Charles Figueroa

Charles Figueroa, CEC, entered club kitchens at 15 and has spent more than two decades shaping a leadership philosophy grounded in accountability and people-first standards. His experience competing and operating at a high level informs the structure and expectations he sets in his kitchen.

His Leadership in Training program reflects that priority. While execution and technique are essential, he places equal emphasis on professionalism, communication, and long-term sustainability for the chefs he develops. For Figueroa, leadership is measured by the strength and durability of the team he builds.

Club + Resort Chef (C+RC) What does it mean to you to be a C+RC 40 under 40 honoree?
Charles Figueroa (CF): First and foremost, I am grateful for the opportunity. I approach this recognition with humility, but also with pride in the work I have committed myself to throughout my career. I have been part of the club industry since I was 15, when I started on the cold food station at Westchester Country Club. From that early experience, I felt a strong sense of purpose in this profession, and over time, it became clear that this was not just a job, but a calling.

I deeply respect food and the experience it can create when done correctly. I have worked at multiple clubs, competed nationally and internationally, and been part of teams recognized by Club + Resort Chef. While I am proud of those experiences, none of them compares to what we are building today at The Country Club of Rochester.

Our Leadership in Training Program is what I am most proud of in my career. Though the program is young, it is intentional and values-driven. It is built around literature, competition, and, most importantly, how our chefs de cuisine manage their kitchens and treat their teams. Food quality, sanitation, and overall member experience are essential, but watching young chefs develop soft skills, confidence, and maturity is far more rewarding than any accolade I have received.

Many culinary programs focus primarily on technique. We value technique as well, but our program is centered on developing better leaders and better people. This industry has long struggled with ego, and my goal is to help the next generation of chefs find success in the areas of life that truly matter most.

I believe a chef is a leader first and a cook second. I take great pride in the development of the teams I am responsible for, and my hope is that the chefs who come through our kitchens leave as genuine leaders, capable of building positive relationships, leading with integrity, and putting people first wherever their careers take them.

C+RC: What quote summarizes your culinary or career philosophy?
CF: "Nothing in life that is worth having comes easy." —Theodore Roosevelt

C+RC: What inspired your career in the club and resort industry?
CF: My greatest inspiration has always been my mother. She immigrated to this country in 1985 in search of a better life. She had worked seven days a week since she was a child. For her, work was survival. Growing up, I never saw a day when my mother was not working, and that example shaped how I view effort, responsibility, and pride.

By the time I was around 12 years old, I was walking with a cooler filled with soda and water nearly two miles to a local park where people gathered to play volleyball. I sold drinks for a dollar, not because of the money, but because I loved working. I loved the feeling of earning something through effort. The adults encouraged me and made me feel like I belonged. In those moments, I felt like my mother’s son, trying to live up to the example of a woman who, in my eyes, was and still is a living legend.

My mother later became a housekeeping supervisor at Westchester Country Club, where she met my stepfather, who worked in the pastry shop. When it came time for me to get my first “real job,” she brought me to the beach club at Westchester. I applied to be a busser, but the chef at the time suggested I try dishwashing instead. I was hesitant, but grateful that I said yes.

That decision introduced me to two chefs who unknowingly shaped the course of my life. One ran his kitchen with kindness, respect, and humor, often making us forget the length of our days. The other represented something larger to me at the time. I was only 16 and did not fully understand what a master chef was, but I knew I respected him deeply and was grateful for the opportunity he had given me.

Those early experiences showed me what leadership, humility, and care for people could look like in this industry. They are the foundation of why I chose a career in clubs—and why I lead the way I do today.

C+RC: Can you share a personal challenge you've faced in your career and explain how it has shaped you as a chef?
CF: One of the most challenging and defining experiences of my career occurred while I was Executive Sous Chef of Farmington Country Club in the period following COVID. I was responsible for recruiting for our culinary department during a time when hiring was difficult across the industry. In response, I focused on community-based recruiting, using local connections, word of mouth, and nontraditional outreach to bring people into our kitchens.

During that time, I worked closely with Frank Wisnieski, our Facilities Maintenance Director, who became a trusted colleague and friend. Through our work together, Frank encouraged me to join a gym, knowing how important staying active was to me. It was through that connection that I met his stepson, Adam.

Adam was a kind, energetic young man who naturally gravitated toward me. When he asked for a job, I was happy to bring him onto our culinary team. Adam eventually helped recruit several of his friends, and together they became part of our poolside operation. Watching these young people show up, support one another, and take pride in their work was incredibly meaningful to me.

Adam, despite having no culinary background, grew into a confident and reliable contributor in one of our upscale restaurants. I was very proud of the progress he made. His family often spoke about the importance of community, and I felt like he was part of something bigger than himself.

Two years ago, I received a phone call that profoundly changed me. Adam had taken his own life. I was home at the time and struggled to comprehend the news. I had experienced loss in the workplace before, but nothing prepared me for this. The outpouring of people at his funeral, family, friends, coworkers, and members of the club community, made it clear how many lives he had touched.

This experience forced me to reevaluate my understanding of leadership. I had always believed myself to be an empathetic leader, but this loss humbled me deeply. It taught me to slow down, to look beyond behavior or performance, and to ask more thoughtful questions: What is this person carrying? How can I better support them? How can I create an environment where people feel safe communicating and asking for help?

Adam remains with me in the way I lead every day. I have told his mother that knowing him made me a better version of myself, and I truly believe that. A year later, Frank, Adam’s stepfather, passed away from cancer. Those losses reinforced a truth I carry forward: leadership is about people first. The work matters, but caring for those around us matters more.

C+RC: What advice would you offer young chefs aiming to excel in the club and resort culinary industry?
CF: Find a mentor. Look for someone who is doing what you hope to achieve professionally, but more importantly, someone who is living the kind of life you want for yourself. For me, that mentor was Michael Matarazzo. He is a genuinely good person, a strong leader, and someone who showed me that success in this industry does not have to come at the expense of family or personal fulfillment.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity he gave me at Farmington. I was trusted to run the operation with very little oversight, and that trust allowed me to grow quickly as a leader. In return, I was able to help build programs and systems that elevated the culinary operation. More importantly, I learned firsthand that it is possible to lead with integrity, develop people, and still live a meaningful, balanced life.

I take those lessons seriously and try to lead my own operation the way I was taught: by trusting people, holding them accountable, and always putting relationships first. My advice to young chefs is simple: find a mentor you respect, listen closely, and model not just their career success, but their values.