Kathleen Ahearn

Vice President of Academic Affairs

Favorite Dish: Thanksgiving Dinner

For Journalists & Food Writers

"Be so good they can't ignore you."

Steve Martin

About

Kathleen Ahearn serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Escoffier. An experienced academic leader, she is dedicated to building strong culinary communities by fostering collaboration between students and faculty and supporting ongoing professional development. She is also a certified Sommelier, bringing deep knowledge of beverage education and service to Escoffier’s academic programs.

Kathleen has been actively involved with the American Culinary Federation for many years, serving as Vice President of the Augusta, Georgia chapter and as Chair of the Internal Audit Committee.

Read blog articles written with Kathleen Ahearn.

Honors & Awards

  • Chapter Chef of the Year, 2022 - American Culinary Federation Augusta Chapter
  • ACF Cutting Edge Award, 2022 - American Culinary Federation
  • Educator of the Year: Southeast Region, 2016 - American Culinary Federation
  • Educator of the Year Nominee, 2014 - Career Education Corporation

Certifications & Affiliations

  • ACF Certified Executive Chef®
  • ACF Certified Culinary Educator®
  • Sommelier, Introductory Level - Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas

Professional EXPERIENCE

  • Internal Audit Committee Chair - American Culinary Federation
  • Vice President of Augusta, GA Chapter -American Culinary Federation
  • Director of Education - Helms College
  • Culinary Arts Lead Instructor/Department Chair - Le Cordon Bleu
  • Teaching Chef, Dept. of Cultural Affairs - City of Chicago
  • Culinary Education Programs Procurement Manager, The Art Institutes

Education

  • Master's of Education, Educational Leadership and Organizational Administration - American InterContinental University
  • Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS), Culinary Arts - Illinois Institute of Art
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Financial Accounting and Business Administration - Illinois State University

In The News

Escoffier Celebrates 2,700+ Online Culinary Graduates

PR Newswire, 12/22/2025

Escoffier Named to Newsweek's Top Online Learning Providers 2026 List for Fourth Time, Earns Exclusive Culinary Educator Spot and 5-Star Rating

PR Newswire, 11/25/2025

Special Interests

DIY projects (I love figuring stuff out), gardening, relaxing on a beach, shopping for antique decor, and attending my kids’ football and volleyball games.

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