The Rochester, NY native comes from a large Italian family, "and you couldn't NOT cook," he jokes. He recalls spending Sundays making pasta with his grandmother, and still has family in Italy, considered by many to be the gastronomic center of the universe.

His job at TIC Gums represents a coming together of his personal passion about food and his fascination with the science behind it.

As regional account manager, Dave visits client companies, offering help with new projects, suggesting formulations and gum replacements "and basically offering whatever else they might need." Think of it as detective work, as Dave works with clients to resolve any and all food development issues, large and small.

His work is just one more example of TIC Gums' commitment to customer service. With a wide range of gum systems, and the expertise that comes from the lab and the field. TIC Gums works directly with clients to create product success stories.

Dave graduated in 2009 from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor's degree in Food Science, an area of study that made perfect sense given his interest in the culinary arts, yet he started out as a biology major. "I didn't know then that food science even existed," Dave says, "But once I knew the field, I wasted no time changing majors."

His first job post-graduation was at the Hershey Company, working in "product and process excellence." The lab work was interesting, and the time he spent there was a great learning experience, but Dave's interest became direct customer interaction.

For that reason, the TIC Gums account manager position was too hard to pass up. His college studies included an internship at TIC Gums, so, as he explains, "I knew the company, the people, and the work. The account manager job appealed to me because of the travel and the face-to-face time with our clients."