Professional Bartending School

Staff Bios

If you take a trip to Arlington, Virginia, not only will you meet a group of students that are in the process of turning a simple, inexpensive 40-hour course into a lucrative full or part time career, but also the men and women that are molding them into the bartenders of tomorrow. At the Professional Bartending School, you will find one of the oldest bartending schools on the east coast. It is staffed by the region’s best and most knowledgeable bartenders–most of whom are former graduates. In fact the staff members that took the class, represent the goals of so many potential students: A way to learn a skill, bartend, have fun, and make tremendous money.

Collectively our staff has nearly a century of bartending experience in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area’s hot spots and high-end restaurants. Take the opportunity to visit our school, sit in on a free class, meet the staff and ask them any questions. For now, here is a brief introduction to our family.

Tommy Hanavan-School Director

The nation’s Capitol is filled with politicians, power-brokers, lobbyists, and a plethora of international dignitaries making backroom deals, forming the laws of the country and the world; however, Washington’s true little secret is that you know Tommy. In a city that consumes more alcohol per-capita than any other in the country, if you’ve been to a bar in the last 40-some-odd years you have met someone that was trained, managed, or otherwise influenced by Tommy Hanavan and The Professional Bartending School.

Tommy began his career in hospitality innocently enough: as a way to pay his way through State University of New York without the need for student loans. What he ultimately found was much, much more. After graduating college, he decided to continue on in the food and beverage industry because he discovered something that most people only dream of: he found a career he loved that provided a generous and reliable income.

Although Tommy began his bartending career behind the stick in New York’s busy bars and nightclubs, over the years he has held virtually every position in the restaurant business from head bartender to general manager, staff trainer as well as an international hospitality consultant. His status as Master Trainer for the TAM alcohol awareness program (a distinction which only three individuals in the entire world hold) merely confirms his remarkable credentials and passion for this industry.

Bartending, with its considerable income and flexibility, has provided Tommy with many opportunities, more job offers than he could possibly accept, but, most importantly, fond memories. While many of them are good, some bad, and others just downright ugly three experiences in particular stand out as highlights against the rest:

The first takes place in the town of Vernazza on the Italian Riviera. It is a historic little fishing village turned tourist destination that hangs off the cliffs of the La Spezia region. Initially he arrived with the intent of improving his poor-at-best language skills, however, shortly after befriending the town’s sole bar-owner he found himself mixing drinks and training staff every weekend at a bar that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.

His second highlight was a tour though the Caribbean islands. Unlike Italy, this was no vacation. S.T.E.P. (a government organization designed to promote tourism in Central America) contracted Tommy (based on the reputation of the school) to develop, arrange, and coordinate a training program for the staff of the many hotels, bars, resorts, and nightclubs that dot the islands and coastlines of the Caribbean. He was so successful in his efforts training local staff to cater to the needs of the wealthy tourists that the Commonwealth of Dominica (an island nation tucked between Guadeloupe and Martinique) hosted a two week hospitality seminar utilizing Tommy’s leadership and unique curriculum.

Tommy’s career has taken him from Canada to South America as far east as Europe and everywhere in between; nevertheless, the third highlight of his career is still ongoing: leading one of the finest training programs and the most successful job placement assistance program of any bartending school in the country. To this day, he can still say he truly loves his job…

Ron–Instructor

Ron followed the path of many young professionals in DC. Partying through college, hitting the bar circuits, and traveling a lot, all while maintaining and building a career in one of the oldest professions, politics. Being disenfranchised with the world around him he left, not sure where to go. Expecting bartending to be a transitional position, he attended the Professional Bartending School in Arlington, VA to do something fun for a bit. Finding his passion for alcohol, mixology, and bartending he has gained real life experience at some of DC’s high volume bars and continued his education. A true success story of the school, Ron has showed skeptics what a bartending school grad could do and outshined bartenders with vast amounts of “industry” experience. He is now back at the Professional Bartending School teaching and giving his students the skills to become “damn good bartenders”.

Aiden–Instructor

With over 15 years in the bar business including bartending, bar management, front of the house and back of the house experience, prior bar management and bartending courses, bartending in his native Ireland, Germany, and throughout the US in dynamite bars, restaurants, hotels, and clubs Aiden provides more of the precise experiences that meet the needs of students than almost any instructor you will find anywhere in any school.

On top of that he is nice, patient, gets great student reviews and is generous with his time and expertise. Aiden has bartended and managed locally in the DMV in Maryland, DC and Virginia, has bartended in the MidWest, in his native Ireland, and in Germany. Besides experience with popular drinks from around the globe, he is an expert on customer service that drives the industry. If you want to get a feel for a terrific hands-on bartending course, arrange a visit to one of Aiden’s classes, ask him some questions and see if this bartending program can help you.

Brett–Admissions:

Brett Hollingsworth, a graduate from March ’08 worked at several different types of bars upon graduation, courtesy of PBS’s Job Placement Assistance. Some of the places he worked in include a popular lounge in DC, the ESPN Zone, Holiday Inn, a gentleman’s club and, most recently, the Bethesda Country Club, where he became the Bar Manager for their 2 bars, hiring and training a staff of 12 bartenders. When he’s not working at PBS, he’s taking on as many private parties (weddings, corp. parties, etc.) as possible. Here’s a link about him in the Washington Post Express.

Jennifer–Admissions

Jennifer is a bartender of 15 years who got her start by enrolling at The Professional Bartending School in the fall of 1996. Upon graduation, Jennifer was hired at Quigley’s at International Square where after finishing her first shift she was informed the club was closing for good that night! This minor setback didn’t keep Jennifer from pursuing her bartending dream. Jennifer returned to PBS to seek additional job placement assistance and was hired on the spot at what was soon to be one of DC hottest night clubs, DC Live. Jennifer worked at DC live for 5 years and during this time she also worked at Platinum nightclub. The list of DC hot spots that have been fortunate enough to have Jennifer’s talents doesn’t stop there; Jennifer has worked at VIP Lounge, Bohemian Caverns, Que Bar and Avenue night club, and most recently the H Street Country Club. In addition to her work in the night club scene, Jennifer has worked for catering companies as well as bartended and staffed countless private events around the Washington, DC/Baltimore area. Jennifer has done all of her bartending part time, as she has maintained full time 9-5 work.

Jennifer joined the staff at The Professional Bartending School as a part time sales person during the summer of 2009. Jennifer’s years of bartending coupled with her work here at the school are a testament to the great bartenders that graduate from The Professional Bartending School!

Amy–Admissions

Amy Gimble has been in the service industry for nearly a decade. She started as a server at Carrabas in Germantown, MD. Amy was the unusually gifted person who quickly made her way behind the bar. She impressed her employers so much she began to train all potential bartenders for that location and to travel and train at all the new Carabbas locations. Serving crowds and parties of 50-200 people, Amy found her niche and later moved on to the popular The Barking Dog Bar and Grill in bustling Bethesda, MD. Amy built and maintained a regular client base and served drinks on the busiest nights as one of the favorite bartenders. Before long Amy’s talent for mixing delicious drinks, pouring the perfect beer, being friendly yet professional and maintaining a loyal and very large customer base caught the eye of the owners of the Black Finn.

Amy was one of the original Black Finn DC bartenders hired to help with the grand opening! Opening that location called for a lot of hard work on Amy’s part. Not only was she asked to help train the bar staff, Amy had the ever so awesome job of taste testing the drinks and promoting! The Professional Bartending School is happy to announce that Amy is now a member of our family and team! With all of her time and experience behind the bar, she is the perfect person to come and talk to about bartending! Stop in and say hello to Amy!

Demitri–Instructor

A graduate of PBS and current instructor, Dimitri discovered his interest in bartending while conversing with a friend of his who manages clubs in DC. The club manager referred Dimitri to the Professional Bartending School where he studied hard and excelled in learning the art of bartending. Following graduation, he moved on to hone his craft at a variety of venues in DC. He eventually settled in at The Third Edition, having a blast with his fellow bartenders in concocting a wide variety of cocktails and entertaining crowds at one of Georgetown’s most popular and lively bars. Not only is Dimitri actively pursuing a double major in Engineering and Finance, he is also an adventurous outdoorsman who enjoys activities such as bouldering, canoeing, and skydiving.

Dimitri is yet another example of how our team of instructors showcases personality and fun behind the bar–and that add$ up, if you know what we mean.

Fatima–Job Placement Director

Our full time job placement director is Fatima Paroo. Since taking over the all-important job placement position she has consistently assisted grads in landing over 100 bartending jobs every month. Its a testimony to her work, knowledge, experience, and skills. In the greater DC/VA/MD region Fatima helps more people land bartending jobs than all other sources combined.

Fatima is a grad of our school. Before that though she had tremendous hospitality and food and beverage experience. She started out at a fast paced restaurant and then moved to a position as event planner for the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, Florida. She next took on a busier position at the Gaylord National here in the DMV. Fatima was responsible for hiring staff and vendors, coordinating endless ongoing events, and creating an environment for repeat business due to countless satisfied customers.

Fatima’s focus on results is evident in the more than 1,000 emails, calls, chats, texts, etc she engages in every month with numerous employers, managers, party hosts, and of course hundreds of recent and former grads. She has a terrific disposition and is a pleasure to work with.

Fatima’s motto is .”If people are drinking, people are happy.” With her outstanding results and the hundred plus grads that land new bartending jobs every month she has to be helping thousands of people in drinking and becoming happier.