Jerry L. McDonald
Senior Executive Culinary Officer with over 16 years of food industry experience.
Jerry is an innovative Senior Executive Culinary Officer with over 16 years of food industry experience and business skills that reach far beyond the kitchen. As a highly-decorated and well-respected culinarian and member of the Research Chefs' Association, Jerry has seen success in all spheres of the foodservice industry (Independent Restaurants, Hotels, Country Clubs, Multi-Concept Operations, Chain Restaurants, and Food Manufacturing).
Jerry was able to grasp culinary concepts and began creating his own recipes at an early age. His passion for food and natural ability and desire to learn became apparent when working alongside his mother in the kitchen, helping her to prepare dinner parties for her executive peers. By age eight, Jerry was making quiche and scratch soups and sauces.
After several jobs in foodservice and two years pursuing other educational interests, Jerry decided to pursue a professional culinary career and obtained a culinary degree from Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. Jerry's thirst for knowledge and natural abilities allowed him great success throughout his education. Jerry was elected as Representative to the Columbus Chapter of the American Culinary Federation Board and had achieved the title of Executive Sous Chef before graduating.
Jerry was able to grasp culinary concepts and began creating his own recipes at an early age. His passion for food and natural ability and desire to learn became apparent when working alongside his mother in the kitchen, helping her to prepare dinner parties for her executive peers. By age eight, Jerry was making quiche and scratch soups and sauces.
After several jobs in foodservice and two years pursuing other educational interests, Jerry decided to pursue a professional culinary career and obtained a culinary degree from Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. Jerry's thirst for knowledge and natural abilities allowed him great success throughout his education. Jerry was elected as Representative to the Columbus Chapter of the American Culinary Federation Board and had achieved the title of Executive Sous Chef before graduating.
In addition to receiving a culinary degree, Jerry also completed a formal apprenticeship through the American Culinary Federation, while working for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (a multi-concept operator based in Columbus, Ohio). While working for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants [CMR], Jerry was exposed to many high-volume upscale and casual/upscale concepts (Cameron's, Cap City Diner, Martini, Columbus Brewing Company, Mitchell's Fish Market, and Mitchell's Steakhouse) from menu and concept development through training and roll out. Highly successful within CMR's rapidly-growing company, Jerry received "Most Improved Manager Of The Year" honors from the company in 1998.
After his years with CMR, Jerry sought experience in hotels and left to become the Executive Sous Chef of the Crowne Plaza and Loft's hotels in downtown Columbus. Jerry earned the title of Executive Chef within a month and was managing the seven food outlets of the two hotels. While this hotel experience was brief, it was an opportunity to manage multiple food outlets, including banquet services and the opening of a new hotel restaurant, named Fusion. In addition to his work within the hotel, he won a Bronze Medal at the International Food Show-Mystery Box Competition in 1999.
Jerry continued to expand his base of knowledge and experience in the areas of product and menu development for the chain restaurant company, Bob Evans. As Product Development Chef for Bob Evans, Jerry researched and developed many successful menu items and programs, including a new children's menu which won the Nation's Restaurant News award in 2002. This large restaurant-chain experience allowed him to develop a new set of skills, involving the scale-up of recipes from scratch recipes to manufacturing quantities and qualities and the scale-up of menu items from concept to market. This experience also exposed him to a vast number of new career opportunities within the chain-restaurant operator industry, developing strong relationships with food manufacturers and restaurant chains nationwide.
After leaving Bob Evans, Jerry pursued research and development from the supplier/ manufacturer side, and accepted the position of Senior Corporate Chef with National Food Products. In this position, he worked to develop new product offerings internally and worked to develop both new products and new menu items externally for many of the top 200 restaurant chains in the United States. Having the outgoing and professional personality and expertise necessary, Jerry fulfilled and exceeded responsibilities of the dual position, Senior Corporate Chef and a National Account Manager for National Food Products.
With the focus of National Food Products being mostly vegetable-based side dishes, Jerry continued to acquire knowledge in to both the art and science of working with vegetables. To this day, he is viewed as an industry expert in the area potatoes, from the field through processing, and on to the consumer. As his knowledge base expanded, his spheres of influence within National Food Products grew as well. Jerry was promoted to Chief Culinary Officer, and was key in helping direct the transition of the company to a new name, Viands Concerted.
As Chief Culinary Officer and a member of the Executive Advisory Group, Jerry was responsible for sales and sales growth of national chain accounts, culinary focus, product research and development, quality assurance and control, safety and sanitation, and imaging based on culinary trends. In addition, he partnered to develop a Quality Manual and HACCP plan to meet ISO requirements, two patent-pending food processing innovations (including business plan development for the innovations), sales and marketing materials for new innovations (including press releases, customer materials, logo development), and the organizational website (www.viandsconcerted.com). In this position, Jerry made use of his culinary, quality/food safety, sales, marketing, and managerial skill sets on a much larger scale.
After four years with National Food Products / Viands Concerted, Jerry chose to take the greatest step possible, and founded Komaza, a foodservice-based, minority-owned consulting company. This partnership offered opportunity for Jerry to work closely with other highly-successful foodservice industry professionals to offer a wide range of skill sets and experiences to a much greater clientele. This opportunity allowed him to experience the highest-quality products offered by JES Foods, and his enthusiasm in JES Foods' products and services drove him to join the JES Foods team, where he is able to utilize his unique skill sets with JES' products and product capabilities with synergistic effects.
After his years with CMR, Jerry sought experience in hotels and left to become the Executive Sous Chef of the Crowne Plaza and Loft's hotels in downtown Columbus. Jerry earned the title of Executive Chef within a month and was managing the seven food outlets of the two hotels. While this hotel experience was brief, it was an opportunity to manage multiple food outlets, including banquet services and the opening of a new hotel restaurant, named Fusion. In addition to his work within the hotel, he won a Bronze Medal at the International Food Show-Mystery Box Competition in 1999.
Jerry continued to expand his base of knowledge and experience in the areas of product and menu development for the chain restaurant company, Bob Evans. As Product Development Chef for Bob Evans, Jerry researched and developed many successful menu items and programs, including a new children's menu which won the Nation's Restaurant News award in 2002. This large restaurant-chain experience allowed him to develop a new set of skills, involving the scale-up of recipes from scratch recipes to manufacturing quantities and qualities and the scale-up of menu items from concept to market. This experience also exposed him to a vast number of new career opportunities within the chain-restaurant operator industry, developing strong relationships with food manufacturers and restaurant chains nationwide.
After leaving Bob Evans, Jerry pursued research and development from the supplier/ manufacturer side, and accepted the position of Senior Corporate Chef with National Food Products. In this position, he worked to develop new product offerings internally and worked to develop both new products and new menu items externally for many of the top 200 restaurant chains in the United States. Having the outgoing and professional personality and expertise necessary, Jerry fulfilled and exceeded responsibilities of the dual position, Senior Corporate Chef and a National Account Manager for National Food Products.
With the focus of National Food Products being mostly vegetable-based side dishes, Jerry continued to acquire knowledge in to both the art and science of working with vegetables. To this day, he is viewed as an industry expert in the area potatoes, from the field through processing, and on to the consumer. As his knowledge base expanded, his spheres of influence within National Food Products grew as well. Jerry was promoted to Chief Culinary Officer, and was key in helping direct the transition of the company to a new name, Viands Concerted.
As Chief Culinary Officer and a member of the Executive Advisory Group, Jerry was responsible for sales and sales growth of national chain accounts, culinary focus, product research and development, quality assurance and control, safety and sanitation, and imaging based on culinary trends. In addition, he partnered to develop a Quality Manual and HACCP plan to meet ISO requirements, two patent-pending food processing innovations (including business plan development for the innovations), sales and marketing materials for new innovations (including press releases, customer materials, logo development), and the organizational website (www.viandsconcerted.com). In this position, Jerry made use of his culinary, quality/food safety, sales, marketing, and managerial skill sets on a much larger scale.
After four years with National Food Products / Viands Concerted, Jerry chose to take the greatest step possible, and founded Komaza, a foodservice-based, minority-owned consulting company. This partnership offered opportunity for Jerry to work closely with other highly-successful foodservice industry professionals to offer a wide range of skill sets and experiences to a much greater clientele. This opportunity allowed him to experience the highest-quality products offered by JES Foods, and his enthusiasm in JES Foods' products and services drove him to join the JES Foods team, where he is able to utilize his unique skill sets with JES' products and product capabilities with synergistic effects.
Meet The Staff
Lori Carroll
Cynthia Carr
Production Manager
Production Manager
Mike Hayes
Plant Manager
Plant Manager