New Full-Time Staff for Fall 2023

Alyssa Meyers

Senior CLT | Culinary Arts

 

A proud Staten Island native, Alyssa Meyers is the new Culinary Arts senior college lab technician (CLT) for KCC’s Tourism and Hospitality department.

As the senior CLT, Alyssa oversees the daily operations of the program's four kitchens and manages a team of 10 CLTs who work closely with the instructional staff. Together, they keep the culinary arts program running smoothly.

She is proud to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her educational journey includes earning a Bachelor of Music in voice and opera studies from SUNY Purchase College in 2011, followed by a Bachelor of Science in arts administration in 2012. She continued her studies with post-bachelor courses in marketing at Baruch College and business at the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

Alyssa began as a professional stage and production manager, working for opera companies and nonprofits across the country. Her background in managing people, places, and things in the creative realm laid the foundation for her expertise in managing culinary settings.

With over a decade of experience in events and hospitality, Alyssa has also worked in events management at the CUNY Graduate Center, the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, The New York Botanical Garden, The Montclair Jazz Festival, The I Have a Dream Foundation and Amazon, among others.

Before coming to KCC, she served as a private chef for a federal judge and her family, creating custom meal plans and private events. She owns and operates Black Orchid Kitchen, a private catering company specializing in Caribbean and Central American cuisine, particularly the culinary traditions of Belize. Beyond Caribbean food, she crafts customized menus that span a wide range of culinary delights.

Hospitality is both her profession and passion. She loves traveling and experiencing the world through food, including exploring new restaurants across New York City.

In the future, she aspires to research traditional Central American cooking methods, particularly Yucatec Maya cooking techniques. These age-old traditions are gradually fading due to industrialization and the availability of modern resources.

Here are some more fun facts about Alyssa: She's a first-generation American with roots in Belize, a professional musician, and one of a triplet in a large family of 23. She carries on a family legacy of food entrepreneurship: Both of her grandmothers owned food businesses in the U.S. and Belize.

In her free time, you might find her enjoying a friendly game of Texas Hold'em poker in a recreational league (they play for points), or she might be donating her company's time and resources to local feeding programs in Staten Island, ensuring that everyone gets to savor high-quality meals.

Alyssa is excited to explore KCC's farm program and its innovative hydroponic system, as well as delve into critical topics like food scarcity, food waste, and sustainability. Of course, she can't wait to get her hands dirty in the fantastic kitchens at KCC.