emphasizes fresh and organic ingredients in offering its diverse clientele a mixture of salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups and side dishes. In addition to its locations in Beverly Hills and Century City, Greenleaf serves wholesale clients and offers catering throughout Los Angeles.

Ritchey, a native of Linden and a graduate of Warrior Run High School, Turbotville, speaks highly of her time as a student, saying she wouldn't be in her role today without her Penn College education. She credits passionate faculty members with helping to turn her into the type of person who could cross the country and succeed in the competitive culinary field.

During her time at the college, Ritchey was inducted into the Beta Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for students enrolled in two-year academic majors, and she received the Chef Leah Chase Excellence in Hospitality Award.

Within two months of her college graduation, Ritchey secured a position in the Napa Valley with the prestigious, bicoastal Patina Restaurant Group. Ritchey served in leadership roles for several California restaurants before joining Greenleaf at its inception nearly four years ago.

During the past few years, Ritchey has received national attention. Last year, she was a contestant on "Extreme Chef," a Food Network series. She has also been featured in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and on a segment of the NBC-TV series "The Biggest Loser" for her culinary accomplishments and personal weight-loss triumph.

The Penn College YouTube Channel has collected more than 221,4 00 video views since debuting in 2009. The channel focuses on numerous majors and various aspects of the college. It also includes full-length episodes of the college's award-winning, career-awareness public television series, "degrees that work.tv."

To learn more about the culinary arts technology major and other academic programs offered by the School of Hospitality at Penn College, visit online or call 570-327-4505.

For more about Penn College, visit on the Web , email or call toll-free 800-367-9222.