Chef John DiGiovanni literally has a Mickey Mouse education! A graduate of Disney’s Culinary Academy at Walt Disney World, he worked his way around many of Disney’s kitchens. His contributions included being an opening team member of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and working at Victoria & Albert’s. He spent extensive time working special events at the Grand Floridian before becoming a Sous Chef in the Magic Kingdom. John moved to Ohio in 2006 and spent a decade with the Nationwide Arena’s culinary team as Chef de Cuisine. There, he was the Chef of their exclusive lounge and oversaw catering operations for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets which included feeding the players, coaches and media. He oversaw the catering of the 2015 NHL All-Star Game and represented the arena at the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival in 2013. In September 2016, Chef John joined the team at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium where he oversees special events as the Executive Chef. As the zoo hosts a large number of diverse events, John is responsible for directing the kitchen staff to accommodate each unique request. He has managed everything from weddings, company picnics, intimate and large-scale plated meals for Jack Hanna, Zoo executives and corporate sponsors, as well as the Zoo’s seasonal events such as Zoofari and Wildlights.