Jacqueline Orak, Dean of the Culinary & Hospitality Division, and Instructor at the Culinary Institute of the South has been in the hospitality field for over twenty years.
In that time, she has managed to be a chef, pastry chef, director of catering and event planner, culinary arts instructor, and a General Manager of multiple restaurants and Sommelier. Having done these various positions has enabled her to truly understand the operational flow from kitchen to guest satisfaction. At the same time, she has enriched her education to become a sommelier to help her guests enjoy the most eloquent pairing of wine and food. Chef Orak has resided in Charleston for over twenty-five years providing her a true appreciation for southern hospitality, cooking, baking, and patisserie.
Chef Orak attended the highly acclaimed Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, earning Associate Degrees in both Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry. Chef Orak ventured on to receive a bachelor’s in Hospitality Management before ultimately securing a Master’s in Business Administration in Global Business Marketing from the Providence campus of Johnson & Wales University. She also attended the German Wine School in Koblenz, Germany, and graduated with Grand Distinction Honors.
Chef Orak has worked in some of the finest bakeshops in the southeast such as The Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC), Highlands Country Club (Highlands, NC), and the five-star / five-diamond Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Kiawah Island, SC). Chef Orak is a Certified Working Pastry Chef through the American Culinary Federation. On the contrary, she has successfully run and managed Fish Restaurant (Charleston, SC), High Cotton (Charleston, SC), and Hamptons Restaurant (Sumter, SC). One of her many accomplishments was in June 2015, when she was invited as Sommelier with Chef Nico Romo to prepare a six-course meal with wine pairings at the exclusive James Beard House in New York City.
Having mastered the many aspects of the culinary and hospitality field, Chef Orak felt it was time to disseminate her vast knowledge to future chefs. Her passion for the industry shows through her excitement and production of products in the bakeshop at the new Culinary Institute of the South at the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Chef Orak can help students glimpse into the future to learn what the culinary world demands of a new chef. To quote Alton Brown, “The kitchen’s a laboratory, and everything that happens there has to do with science.” That is ultimately what happens with flour, water, yeast, and salt! Magic!
–From the Academic Spotlight, Fall 2024 edition
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