Founders:
Thomas A. Bloom, Ph.D., has served as President of Carrington College (Apollo College) since December, 2003. In his role, Dr. Bloom is responsible for directing operations of eleven campuses and a regional office. In 2009, Apollo College was purchased by DeVry, Inc.
Previously, Dr. Bloom co-founded and served as the Chief Operations Officer of The Well Fed Baby, Inc., a frozen food and nutraceutical manufacturing company in San Diego, California. During this period, he co-wrote The Well Fed Baby TV Show, which was picked up by Fox Health Network and authored two books; The Well Fed Baby Cookbook; (MACMILLAN 1998) and The Well Fed Baby (WILLIAM MORROW 2000).
Earlier, in his career Dr. Bloom served as President and CEO of the California Culinary Academy (CCA) in San Francisco, where he conceived and wrote 26 television shows for KQED, a public broadcasting network in San Francisco, California. He also wrote the accompanying book Cooking at The Academy (KQED 1993) and completed a successful IPO. Prior to the CCA, he served as Vice President of The Culinary Institute of America in New York.
During his career Dr. Bloom has served as Chairman of The Country School in San Marcos, California, a school for children with High Functioning Autism. In 2005, he co-founded Gateway Academy, the first school in the state of Arizona specializing in K-12 students with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and PDD-NOS. Dr. Bloom is the parent of a son with Asperger's Syndrome. In 2009, Dr. Bloom co-founded Spectrum College Transition Program, a residential co-educational transition program for post secondary students with Asperger’s Syndrome, who wish to pursue a college degree.
Dr. Bloom has served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Florida State University, and the University of Minnesota. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Education from the University of North Dakota, a Masters of Science Degree in Education, and Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from the University of Wisconsin.
O. Robin Sweet inspired the development of Gateway Academy. She is the mother of three children, a nurse, a writer, and an entrepreneur. She graduated from Hartford Hospital School of Nursing. She started her career as a pediatric surgical nurse and worked in hospitals throughout the East Coast for over ten years. She attended Yale School of Management in New Haven, Connecticut. She was the owner and founder of The Nanny Connection, a nanny placement agency in New Haven, Connecticut where she placed nannies nationwide in couple’s homes on a live-in or out basis. She was the President and co-founder of The Well Fed Baby, Inc., a frozen food and nutraceutical manufacturing company in San Diego, California, which had nationwide retail distribution. In 2002, The Well Fed Baby Show was developed as an offshoot of the company and its philosophy. Robin co-wrote and participated in The Well Fed Baby Show, which was picked up by Fox Health Network. She was also the President and co-owner of The Country School, Inc., a special education private day school, based in San Marcos, California. Ms. Sweet and Dr. Bloom grew the School tenfold, and increased revenues exponentially. The Academy was sold to a large academic conglomerate.
In 2009, Ms. Sweet co-founded Spectrum College Transition Program, a residential co-educational transition program for post secondary students with Asperger’s Syndrome, who wish to pursue a college degree.
She is the author of numerous books on families, health and nutrition: The Nanny Connection (Atheneum 1987); The Working Woman’s Lamaze Handbook (Hyperion 1992); Adopt International (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 1996); The Well Fed Baby Cookbook (Macmillan 1998); and The Well Fed Baby (William Morrow 2000). In 2007, she wrote and co-produced a documentary film about Asperger’s Syndrome, Two Worlds - One Planet, and, in 2008, the film won The Accolade Award, The Cine Golden Eagle, and The Hot Springs Film Festival Award. She is a member in good standing with the International Documentary Association.
Most importantly, she is the parent of a son with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Mayor Lane reading official proclamation naming April 2nd Gateway Academy Day.
