The Women in Culinary Program aims to empower our female culinarians through exposure to amazing executive and culinary leaders within the organization, dedicated leadership and development programs, and an annual conference.
This year we recognize and celebrate our incredible female culinarians during our 2022 Women in Culinary Chef Challenge hosted at Johnson & Wales Charlotte Campus on March 7 – 9.
TABLE OF CONTENTS THE CHEFS B e t h At k i n so n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 S h o r n a l e e B a n e r j e e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 J ess i ca B a r n es .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 A r i e l C a cc i a g l i a .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A m a n d a C a te n a cc i o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 I r m a C h e u n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 L a u ra Co m e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Pa u l i n e L a m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Aca c i a Ore l l a n a .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 L i n d say Pe e p l es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 M i c h e l l e Re u te r .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 C a r r i e R i c h a rd so n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 A l i ce Se o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 M a r i a n n e Zd o bysz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
THE PANELIST C h ef C h ef C h ef C h ef
S i m o n e By ro n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E i n av G efe n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A l l i so n Tr i n k l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J e n n i fe r Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chefs THE
Beth Atkinson Executive Chef
Beth is currently the Executive Chef with Unidine, working with Trinity Healthcare out of South Bend, IN at St. Paul’s and Holy Cross Campuses since 2019. In the past 20 years she has worked for a local tribal casino, Fourwinds, for 9 years. While there she opened the New Buffalo Hardrock Restaurant and opened the South Bend Location. Earlier in my carrier Beth worked 6 years for Centerplate out of South Bend and was able to travel to various locations to assist with catering events. The most memorable was the NRA convention in Louisville, KY for 6,000 members. In Beth’s personal time she enjoys RVing with her husband Jason. Last year they were able to travel to Tennessee and this year Pennsylvania. They are also avid fans of Notre Dame College Hockey and are season ticket holders. Additionally, they have two fur doggies, Giner and Olive.
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Shornalee Banerjee Sous Chef
Shornalee is a Sous Chef with FLIK, Compass Group at Freddie Mac since April 2018. She has lived in Northern Virginia for the last 18 years with her husband and two doting daughters. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India. She owes much of her love and passion for cooking to her family, especially her mother and grandfather. Her culinary training at Mumbai’s prestigious Sophia College almost did not happen. She was born with a minor birth defect with two short fingers and the absence of joints in one finger, on her right hand. Her Dean at the college had serious concerns about her succeeding in her chosen career and she was asked to leave. What clinched the deal? Her determination to give her all before giving up saw her successfully accomplish her Hotel Administration and Food Technology course with flying colors. Her career has spanned across 2 continents and yes, the Atlantic Ocean! She has been a part of one of Asia’s largest flight kitchens, Disney Cruise Lines and Harris Teeter. She is passionate about eliminating food waste in the various sectors of the hospitality industry. She is a voracious reader, loves to potter in her backyard; growing vegetables she likes to cook and spend quality time with her family and friends.
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Jessica Barnes Sr. Executive Chef
Jessica is the Executive Chef at the MODA Center, home of the Portland Trailblazers NBA team with Levy Restaurants. She started with the Trailblazers in 2014 and is currently working her 8th season with the franchise. She earned her first Executive Chef title with the St. Louis Cardinals, working through her first season and a World Series win in 2012. She then moved to Seattle to work with the Seahawks, with the team making Super Bowl history in 2014 with their first Super Bowl win. Jessica has always loved professional sports and enjoys the dynamic and excitement of stadium and arena work. Jessica holds two culinary degrees from the Culinary Institute of America in Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry. After graduating from Hyde Park, New York Jessica moved to Dublin, Ireland and then onto London, England with the Four Seasons. Returning to the states, she worked with Angele Restaurant in Napa Valley, California before joining the culinary team in Yosemite National Park. Jessica currently resides in Dundee, Oregon and enjoys watching her chickens in the grass with her 9-year-old son, Kevin.
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Ariel Cacciaglia Executive Chef
Ariel is the Executive Chef at Clay County for Touchpoint. Prior to this role she worked for Manhattanville College Chartwells Higher Ed. Ariel has been with Compass Group for 4 years and previously worked for Hilton Hotels. Throughout this time, she worked her way up from line cook to Executive Sous Chef. Ariel is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and currently resides in Florida. She has a 2-year-old son. Ariel loves cooking and being able to do what she loves as a career.
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Amanda Catenaccio Chef
Fans of food shows, celebrity chef competitions, and morning TV might easily recognize Amanda Catenaccio, CulinArt’s Executive Chef at Kering Americas in Wayne, N.J. That’s because she has appeared on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” season 11 and on a “Good Day New York” cooking segment with Rosanna Scotto; she even took the top prize in a Celebrity Chef Cook-off that raised money for breast cancer. Amanda was also the former executive catering chef in NYC at ABC/Disney, cooking for the cast, crew, and on-air talent for the shows filmed on site. Amanda also had the pleasure of cooking for Tamron Hall’s premiere party. Amanda is also a former culinary arts instructor where she taught for 4 years at The Star Career Academy in Newark, N.J. In March 2020, she brought her expertise into leading dining services at Kering, the U.S. arm of a French conglomerate of luxury fashion, jewelry, and eyewear brands (think Gucci, Saint Laurent, Boucheron). When Amanda is not cooking or thinking about food, she can easily be found at a good craft brewery or driving her oversized Jeep Wrangler through the mud!
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Irma Cheung Sous Chef
Irma was born and raised in Venezuela. Her parents are Chinese, and she speaks 3 languages which are Cantonese, Spanish and English fluently. At the age of 18, Irma came to the United States for college. She had such a great time during her college years as she was able to travel to Lectoure, France for a 3-month long internship. After graduating, Irma took part in a program that offered volunteer jobs to help graduates gain culinary experience. After a few volunteer positions with various places Irma was sent to Lincoln Center where a Black Culinary Alliance (BCA) event was taking place. At this event Irma met a Chef that asked if she was looking for a job; she said of course I am and received the Chefs business card. Irma called the Chef the next day and the rest is history. The connection Irma made that day has resulted in a 16year career with RA where she started as a banquet cook. Throughout the tenure of Irma’s career, she has supported over 36 units and counting which include special events, openings, and tastings.
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Laura Comer Executive Chef
Laura is a Kansas City native and 2002 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Conservatory of Music and Dance. Directly after graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, where she earned her A.O.S. in Culinary Arts and Le Cordon Bleu Diploma in 2004 from California School of Culinary Arts. She has worked in both sweet and savory kitchens, and for multiple, nationally acclaimed restaurants including Bluestem, 40 Sardines, and the Fairmont-Kansas City. Laura was Executive Pastry Chef at Trezo Mare and Trezo Vino, Justus Drugstore, and the McClain Restaurant Group then went on to be the Regional Chef for Treat America. She is currently the Executive Chef at The Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO. In 2018, she was named Chef of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, and in 2020 and 2021, she was a finalist for Best Chef KC in both The Pitch and Kansas City Magazine. She is also a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International. Recently, Laura appeared on season 28 of Guy’s Grocery Games on Food Network and won on the ABC Mania episode. Laura resides in a suburb of Kansas City with her two sons, Donovan (18), and Ronan (11).
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Pauline Lam Executive Chef
Bay Area Chef, Pauline has spent most of her career as a Pastry Chef with the background to prove it. Born in Hong Kong and raised in the Bay Area she attended the Le Cordon Bleu in London. She learned from greats like Sherry Yard at Spago in Beverly Hills and Thomas Keller at the Bouchon Bakery and was Pastry Chef at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Palo Alto. Pauline began her career with Compass Group as the Executive Pastry Chef at Google and expanded that program for nearly a decade before making the move to savory as Chef de Cuisine of Root Cafe at Google. Since her time at Google, she has taken on the roles of Executive Pastry Chef for the Grand Hyatt Kauai, general manager of Kauai Kookie, as well as running Malolo, her own underground popup dinners and catering company in Kaua. Pauline can now be found at SJSU as the Campus Executive Chef where she oversees all the daily operations for the multiple lines of business on campus.
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Acacia Orellana Executive Chef
Acacia is a Rhode Island native and the youngest of four children. She has many hobbies which include hiking, cooking, Pilates, traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with my family. She gained her love for hospitality from growing up cooking in her home kitchen next to her mom and siblings. One of her favorite traditions was, and still is, having family dinner every night. This taught her food isn’t just about nourishment but it’s a culture to inspire creativity, community, and memories. Acacia began working in a restaurant in 2008 while completing her senior year in high school. From there she went directly to Johnson & Wales University in Providence to pursue her love of cooking and graduated in 2010 with a degree in culinary arts. Acacia worked her way up through restaurants from hostess to Sous Chef for Newport Harbor Corporation. After ten years of employment with NHC, she began a new journey in Boston, MA as Sous Chef at Liberty Mutual Insurance with Eurest. Acacia has grown to love working in business and industry dining and has since gained experience as a Chef Manager with the Citizens Bank portfolio. In her most recent role, Acacia has been working as portfolio Executive Chef for TJX in Framingham, MA and cannot wait to continue her growth within Compass Group.
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Lindsey Peeples Regional Executive Chef
Lindsey learned very early as a small child the art of cooking from family members. She was always in the kitchen. As she became older, she entered the University of Arizona, Tucson, and as freshman she became the captain of the soccer team that eventually won a Pac 10 Championship. As an All-American soccer player her penchant for food never waned. After graduation, she enrolled into culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. Successfully finishing, she went to work for DreamWorks Animation Studios and then got and amazing opportunity to travel and cater abroad in Istanbul, Turkey. She then came back and entered the arena of restaurant fine dining and became the Executive Chef for a fine dining Jazz Restaurant in Pasadena, CA. After getting a thorough taste of the restaurant industry, she made her way into culinary for healthcare where she found her calling. Lindsey Peeples is an extremely capable and confident Executive Chef who performs her duties as the Regional Chef for Morrison Healthcare. Those duties are inclusive of coordinating the daily parameters for the efficient function of the Good Samaritan Hospital. Working with a dedicated team at Good Samaritan, she was able to lead and receive the Account of the Year in 2021.
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Michelle Reuter Director of Operations
Michelle is the Director of Operations for Bon Appetit Management Company at Emory University. She has been with Compass Group since 2006, and BAMCO since 2014. Her culinary career started in Phoenix, AZ in sports and entertainment, with Levy Restaurants. Her goal while studying at Scottsdale Culinary Institute was to become a chef and travel. Upon graduating, her career of being a chef began and she travelled the country, supporting large events. Nascar, golf tournaments, Super Bowls, and the U.S. Open are some experiences that are unforgettable. Through her travels, Michelle found my niche in catering and event organization and execution. Sustainable practices and working with local artisans and farmers continue to fuel Michelle’s passion for this industry. Bon Appetit Management Company have given her the ability to blend her niche of catering with her passion for local and sustainable practices. She gets to create a truly one-of-a-kind experiences for our guests, with a team of talented, and equally passionate, culinarians. When Michelle is not cooking, tasting, or dreaming food, she enjoys reading, and from time to time, a 5k.
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Carrie Richardson Executive Chef
Carrie is graduate of Texas Culinary Academy and Wayland Baptist University. She started her career in the US Navy in 2000, served 4 years as an Aviation Electronics Technician. She then went on to Culinary School to pursue her love for food and creativity. After culinary school, Carrie worked in restaurants and casinos until she found her most rewarding and beneficial place in Child Nutrition. Since her journey began in Child Nutrition, she has been involved with the start of multiple programs including a supper program to feed students after school, grants for new kitchen equipment, student choice events, Discovery Kitchen and Mood Boost programs teaching our youth the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, and many more. Carrie was nominated and awarded as one of Five Chefs as “Heroes Behind The Food” in the US for Chartwells K12, for her response to the pandemic. Most recently she has been awarded as a Culinary Leader of the Year in her region in Chartwells K12. Her work with the Wichita Falls community has become invaluable.
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Alice Seo District Manager
Alice’s curiosity for food began while spending time in the kitchen watching her mother and father create family meals from scratch. Born in Ohio and raised in Korea, Alice first set out to work in the global health industry enjoying cooking as a hobby. Her background in wellness influenced her approach to cooking, creating nutritious food that is both healthy and environmentally conscious. After traveling and working in South-East Asia, she wanted to turn cooking into a career. Receiving a scholarship for culinary school and working in restaurants, Alice found that a position in catering better suited her skillset allowing her to create end-to-end culinary experiences for all occasions. In 2014, Alice joined the Seattle Wolfgang Puck Catering team and now oversees the district. Alice takes inspiration from her background in public health and her experience with global cuisine to create delicious, exciting wellbalanced meals and experiences.
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Marianne Zdobysz Executive Chef
Chef Marianne is a contemporary American chef who has been using ethnically diverse ingredients and creative cooking methods throughout her acclaimed career. Chef Marianne began to fall in love with the kitchen through her travels up and down the coast, gaining invaluable experience in acclaimed restaurants from Seattle to Los Angeles. The West Coast proved to be the perfect breeding ground for Zdobysz’s budding culinary curiosity. Chef
Marianne
has
been
untethered
by
culinary
definitions since 1990 and is originally from Maryland. Her culinary journey began in Seattle where she was classically trained and eventually became a successful entrepreneur for 20 years. Marianne started working in healthcare in 2016 and has had a virtuous passion for taking care of others ever since.
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Panelist THE
Chef Simone Byron Owner/Founder
Chef Simone Byron has been in the hospitality industry since her junior year in high school. She fell in love with cooking from an early age, while under the tutelage of her mother and older brother, both culinary enthusiasts. Chef Byron’s family has a deep-rooted history in culinary arts. Her great grandfather was the first African- American caterer in Bronx, NY, and was also the Head Chef for the Black Star Line in the 1800’s. Through hard work and determination, Chef Byron completed her Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts Management from the Art Institute of Atlanta. While studying for her degree, she traveled abroad to Italy and Switzerland to broaden her scope in the hospitality industry. Upon graduation, Chef Byron was awarded a marketing internship with Disney Worldwide through the ESPN Zone of Atlanta, and later became a full-time employee. After 4 years with Disney, Chef Byron took on an opportunity with Compass Group becoming the youngest catering manager in the company’s southeast region. After 2 years with Compass Group, she was promoted to Chef Manager and awarded the manager of the year for exceptional leadership and management.
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Chef Einav Gefen SVP Chef Innovator & Head of Culinary
Garnering the reputation as a national leader in foodservice and retail foods, Chef Einav Gefen joined Restaurant Associates in 2021 as Chef | Innovator supporting the company’s continued path of quality, innovation, growth, and purpose. Gefen comes over from Unilever, where she began as Corporate Head Chef in 2008 and moved to Corporate Executive Chef in 2016. While there, she led a team of chefs charged with innovation development, product rejuvenation, consumer activations, and deployment of global projects. Gefen is an accredited contributor to Art & Cook, published in November 2003, which received illustrious reviews as both a cookbook and an art collection. From 2003-2008 Chef Einav was an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan—where she trained aspiring chefs in all aspects of cooking and presentation. In addition, Gefen has held a TED Talk and competed on the acclaimed Food Network’s “Chopped.”
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Chef Allison Trinkle VP of Culinary Development & Supplier Diversity
Allison is a classically trained chef with over 25 years of experience, spanning fine-dining restaurants, luxury hotels and contract food service. Currently, she is the Vice President of Culinary Development and Supplier Diversity for Chartwells Higher Education. In this role Allison ensures all Chartwells chefs have opportunities for development and training as well as advancement. Additionally, she ensures an increase in the number of diverse suppliers that celebrate women and minority owned businesses. Allison is the Chartwells liaison for Compass Women in Culinary and hosts bi-monthly calls to empower, engage and celebrate the women chefs of Chartwells. In her spare time Allison loves to travel internationally, relax on her boat, and entertain family and friends with her wife, Lucy.
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Chef Jennifer Cox VP of Culinary
Chef Jennifer Cox has a 30-year career in foodservice and hospitality, with a multilayered focus on all business types: restaurants, hotels, sports and entertainment and large-scale events. Chef Cox began her time with Levy Restaurants in 1998 as the Executive Chef of Montage in San Francisco and played an instrumental role in developing the culinary vision and running the operation of this new Levy venture. The restaurant received critical acclaim and she was invited to cook as a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York. Chef Cox left Montage in 2001 to continue her path in the culinary landscape with a variety of roles: Chef de Cuisine at Citizen Cake working with Celebrity Chef Elizabeth Falkner; Concept Development Chef for Compass Group; Director of Culinary for Joie de Vivre Hotels. In 2011, Jennifer returned to Levy as the Vice President of Culinary, developing a culinary vision blending strategy and creativity, bringing the right balance of standardization and customization, and capitalizing on Levy’s restaurateur heritage, applying it to the broad range of Sports and Entertainment operations. Currently, Chef Cox leads the culinary vision for Levy as the Vice President of Culinary-Midwest and Canada and is the Executive Chef and Director of Hospitality in the President’s Suite at the US Open Tennis Tournament.
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to our Supplier Partners!
