Her Story
About Lynae
Lynae Gurnsey is a culinary hospitality management educator whose career in the food industry now spans more than four decades. She began her professional journey in 1983, first pursuing studies in data processing before moving into corporate restaurant management with T.G.I. Friday's and Dalts Grill across cities including Fort Lauderdale, Boston, Nashville, and Miami. Drawn deeper into the culinary world, she completed her apprenticeship at the Opryland Hotel Culinary Institute in Nashville, then rose through the ranks as sous chef, executive sous chef in San Francisco's Castro District, and ultimately executive chef at establishments in Long Beach, California, and aboard a private yacht based out of Key Largo, Florida.
Gurnsey later shifted her focus toward education, teaching for over a decade at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, where she covered subjects ranging from Garde Manger and cultural cuisines to hospitality management and business. During this period, she completed her bachelor's degree in Hospitality Administration at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College and went on to earn a master's degree in Adult Education, also from UCF. She has since spent six years as a Plant-Based Chef Instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, and is preparing to join Cornell University as a shop instructor in the Sattler Lab within the SC Johnson School of Hotel Administration. Her culinary expertise touches on smoking and brining, fermentation, plant-based cuisine, brewing, yogurt production, and classic French technique, and she holds credentials as a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Proctor with the American Culinary Federation.
Beyond the classroom, Gurnsey is an active member of the American Culinary Federation, Slow Food International, and Women's Chefs and Restaurateurs, and she regularly supports local food banks. She travels extensively in an off-grid Winnebago with her two dogs, visiting small farms, wineries, and artisan producers, and documents her adventures in home food production and small-space gardening through her own YouTube channel. Guided by a deep belief that knowledge is the one asset no one can take away, she continues to champion lifelong learning, humility, and greater access to healthy, sustainable food for the next generation of culinary professionals.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lynae
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people along the way who inspired me and encouraged me to keep going. I made it a priority to stay as employable as possible by continually building my knowledge, because you can lose a job and you can lose money, but you never lose the knowledge you've gained.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to stay humble and be willing to make mistakes, since that's how you learn the most. When you create something, it's important to be your own toughest critic and constantly ask yourself what you could change or improve.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this field to keep learning and to make themselves employable through knowledge rather than relying on any single opportunity. Persevere in spaces where you may be underrepresented, and focus your energy on developing real skills and education rather than comparing yourself to others.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges I see include a broken food production system, from animal welfare and environmental degradation to food deserts, declining nutrient levels in produce, and traceability concerns. Rising food costs for students and the difficulty of engaging online learners are also real hurdles. At the same time, I see real opportunity in plant-based nutrition education and in using online platforms to expand awareness of food systems to a wider audience.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Lifelong learning and humility guide everything I do, along with a belief that knowledge is an asset no one can take from you. I also place great importance on sustainability and ensuring equitable access to healthy, nutritious food for everyone.
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