PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR - JOHN MCGINTY
Ten years ago, a chance encounter with legendary Chef Educator Will Thornton (TCA's 2006 Chef of the Year) changed the direction of John McGinty's life.  John was senior counselor at San Antonio's East Central High School and visited St. Philip's College to obtain information about culinary training for several of his students. 
In 2002, John retired after a 37-year career in public education.  Recalling his meeting with Chef Will, John was inspired to follow his students by enrolling in St. Philip's Culinary Program.  During the same week in which he turned sixty, John re-entered a college classroom. 
He graduated in May 2005 with training in both culinary arts and baking.  In school, he maintained a perfect 4.0 grade average and served two years as an officer in the Student Chef de Cuisine Association.  John completed internships in the bakery at San Antonio's HEB Central Market and with the San Antonio Food Bank's Community Kitchen Program.  He was an avid competitor and medalist in "mystery basket" competitions sponsored by St. Philip's. 
For the past five years, John has been a member of St. Philip's Culinary Arts Advisory Committee and assisted with the school's successful application for continued recognition as an exemplary culinary program by the American Culinary Federation. 
Following graduation, he was recruited to develop a culinary training curriculum for the Food Bank.  The resulting program provides beginning level restaurant kitchen skills to unemployed and underemployed individuals while they were preparing meals for homeless shelters using primarily donated ingredients.  To date, that program has placed over 100 graduates in paying food service jobs.  His description of that program was published in the Lone Star Chef in 2006.
During the mass exodus to San Antonio prompted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, John volunteered to run a "temporary" kitchen for evacuees housed at Kelly AFB.  Over 68,000 hot meals were prepared for people fleeing New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Two years ago, Chef Thornton asked John to apply for an adjunct faculty position at St. Philip's.  The school's recently approved degree program in Baking and Pastry Arts was growing rapidly and instructional assistance was needed. 
Now, at age sixty-eight, John is teaching baking at his alma mater.  His classes include Fundamentals of Baking, Bread and Rolls, Pies and Tarts, and Laminated Doughs.  He continues as a volunteer instructor with the San Antonio Food Bank's Community Kitchen program and visits local high schools to recruit students for St. Philip's Culinary Arts Program.
John has been an active member of the American Culinary Federation and the Texas Chefs Association since 2004.