Executive Chef Marianela M. McInturff

Instructor of Hospitality

Clyde C. Miller Career Academy

Bio

 Before joining the St. Louis Public Schools in 2003 Marianela McInturff career began at a very young age in the kitchen, there she hoped someday to become a chef. The profession at that time was not as popular as it is today and definitely not for girls, but her passion for the business grew through time. After years of apprenticeship and working with different chefs throughout the world she perfected her skills and work her way up the kitchen brigade, in 1993 she passed her Certified Executive Chef degree with the American Culinary Federation.

Marianela has a very diverse background in the hospitality industry working for hotels in college, catering companies, restaurants and private clubs. She has held top positions as Executive Chef for private country clubs, Food & Beverage Manager for restaurants and Director of Culinary Operations for the Boeing Leadership Center. Marianela has traveled extensively to work, compete and learn about the Hospitality felid, she holds many titles.

Marianela joined Clyde C. Miller Career Academy in the fall of 2003 after teaching Culinary Arts at Forest Park Community College and Beaumont High School. Since then, it has been a lot of work, moving into a new hospitality program and a new school but she dealt with it with patience and professionalism.  Marianela is always looking for opportunities to improve her skills and those of her students, by working with former colleagues and hospitality industry leaders she has developed and maintained a top rate program.  Such internship sites like the Westin Hotel, Sheraton, Maggiano’s, Ladue Racquet Country Club and The America’s Center to name a few, gives her students the very best educational career experience.

Marianela is very involved with many activities taking place at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, just as she did in the industry; you can find Marianela volunteering her time to help out with school events. She has been the Co-lead SkillsUSA Advisor for Missouri State Restaurant Services for the past 5 years and is a big fan of getting students involved in competitions, which gives them the opportunity to learn.

She has helped coach many students to achieve district, state and even national leadership awards. Like most great teachers, her door is always open to any student and she loves to showcase their talent to help them gain more self-confidence. But Marianela is also a team player, supporting faculty as a mentor or just someone to talk to whether their career and technical, core, first year or experienced teachers, no one is a stranger to her. In September of 2007 Clyde C. Miller Academy began a teacher of the month award and to no one’s surprise but Marianela, she was selected by the faculty as the first teacher of the month. The very next month Marianela received recognition from the University of Missouri – Columbia as an outstanding teacher.  A dedicated teacher who always puts the student first, she teaches with passion, professionalism and persistence. Marianela not only wants to see her student’s succeeding in their education career but also in life. She shares with her students the life skills needed for today’s hospitality career fields and prepares them with high academic standards and expectations.

Marianela’ s devotion for her student’s success does not end after graduation, she makes it a point to check up on her graduates, assisting them with employment opportunities, colleges funding and has even driven a student to her university in Ashland Wisconsin when the student could not find a way to get to college.   

One thing about the Hospitality industry Marianela states is that there is always something more to learn and share, this could be the reason why her Hospitality program received the 2014 Elite 50 Secondary Hospitality Schools in the United States by Sullivan University.