Profile

Steven Walk, CEC, CCA

Kent State University

Contact Details

Kent State University

Bio

Steven D Walk WCMC, CEC, CCA, FMP

I started working in this business as a dishwasher.  By the time I was 16 I became a lead line cook at a steakhouse in Alliance Ohio.  At this age the only thing I knew was that I hated school and did not want to go to college, but I really enjoyed cooking.  So for my Junior and Senior year of high school I went to the vocational school to study Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management.  The plan was still to avoid college at all costs.  My Chef Instructor my senior year strongly encouraged me to look at going for my Associates degree and insisted that I at least go look at The Culinary Institute of America and Johnson and Wales.  I go as far as Hyde Park NY on the campus of the Culinary Institute of America and I was sold, this was the place for me.  The winter of 1990 I received my fancy white coat, medallion and my AOS in Culinary Arts.

I was then on to Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio as their Catering Chef.  My parents graduated from there and after I worked there my younger brother and sister also attended AU.   From there it was on to Pittsburgh where I started on the line at a 5 star restaurant on top of Mt Washington overlooking the city.  I aggressively perused moving up in the kitchen ranks and landed a job at the Vista International Hotel downtown Pittsburgh, from there became the Sous Chef at the Embassy Suites Hotel by the Pittsburgh Airport.  I spent some time there working a lot on learning Garde Manger work starting to develop skills in fruit, vegetable and Ice carving.  During this time I also started work part time at a local ice house working with a Master Ice Carver to fine tune my skills.  I moved onto Executive Chef at a local Holiday Inn.  After that I got into working the College and University Segment of the food and beverage industry as District Executive Chef for Marriott Management Services, Regional Executive Chef for Bon Appetite Management Company.  My final stop in the Pittsburgh area was Executive Chef at St Vincent College which is the location for the Steelers Training Camp.

I moved west for a once in a lifetime opportunity to start and develop a Culinary Arts Program at Walla Walla Community College and was there for about 7 years where I obtained ACF Program Accreditation .  Then it was on to Washington State University where I was Associate Director of Culinary Operations for 5 years. From there I moved to be the Executive Chef of the Coeur D’ Alene Casino where I was for almost 6 years.  Then I had to explore an area I never worked and became the Executive Chef at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital in Spokane.  A level 1 Trauma center with 640 beds I got the opportunity to learn a lot.  I just recently moved home to Ohio to become Campus Executive Chef at Kent State University.