Like an author who signs a different name on his or her book when published, or a painter who never shows his or her face in public, a chef is unconnected to the art that he creates. A chef’s joy comes from watching those who buy his art, enjoying his creation as they eat it. Little is known about a chef other than the food he cooks, but like everyone else, he has a deeper story.

Paul Brinkman, a formally trained chef and current line and prep cook at Lakeland, has been here for six years. Brinkman had his start with food while in high school, where he worked the café food line.

“It was my junior and senior year that I worked the line cafe,” said Brinkman. “After that I gained interest in food service.”

However, the Vietnam War was coming upon America around the time Brinkman graduated, so he enlisted.

After boot camp, Brinkman was sent to Fort Lee, which is stationed in Virginia. Because of his interest in food services, Brinkman decided to become a cook in the military.

After his job schooling at Fort Lee, he was sent to Bamberg, Germany, where he became a mess hall sergeant. He worked as a cook, innovating different ideas in the kitchen.

In the military, an individual must eat one of everything that is on the line, but some soldiers may not be that hungry. Brinkman thought of the idea to have short order or a sandwich line for soldiers who just wanted to snack on something rather than eat a whole meal.

According to Brinkman, he had one year left in his enlisted contract before he was notified that he would be going to Vietnam. For an unknown reason his orders changed and he finished his tour of duty in Germany.

During his tour of duty, he was asked to reenlist for warrant officer training but he declined in order to come home to his sweetheart. Although his military career was over, Brinkman speaks highly of his experience there.

“It made me rigid and strong with a good work ethic.” said Brinkman. “It molded me into a man.”

After his contract expired, Brinkman decided to go to school. The GI bill helped him attend the Milwaukee Area Technical College (M.A.T.C.) where he went to become a chef. He graduated at the top of the class, and decided to continue large volume cooking.

After graduating from Marian University with a degree in business, M.A.T.C. offered him a part-time job as an instructor in the culinary program. He accepted the job and started teaching students how to cook and follow sanitation procedures. He also taught kitchen layout and design which helps him still even today here at Lakeland.

“I loved being a teacher”, said Brinkman. “especially when the kids were enthusiastic about learning.”

While he enjoyed being a teacher, Brinkman had a son named Scott who was heading off to college to earn his criminal justice education.

“I decided I would help him pay for college,” said Brinkman. “I saw an ad for a cooking position at Lakeland, did a little research and found out that they had a criminal justice (program) here. I didn’t know that if you worked here and have a child who (is a student) here, that he could come here for free, so that was a bonus.”

Brinkman worked full time at M.A.T.C. as well as Lakeland.

“I would work from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then I would come to Lakeland and work until 11 p.m.,” said Brinkman.

He repeated this work cycle until Scott graduated, and when Scott left, so did he. He went back to M.A.T.C. and worked there until five years ago when he thought he was going to retire.

“When I retired, a position was available at Lakeland,” said Brinkman. “I applied and was hired back.”

Brinkman works along another army vet named Jessie Falls, and because of their military background, they became good friends.

“We traded vet stories and became good friends,” said Brinkman.

Brinkman said that he and Falls have started talking about starting a Soul food restaurant together.

When asked what he likes about Lakeland, Brinkman said that he loves the diversity.

“Diversity helped get the food choices to where they are”, said Brinkman. “30 years ago you couldn’t get grits here, now almost everybody eats them. It just shows the progress of the diversity within Lakeland over the years.”

Overall, Brinkman feels that the food service career has been good to him. He continues to work as a cook for Lakeland until he decides it is his time to retire from the kitchen for good. Until then, he continues to create his art for the students.