CHEF INSTRUCTORS & ACADEMIC STAFF

Meet the Chef Instructors, academic staff, and leaders who help shape the Escoffier student experience.

Find Your Mentor in the Food Business

Escoffier has over 100 professional Chef Instructors as well as a dedicated staff whose mission is to help you achieve your full potential. Now it’s your turn—take the next step toward your dreams with us.

73

EXECUTIVE CHEFS

55

CURRENT OR FORMER BUSINESS OWNERS

16

WORKED IN MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS

12

PUBLISHED AUTHORS

The chef instructors [at Escoffier] truly care, and they will go out of their way, out of their personal lives, to ensure that students have a quality experience.

Shane Witters Hicks headshot
Shane Witters HicksBoulder Culinary Arts Graduate,
Personal Chef/Educator at The Soulful Spread
*This information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors such as geographical region or previous experience.

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Ashley Godfrey
Ashley Godfrey
Favorite Dish: Plant-Based Fried Chik’n Sandwich
Hospitality, travel, and customer service are Ashley Godfrey’s passions! Her extensive background in resort management, with a desire to provide excellent customer service, has helped her excel in the…
Chef Adele Ledet
Chef Adele Ledet
Favorite Dish: Etouffee
Becoming a vegetarian in the 90’s was the result of my personal quest to eat healthy. My nostalgic appetite for the Creole flavors I enjoyed when growing up in New Orleans led me to inspire people to live a…
Chef Albert Schmid
Chef Albert Schmid
Favorite Dish: Shrimp Etouffee
Award-winning Chef Albert holds extensive ACF certifications. He has cooked for U.S. Senators, the U.S. Surgeon General, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, State Governors, and Olympic Gold Medalists….
Chef Alexander Porter
Chef Alexander Porter
Favorite Dish: Hummus and Tabouli Salad with Lebanese Flat…
Chef Alexander Porter, originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada, was named Chef of the Year and received the prestigious ACE Award in 2005 from Renaissance Hotels and Resorts International. With a deep-rooted…
Chef Angela Komis
Chef Angela Komis
Favorite Dish: Seafood
Chef Angela has served as a Chef Consultant, a Corporate Chef/Broker, and the Executive Producer at the Taste of St. Louis where she helped conceive, strategize, arrange, employ, promote, implement, gather, deliver,…
Chef Angie Heinz
Chef Angie Heinz
Favorite Dish: I love to experiment with baking.
Chef Angie has channeled her love of food and interest in wellness and nutrition into a long career cooking at universities, hospitals, and senior living facilities. With degrees in Business, Culinary Arts, and…
Chef Anne Tutuska
Chef Anne Tutuska
Favorite Dish: Sourdough
Chef Anne has served as an Executive Pastry Chef, Cake Decorator, and Executive Bakery Manager. She cooked for several athletes within the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills organizations during her time at Pegula…
Chef Anthony Frazier
Chef Anthony Frazier
Favorite Dish: Beef Wellington
Chef Anthony has held every position in both front-of-house and back-of-house teams at many restaurants. He helped three restaurants develop menus, designed two cocktail menus, is a YouTuber, and is starting a food…
Chef Aubrey Shaw-Petrelli
Chef Aubrey Shaw-Petrelli
Favorite Dish:
I am a passionate pastry instructor with a strong foundation in both pastry arts and food service management. I earned my degrees from Johnson & Wales University in Denver, Colorado, and Alain Ducasse –…
Chef August Ench
Chef August Ench
Favorite Dish: Fresh pasta
Chef August is the owner of Healthnut Custom Meal Preparation and has served as executive chef and sous chef for a variety of foodservice establishments. His mission is to train young chefs to reach their fullest…
Chef Bethany Schroeder
Chef Bethany Schroeder
Favorite Dish: Peach Galette
Chef Bethany has been a personal chef and also helped a small cannabis bakery with its recipe development. She was an Exhibition Chef for the Steelcase World Headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bethany has…
Chef Cara Anam
Chef Cara Anam
Favorite Dish: Pâte à Choux
Chef Cara brings over 20 years of experience in the pastry arts industry to the classroom. Her dream has always been to teach pastry arts. From her first month at culinary school, she knew she wanted to teach. After…
Chef Catherine Stanton
Chef Catherine Stanton
Favorite Dish:
Chef Catherine’s global culinary experience includes roles as a Private Chef in Serbia, a Chateau Chef in Southwest France, and a Yacht Chef in Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Russia. Additionally, she was Head…
Chef Cathy Wawrzaszek
Chef Cathy Wawrzaszek
Favorite Dish: Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake
Chef Cathy is the former owner of Starlight Pastries in Orlando, FL, a home-based bakery specializing in wedding cakes, celebration cakes, cupcakes, and small dessert trays. She has also worked in catering,…
Chef Cesar Herrera
Chef Cesar Herrera
Favorite Dish: BBQ Ribs
While working as the Sous Chef at Pub at the Square, a fine-dining restaurant located in Woodstock, Illinois, Chef Cesar had the opportunity to cook for Bill Murray and all the actors in the movie Groundhog Day, an…
Chef Cheryl Herbert
Chef Cheryl Herbert
Favorite Dish: Pho or Ramen
Chef Cheryl grew up in a restaurant family, but never considered it as her career until her mid-twenties. At this time there weren’t a lot of women in professional kitchens, but Cheryl didn’t let that phase her….
Chef Chris Scalia
Chef Chris Scalia
Favorite Dish: All Breads
Chef Chris brings a decade of experience as an Executive Sous Chef for restaurants, hotels, and golf courses around Colorado. He has an Associate of Applied Science degree and excels in bread making. Chris is…
Chef Christopher Diehl
Chef Christopher Diehl
Favorite Dish: Any seafood
Throughout his career, Chef Christopher has held positions as Executive Chef at private clubs, restaurants, in acute healthcare services, and worked in his family-owned restaurant. After graduating with a degree in…
Chef Clara Hernandez
Chef Clara Hernandez
Favorite Dish: Arepas and Empanadas
Chef Clara owned a baking business called Antojitos when she lived in Venezuela, and later opened a catering business with her husband called Sumac Foods. She worked in food photography with the biggest…
Chef Colette Christian
Chef Colette Christian
Favorite Dish: Tiramisu
Certified Master Baker Colette Christian is “obsessed with ingredient function, because the more we know, the better we bake.” Trained as a chef at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont,…
Chef Colleen Garcia
Chef Colleen Garcia
Favorite Dish: Risotto
Director of Curriculum and Content Development at Escoffier, Colleen is an award-winning Certified Executive Chef® who got her expertise in Italian cuisine right from the source. After attending the International…
Chef Craig Levinsky
Chef Craig Levinsky
Favorite Dish: Pastrami on Rye
Chef Craig Levinsky has always had an irrational response to food, but the classroom is his home. His teaching career began at CUNY City College of New York, where he oversaw its Technical Writing Program and…
Chef Dallas Houle
Chef Dallas Houle
Favorite Dish: Noodles and Broth
Life is an adventure for Chef Dallas. After graduating from the Florida Culinary Institute, he embarked on a career that would take him to Colorado, Oregon, and New York. He traveled across China, covering thousands…
Chef Dan Bearss
Chef Dan Bearss
Favorite Dish: Banh Mi
Chef Dan has ten years of experience — including breakfast and butchery — spanning the restaurant, hotel, and cruise ship industries. Before working in his current role as an Escoffier Chef Instructor, Chef Dan…
Chef Dan Widmann
Chef Dan Widmann
Favorite Dish: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Chef Dan has been Executive Pastry Chef, Director of Pastry Arts, and Sales Director/Baking & Pastry Specialist. In 2016, he was awarded Educator of the Year. Dan is a member of Disciples d’Escoffier. He…
Chef Darren Zesch
Chef Darren Zesch
Favorite Dish: Tacos
Chef Darren has held the roles of Executive Chef and Sous Chef and is passionate about teaching the art of food and cooking. His professional experiences range from local country clubs, restaurants, and hospitals to…
Chef Dawn M. DeStefano
Chef Dawn M. DeStefano
Favorite Dish: Tiramisu
Certified Executive Pastry Chef® Dawn M. DeStefano, a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Army Nursing Corps, has taught Baking and Pastry to international students at the Italian Culinary Institute in…
Chef Doug Alley
Chef Doug Alley
Favorite Dish: French Onion Soup & Pan-Seared Scallops…
Chef Doug’s entrepreneurial experience includes owning an award-winning catering and event design company and a wedding cake shop. He was the winner of Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge in 2017….
Chef Eduardo Suarez
Favorite Dish: Whatever recipe I’m working on at the moment
Academic Operations Manager at Escoffier, Chef Eduardo has worked as Executive Chef and Chef de Partie in restaurants throughout Caracas, Venezuela, and in recipe and menu development in both Caracas and Miami,…
Chef Emily Wirtz
Chef Emily Wirtz
Favorite Dish: chocolate chip cookies
Chef Emily has created cake designs that have won awards in magazines such as Modern Luxury Chicago, Celebration Society, and The Knot. She has worked as Manager, Head Decorator, and Head Baker for a cake design…
Chef Eric Jenkins
Chef Eric Jenkins
Favorite Dish: Pork Scallopini
Chef Eric has worked as White House Kitchen Chef, in addition to Executive Chef roles. He is an Advisory Board Member of The Culinary Institute of America’s Alumni Magazine, Mise En Place. He’s won such…
Chef Eric Scholtes
Chef Eric Scholtes
Favorite Dish: Tacos of any kind
Chef Eric Scholtes has worked for over 20 years in the culinary industry, including holding several Executive Chef positions. In past lives, he was part owner of Dream Trucks of Austin, and at one point had his own…
Chef Erin Kanagy-Loux
Chef Erin Kanagy-Loux
Favorite Dish: Pho Ga or Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Chef Erin is most recognized for her work in celebration and wedding cakes and has been featured in NY Magazine Weddings. She competed in Valrhona Chocolate’s first USA-hosted C3 Competition and received the…
Chef Eugene Kwak
Chef Eugene Kwak
Favorite Dish: Kalbi – BBQ Short Ribs
Chef Eugene, an ACF Certified Culinarian, has served in roles from Line Cook to Chef De Partie to Sous Chef in such locations as Napa Valley and Aspen. He attended Rocky Mountain Chefs of Colorado, was a member of a…
Chef Gary Ackerman
Chef Gary Ackerman
Favorite Dish: Fresh gulf fish
Chef Gary is a Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®) with over three decades’ experience, which includes running Gary O’s Cafe for five years. In 2012, he helped cook for a fundraiser attended by President…
Chef Gena Lora
Chef Gena Lora
Favorite Dish: Braised meat
Chef Gena has been a Head R&D Chef and Chef Consultant and won Top 10 Cheese Cakes in Los Angeles in 2016 and Top 10 Donuts in Los Angeles in 2015. A member of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, she has worked…
Chef Gregory Bonath
Chef Gregory Bonath
Favorite Dish: Maryland Crab Boil
Chef Gregory, Academic Operations Manager at Escoffier, has worked as a Chef De Cuisine, an Executive Sous Chef, and a Banquet Chef in foodservice establishments around the country. He holds the WSET Level 1 & 2…
Chef Heidi Haller
Chef Heidi Haller
Favorite Dish: Smoked pork butt
Certified Executive Chef® Heidi is the Owner and Catering Chef for Chef Heidi’s Kitchen, a personal chef service. For Les Dames d’ Escoffier, Heidi conducted a holiday cooking demo. She has served in…
Chef J.D. Forde
Chef J.D. Forde
Favorite Dish: Whole Hog BBQ
Chef J.D. has served as an Executive Chef and works part-time with a catering company on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He worked under a semi-finalist for Best Chef Southwest chef and owner Michael Sohocki at…
Chef Jackie Abril-Carlile
Chef Jackie Abril-Carlile
Favorite Dish: Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Ribeye
Chef Jackie is Executive Chef and Manager at North Mountain Brewing in Phoenix, Arizona, an owner of CODA Catering, and is a Silver Medalist New York State ACF Culinary Competition in 2009. Jackie was born and…
Chef Jackie Parchman
Chef Jackie Parchman
Favorite Dish: Pecan Pie
Bringing her nearly 20 years of teaching experience to Escoffier, Chef Jackie has worked as an Assistant Pastry Chef at several foodservice establishments and was active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard for 4 and a half…
Chef Jacqueline Bruton
Chef Jacqueline Bruton
Favorite Dish: Mille Crepe Cake
Chef Jacqueline cooked dinner for President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty and has made several custom cakes and wedding cakes for celebrities in Palm Springs. She’s served as a Corporate Trainer & Pastry…
Chef Jeff Chapman
Favorite Dish: Linguini with Clam Sauce
Chef Jeff is a 4-time VA Chili Cook-Off Champion, has owned a bagel shop and private event catering company, and has interned at the Television Food Network during its first year of operation. After completing his…
Chef Jennifer McClintick
Chef Jennifer McClintick
Favorite Dish: Chocolate cake
Ever since her first cake from an Easy-Bake oven, Chef Jennifer McClintick has loved baking. She completed the pastry certificate program at Baltimore International Culinary College, highlighted by a 6-week course…
Chef Jerry Osuna
Chef Jerry Osuna
Favorite Dish: Mexican Seafood
Chef Jerry has worked for a former Michelin Star-awarded chef. He also worked as a Sous Chef for Sodexo in Los Angeles and a Banquet Chef and Staff Chef for a children’s hospital. Jerry enjoys the flexibility…
Chef Jesper Jonsson
Chef Jesper Jonsson
Favorite Dish: Steak with frites and Bearnaise sauce
Chef Jesper, a 37-year industry veteran, has had the opportunity to work in eight Michelin star restaurants over the course of his career. He is a recipient of the Disciple d’Escoffier award and a board member of…
Chef Jey Kempin
Chef Jey Kempin
Favorite Dish: Seared Black Sea Bass and Oysters
Chef Jey has worked as an Executive Chef, a Sous Chef, a Catering Manager, and a Restaurant Manager. They catered for celebrities and professional athletes for New Year’s Eve 2016 in Rhinebeck, New York. They…
Chef Joe Domina
Chef Joe Domina
Favorite Dish: Braised Brest of Veal
Chef Joe has cooked for some pretty impressive VIPs, including several presidents! He’s cooked at major events like Belmont Stakes (the famous horse race in New York), the Toronto Grand Prix, and many events at…
Chef John Oechsner
Chef John Oechsner
Favorite Dish: Sourdough bread
Chef John is something of a trendsetter. His brewpub, Highland Brewing Co., opened in Atlanta in 1989—long before the craft beer boom of the 1990s and 2000s! Chef John has worked as a pastry chef, sous chef, and…
Chef John Percarpio
Chef John Percarpio
Favorite Dish: Vegan Potato Anna
Chef John has cooked for Michelin Star restaurant Palais Lenbach Otto Stasse 6 in Munchen, Germany, been an Executive Chef for country clubs and hotels, and worked in sales for Farm and Home Foods. He won Manager of…
Chef Jose Matos
Chef Jose Matos
Favorite Dish: Red wine braised beef short ribs
Award-winning Chef Jose Matos has over ten years of experience in Florida’s hotel and resort scene where he  managed staff, cut costs, and cooked for events of as many as 1,800 guests! After an earlier career in…
Chef Joseph Celmer
Chef Joseph Celmer
Favorite Dish: Anything Beef
Chef Joseph worked at a Michelin Star restaurant, as well as an Executive Chef for for British Airways and for Windsor Golf Hotel & Resort in Nairobi, Kenya. He won Chef Choice Award in Yummy Magazine, Best…
Chef Julie Cohen
Chef Julie Cohen
Favorite Dish: Triple Berry Pie
Chef Julie worked as Pastry Cook for Band of Bohemia in Ravenswood, Chicago, when the restaurant received its Michelin Star. She was also written up by EATER.com Chicago for single-handedly running a New-York-style…
Chef Juliet Makuch
Chef Juliet Makuch
Favorite Dish: Salmon Coconut Curry
Chef Juliet is a passionate culinary educator and social media marketing professional! Her experience in social media management and culinary arts has helped her career grow across both industries. Some of her…
Chef Kareen Linton
Chef Kareen Linton
Favorite Dish: Roast Duck
Chef Kareen is the CEO of A Dash of Coco, LLC. She is a recipient of multiple awards, including Disciple d’Escoffier, National Cutting Edge Award #6 by American Culinary Federation (ACF), and Top 100 Leaders in…
Chef Karla Lomeli
Chef Karla Lomeli
Favorite Dish: Sushi
Chef Karla has worked at a Michelin Star Koldo Royo restaurant in Mallorca, Spain. She was also awarded Chef Instructor of the Month while teaching at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Karla earned a…
Chef Kathee Frings
Chef Kathee Frings
Favorite Dish: Good Crawfish Etouffee
Chef Kathee has extensive experience in large event catering throughout Arizona and Indiana. She has been a personal chef and has experience in back-of-house roles as well.
Chef Kelly Brown
Chef Kelly Brown
Favorite Dish: Shrimp Alfredo
Chef Kelly brings a background as an Executive Chef and Catering Manager, as well as a personal chef. Kelly is a veteran, having spent eight years in the United States Marine Corps, and has competed in the Special…
Chef Kevin Kincaid
Chef Kevin Kincaid
Favorite Dish: Posole
Certified Executive Chef® Kevin Kincaid is the owner of Chef K Consulting where he consults on menus and operations. He has over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry and is passionate about education and…
Chef Kevin M. Quinn
Chef Kevin M. Quinn
Favorite Dish: Paella
Chef Kevin completed the American Culinary Federation Master Chefs Exam in 2014 and is an ACF Certified Executive Chef®. He is also American Culinary Federation Silver Medalist – Hot Foods. Kevin managed a…
Chef Kirk Faulkner
Chef Kirk Faulkner
Favorite Dish: A perfectly-grilled medium rare steak
Chef Kirk has been fortunate to work with many great chefs and learn from each and every one of them. He rose through the ranks and found himself as the Head Chef of a location in Arizona. During his time with the…
Chef Kirk T. Bachmann
Chef Kirk T. Bachmann
Favorite Dish: Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder…
President of the Boulder campus and Provost, Kirk is a fourth-generation chef who began his culinary journey working alongside his father, a master pastry chef. He is also the host of Escoffier’s The Ultimate…
Chef Kristina Koll
Chef Kristina Koll
Favorite Dish: Coffee!
Chef Kristina Koll has worked in the pastry arts since 2011 after graduating from The French Pastry School in Chicago. However, Chef Kris’s career began in the classroom in Chicago as a high school English…
Chef Kristyn Granahan
Chef Kristyn Granahan
Favorite Dish: Soup
Straight out of culinary school, Chef Kristyn Granahan served as the Captain of Junior Culinary Team USA aged 25 and under, training to compete in the Culinary Olympics and the Culinary World Cup. Throughout her…
Chef Krystal Dandie
Chef Krystal Dandie
Favorite Dish: Crab legs and old bay
Chef Krystal has been a Lead Cook, Lead Garde-Manger, General Manager, and Corporate Trainer at establishments across Maryland and Georgia. She’s been featured in Voyage ATL Magazine. Having been born in…
Chef Kyle Smothers
Chef Kyle Smothers
Favorite Dish: French Macarons
Award-winning baker and Pastry Chef Kyle Smothers is all about chocolate. In fact, he won the “World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” contest in Avon, Colorado in 2019! Chef Kyle’s love of baking…
Chef Leigh Copeland
Chef Leigh Copeland
Favorite Dish: Fresh Ravioli with Garlic and Olive Oil
Before joining Escoffier, Chef Leigh worked for 14 years as a private chef for a family in Atlanta. Prior to that, she worked as a butcher’s apprentice and as a chef in Atlanta restaurants including The Food…
Chef Lionel Heydel
Chef Lionel Heydel
Favorite Dish: Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chef Lionel Heydel is a classically French-trained chef who completed his culinary arts and hospitality education in Strasbourg, France. He refined his craft under Michelin Star chefs Antoine Westermann at Le…
Chef Luke Shaffer
Chef Luke Shaffer
Favorite Dish: I love a good tasting menu
Chef Luke was Chef’s Roll “Featured Instructor of the Month” in 2017, has worked as an executive chef, and has won Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Legacy Award in 2020. At the feet of his…
Chef Lyndsay Orton Pérez
Chef Lyndsay Orton Pérez
Favorite Dish: Mac & Cheese
Chef Lyndsay has channeled her interest in sustainable agriculture and affordable, healthy food into Zentorre Farms, her micro-urban aeroponic farm. After earning her culinary arts degree, Chef Lyndsay was named the…
Chef Mary Catherine Woods
Chef Mary Catherine Woods
Favorite Dish: Any type of bread
Chef Mary Catherine has worked as a Pastry Cook, Executive Pastry Chef, and Pastry Chef Instructor in renowned hotels across Georgia, California, and Texas. She served as a Pastry Cook at Brasserie Le Coze and the…
Chef Matt Kuerbis
Chef Matt Kuerbis
Favorite Dish: Spring Chinook Salmon
My dynamic career spans more than 25 years cooking and teaching in a host of exotic places (Alaska, Mexico, and Costa Rica, to name a few). I honed my cooking skills in restaurants, and after earning my…
Chef Matthew Fairfield
Chef Matthew Fairfield
Favorite Dish: Any Sushi and Sashimi
Chef Matthew was Sous Chef at Michelin Star restaurant Etoile at Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley. He has also worked as an Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine at various restaurants, as well as in yogurt and dairy…
Chef Maurietta Amos
Chef Maurietta Amos
Favorite Dish: Honey Olive Oil Cake
Chef Maurietta is a career changer who holds a degree in Business and previously worked in the field of Human Resources and Marketing. Over the course of her culinary career, she has worked in the South of France,…
Chef Maya Brown
Chef Maya Brown
Favorite Dish: Mole
Chef Maya has an array of industry experience, including doing research in a microbiology lab to create space food for astronauts, making Seth Rogen a pork chop, and conducting a few wine dinners with UFC fighter…
Chef McKenzie Dokter “MJ”
Chef McKenzie Dokter “MJ”
Favorite Dish: Pineapple Coconut Curry with Tofu & Rice
McKenzie Dokter is a chef and educator whose culinary path has been anything but conventional. Her training is deeply rooted in physically immersive experiences—she didn’t just study food, she lived it. From…
Chef Megan Irvine
Chef Megan Irvine
Favorite Dish: MIllionaire’s Shortbread
Chef Megan was born in Denver CO, just after her family emigrated from the UK. She has traveled extensively between the UK and Colorado and now lives in Boulder. She has a pastry and a musical background, having…
Chef Megan Piel
Chef Megan Piel
Favorite Dish: Grand Marnier Souffles
Chef Megan, a Midwest native, discovered her love for dessert and hospitality as a child, helping her Nana with holiday baking and setting the table. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu’s Patisserie and Baking program,…
Chef Miguel Olmedo
Chef Miguel Olmedo
Favorite Dish: Sushi
Chef Miguel competed and won several awards in the American Culinary Federation-sponsored food shows, prepared and executed banquets of up to 8,000 people, and managed various stations from the Disneyland Hotel in…
Chef Morrisa Engles
Chef Morrisa Engles
Favorite Dish: Vegan Whole Wheat Naan
Award-winning Chef Morrisa Engles combines plant-based eating with a robust yoga practice to promote her own health and the health of her clients. After experiencing the personal benefits of a plant-based diet on…
Chef NaDean Johnson
Chef NaDean Johnson
Favorite Dish: Butternut squash ravioli with sage brown…
Chef NaDean was a small business owner from 1999-2005. During this time she became a professional barista and culinary educator while running her cafe-bakery. Realizing that education and mentoring were her real…
Chef Nick Amato
Chef Nick Amato
Favorite Dish: Thai Panang Curry
After testing the waters in a desk job, Nick felt that something was lacking, and this was not the career path for him. This is when his professional culinary adventure began, which eventually led him to opening…
Chef Patrick Guerra
Chef Patrick Guerra
Favorite Dish: Risotto with Asparagus and Taleggio Cheese
Certified Executive Chef® Patrick Guerra is an accomplished international chef with a proven track record of delivering unique culinary experiences around the globe. He has held leadership roles as executive chef…
Chef Pietro Vitelli
Chef Pietro Vitelli
Favorite Dish: PHO
Competition-winning Chef Pietro has been cooking and teaching in the Pheonix, Arizona area for over 20 years. In addition to long tenures at Lon’s at the Hermosa and M Culinary Concepts, Chef Pietro has been a…
Chef Rachel Cuzzone
Chef Rachel Cuzzone
Favorite Dish: Homemade Pasta and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chef Rachel was a bakeshop owner, a Resident Chef at Sur La Table, and an assistant to the U.S. Pastry Olympic Team in France. In 2014, she won second place at the Pastry Live Student Chocolate Challenge. Rachel…
Chef Rachel Rancourt-Hobbs
Chef Rachel Rancourt-Hobbs
Favorite Dish: Chicken Korma
Chef Rachel brings experience as an Executive Chef, General Manager, Manager of Guest Cuisine, and Baker. Besides her culinary arts degree, she also has a Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in…
Chef Rich Harvey
Chef Rich Harvey
Favorite Dish: Softshell blue crabs any way!
Chef Rich has over 25 years of experience in the food industry, including cooking for a variety of different celebrities and professional athletes. He was also a chef-owner of his own two establishments. Throughout…
Chef Robyn McArthur
Chef Robyn McArthur
Favorite Dish: Gumbo
Executive Chef Robyn has worked in management roles at restaurants that achieved five stars and five diamonds, as well as the opportunity to cook at the James Beard House. She’s served as a chef de cuisine, a…
Chef Ryan Hodros
Chef Ryan Hodros
Favorite Dish: Chicken Paprikash
Chef Ryan fell in love with the culinary world while serving in the U.S. Navy as a Chinese linguist. Cooking and baking are great ways to let go of life’s worries for a short while and make something…
Chef Sarah Hinderliter
Chef Sarah Hinderliter
Favorite Dish: Tamales
Chef Sarah has worked with 7-time nominated James Beard Chef Scott Crawford at Crawford & Son and Jolie Restaurant, both in Raleigh, NC. She currently owns and operates her own business, Sal’s of Southern…
Chef Sarah Jardine
Chef Sarah Jardine
Favorite Dish: Pho
Chef Sarah Jardine is known for her leadership and creativity in the kitchen. She rose quickly to the role of executive chef at Corner, the restaurant at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas, where she excelled in…
Chef Scott Cohen
Chef Scott Cohen
Favorite Dish: I love sushi!
Certified Executive Chef® Scott Cohen has over 40 years in the industry, has cooked at the James Beard House, and is a cookbook author. He is Executive Chef at the 4-diamond Las Canarias at Omni La Mansion del Rio,…
Chef Scott Shoyer
Chef Scott Shoyer
Favorite Dish: Seared Scallops and Wild Mushroom Risotto
Chef Scott has worked as an Executive Chef and Sous Chef in restaurants across Austin, Texas. While working for Chef David Bull, he accompanied the chef to the James Beard House when he was asked to cook there….
Chef Shontia Rivers M.S.
Chef Shontia Rivers M.S.
Favorite Dish: Crème Brulee
Chef Shontia brings an exciting background as a Food and Beverage Manager for various hotel brands, a Traveling Chef, and a Catering Director. She holds degrees in both the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management….
Chef Sofia Forde
Chef Sofia Forde
Favorite Dish: Ceviche
Chef Sofia has held roles as an Executive Chef, Catering Manager, and Lead Line Cook in restaurants across Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as well as for Hotel Mirador in Mexico. Passionate about global cuisines,…
Chef Stefanie Bishop-Schmidt
Chef Stefanie Bishop-Schmidt
Favorite Dish: Sourdough with quality salted butter and…
Chef Stefanie worked for Daniel Boulud in two of his restaurants in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the winter Olympics in 2010. Her most recent positions included Pastry Chef at the Art Institute of Chicago and…
Chef Stephen Rafferty
Chef Stephen Rafferty
Favorite Dish: Whatever is requested or that I’m tinkering…
Certified Executive Chef® Stephen Rafferty is also a Level I Sommelier. He owned Yellow Submarine Catering, which catered for crowds up to 300, providing onsite cooking and service for weddings, birthdays, City…
Chef Steve Sabatino
Chef Steve Sabatino
Favorite Dish: Pizza
Certified Executive Chef® Steve cooked for President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton and gave Muhammad Ali a kitchen tour at Madison Square Garden. He was Owner and Chef for the catering company The…
Chef Susan Kaiser Yurish
Chef Susan Kaiser Yurish
Favorite Dish: duck breast
General Education Department Chair at Escoffier, Chef Susan has over 20 years of industry experience and has served as an educator, a consultant, a Director of Catering, and a business owner. She founded…
Chef Suzanne Lasagna
Chef Suzanne Lasagna
Favorite Dish: Warm brownie sundae with hot fudge, vanilla…
Chef Suzanne has been an Executive Chef, Banquet and Catering Chef, Food and Beverage Director, and Front of House Server Trainer. She also worked as a Culinary Arts Program Coordinator. Suzanne is passionate about…
Chef Suzanne Prendergast
Chef Suzanne Prendergast
Favorite Dish: Depends on the season!
Chef Suzanne brings over 20 years of culinary industry experience in such roles as an Executive Chef, business owner, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. As an entrepreneur, she started her own catering…
Chef Tammie Barnhill
Chef Tammie Barnhill
Favorite Dish: Coconut Cream Pie
At 4-years-old, Chef Tammie was helping her single mother with three kids cook breakfast for the boarding house she ran. She’s been cooking ever since — from being head cook in her family-owned restaurant to…
Chef Tracy DeWitt
Chef Tracy DeWitt
Favorite Dish: Brownies
Chef Tracy has appeared on the popular TV show “Food Network Challenge” on 5 different occasions, walking away with two gold medals and one silver medal. She was the captain of the gold medal-winning…
Chef Vicki Berger
Chef Vicki Berger
Favorite Dish: Sushi
Award-winning Chef Vicki made the decision to change careers and pursue her dream of becoming a Pastry Chef in 2001. Her first job was as Assistant Pastry Chef at St. Louis Country Club, training under Executive…
Felix Lujan
Felix Lujan
Favorite Dish: Breakfast tacos
Felix Lujan is an experienced education instructor bringing knowledge of budgeting, event planning, customer service, and strategy in the hospitality industry. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree focused in…
Kate Diehl
Kate Diehl
Favorite Dish:
I have always loved Psychology, it fascinates me. We use the theories and methods daily, unconsciously sometimes. Studying the “why” behind people gives me a better understanding on how to interact and…
Kristen Kish
Kristen Kish
Favorite Dish: Takeout chicken fingers with french fries,…
Kristen is also the chef/partner of Arlo Grey in Austin, TX, the host/producer of Restaurants at the End of the World on National Geographic/Disney+, and creator of KISH Aperitif. A Korean adoptee raised in…
Liz Matthiesen-Jones
Liz Matthiesen-Jones
Favorite Dish: Cheese souffle accompanied by a Caesar salad
Liz Matthiesen-Jones has 30+ years’ experience in international marketing, advertising, strategic planning, and research. She’s worked in the U.S., Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and the…
Shelly Travers Smith
Shelly Travers Smith
Favorite Dish: Risotto
Shelly is a nutrition expert and registered dietitian with over 20 years of industry experience. She’s used her expertise to develop and teach lessons on nutrition at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts,…
Zoe Davis
Zoe Davis
Favorite Dish: Bistec Torta
Zoe Davis loves working with adult learners because they bring so much knowledge and expertise to the classroom. She enjoys watching students draw connections between the course materials, their experiences, and…
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