Johnny M. Kersey

Director of Culinary Arts

Johnny M. Kersey was educated in the Wake County Public School System and attended the Wake Technical Institute receiving an Associate Degree in Business Management. He is certified in Food service Planning and Preparation through a six month course that has secured his comprehensive knowledge of culinary issues. A resident of the District of Columbia for over 40 years, Mr. Kersey is a well known local expert in the food service industry, and he joins Y.I.M.A.E as the Director of the Culinary Arts Department.

Mr. Kersey has more than 30 years of progressively responsible experience spanning from Graphic Arts (Printing), Marketing and Business Development, to Food Service Management. After years of working in Graphic Arts, his first Food Service induction came from his employ with LEVI’s, a restaurant specializing in southern cuisine. Starting as a senior consultant, Mr. Kersey later became the manager of Business Development handling day to day operations of the restaurant. Working with LEVI’s led to a joint venture opportunity and later his own restaurant located in Washington, DC.

With his experience, long term commitment, vast network and tenacity, and persistent effort to be a stakeholder in the community, Mr. Kersey spear-headed his restaurant through start-up, survival, turnaround and growth modes. As owner and operator of his restaurant, Mr. Kersey views every new hire as an opportunity to teach, inspire, and motivate. He is always at his best with every meal served, teaching others that nothing less is acceptable. Mr. Kersey's restaurant offers in-home personal chef service, in-home cooking instructions and parties, catering, cooking classes/interactive dinner parties, menu/recipe planning, and grocery shopping. He also teaches workers how to purchase and prepare inexpensive and healthy meals for themselves and others. All of these skills are incorporated into the curriculum for Y.I.M.A.E.'s Culinary Arts Department so that he can transfer this useful knowledge to the youth.

Mr. Kersey is also active in a variety of civic and cultural organizations including Habitat for Humanity, and has found time to volunteer in countless soup kitchens in the Washington-Metropolitan and surrounding areas.