“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?”
The joy of cooking has been passed down to Chef Kimberly’s two children. Her daughter Bianca cooks regularly for her family and is like her brother Brock, always trying and sourcing new flavors and recipes. Food brings and gives life. Breaking bread with people creates a hospitable and positive environment that is sorely needed today. What an awesome responsibility as Chefs to create and provide the vehicle of food to do so! Chef Kimberly’s belief in the power of positive thinking has carried her through this culinary journey. Being open and receptive to all people and changes, being focused on helping others succeed, and giving back to those who seek help and guidance is what drives Chef Kimberly today. If Chef Kimberly was considering what her legacy in this industry would be it would be that she wanted to be a positive example of possibilities. Turning the perception of a negative into a positive. Being in position to take advantage of opportunities. Leaning into situations as they arise and not staying silent. Helping others to have a seat at the table and an open door to get there. n
— Martin Luther King III
In this male dominated industry, Chef Kimberly became more aware of the lack of leadership from women & people of color. Some of this due to the “good ol’ boys being good ol’ boys, but also because the lack of confidence or opportunities wasted or the lack of support for our families and professional lives. It is hard to take a leadership role of working 10 or more hours a day when you have babies that need you to care for them. Having the support of family, be it blood or not, is key to a successful career. Being a Mom and a Chef is an endeavor of love for the industry and your family. Time spent with either becomes a balancing act of quality vs quantity. The industry is more aware of work, life, and balance as it is still struggling to regroup during this pandemic. So just talking or complaining about the lack of representation was not enough. Chef Kimberly acted and decided to be of service, to help meet the needs our students, women and people of color. Representation matters, but so does certification, education, experience and opportunities. To be the change she wanted to see, Chef Kimberly took advantage of the opportunity and ran for National President. She could not teach and mentor others to be all they could be if she let this opportunity pass as had all the requirements needed to do so. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter most.”
— Martin Luther King III
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