Faculty Spotlight: Denise Crider

When an employee goes above and beyond for their students, it can sometimes become easy for them to slip under the radar of the many faculty members that are employed by institutions. The best of these employees, however, do not let the lack of recognition discourage them. They continue to work diligently to make sure that their students experience the best possible learning environment available to them, and Gulf Coast State College in turn attempts to show their appreciation through faculty spotlights.

That is why this faculty spotlight will be focusing on an extremely deserving instructor: Denise Crider. Denise is one of the great instructors that we have employed here at Gulf Coast State College. She is a chef that continues to help mold the minds of the eager students in the culinary department. Originally from southern Indiana, Denise moved to southwest Florida when she was young. While in southwest Florida, she met her husband through a mutual friend that was in town on business. He was in the Navy, and due to this they moved from place to place over the years, living in areas such as Spain, Hawaii, San Francisco, Virginia, and Rhode Island. With such a large number of diverse areas in her history, you can only imagine the cuisines that she’s experienced!

What originally got Denise interested in the art of cooking, and subsequently what began her journey to becoming a chef, was the entertainment aspect of the field. She first started by cooking meals during the holidays for her husband’s fellow sailors while he served in the Navy, a hard time for many due to the inability to go home and be with their families. Denise decided to bring a little slice of home to them instead, a heartwarming move that was surely appreciated. After seeing how well she cooked and the consistent adoration and appreciation for what she was making, she decided to try her hand at the catering industry. From there, she went on to branch out into the hospitality field. She also chose this field because she viewed it as a great career that she would be able to continue down the path of, no matter where she and her husband were stationed due to his position in the Navy.

Denise has had an illustrious and successful career in the hospitality field for over 30 years now. She has mostly worked at different resorts over the years because she and her husband have always been stationed in coastal cities. Denise and her husband decided to move to Panama City 10 years ago when her husband retired from the Navy. After moving to Panama City, she found work at Dee’s Hangout and Bentley’s on the Bay. While at Bentley’s on the Bay, she held the position of executive chef. The executive chef is the top dog. Executive chefs are at the very top of the kitchen management structure, and commonly only the largest and most successful establishments employ executive chefs. This highly regarded position was an excellent example of Denise’s skills in her career field.

Denise eventually began working at Tyndall Air Force Base but found that she simply was not happy at her new place of employment. After discussing her feelings on the matter with her husband, he convinced her to go to school to earn her degree. She decided to sign up for culinary classes at Gulf Coast State College, where she went on to earn her Associate’s degree in Culinary Management. She has now decided to resume her path of higher education and is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality.

While going through the culinary program, Denise learned about the “Why’s” of cooking. Why things happen when you do certain things, and why they work. This sparked her interest even more regarding the program here at Gulf Coast. She loved the program so much that she decided to stay at the college. She’s been an instructor for the culinary department for 3 years now but has worked at Gulf Coast for over 5 years total. She started off as the Events Coordinator for the Advanced Technology Center, before moving on as the coordinator for the culinary department. She eventually decided to step down as the coordinator to move into an instructor position. As an instructor, Denise stated that she felt more at home because she got to get her hands dirty and do the thing she loves most – cooking. According to Denise, her favorite thing about being an instructor is when she sees the spark in her students’ eyes once something clicks, that “AH HA” moment when they finally understand the “Why.”

Looking towards the future, Denise has no plans of leaving. She wants to stay at Gulf Coast State College and continue training future chefs – which is a fortunate thing for the college and students potentially looking into becoming a part of the program. She loves what she’s doing, which anyone who interacts with her can clearly see. The type of passion and knowledge that Denise brings to not only the field but also to the educational environment she’s found herself in is exactly what all instructors should aspire to mimic. To learn from someone who has such an extensive past in the field and who wants only success and excitement for her students is a great experience to have. Gulf Coast State College is extremely lucky to have such a knowledgeable member as a part of its faculty.

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