Shawn spent four years on a degree he didn’t want to pursue. He studied to become an attorney, but realized his passion was cooking. At the time there were no culinary programs in the Chippewa Valley, so he went to California. He says if there was a culinary program in the area, he would have stayed local longer.

After completing school and cooking in highly regarded kitchens across the county six years ago he was given the opportunity to come back to Eau Claire to open Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse. Shawn says it was the right fit at the right time.

Being a well-respected chef in the area, he received the opportunity to help turn the culinary program at CVTC from idea to reality, and give local students the opportunity he never had. He helped shape the curriculum and provided valuable insight into how to set up the kitchen, He sees the food and beverage options as where a community’s culture begins and feels that it is the backbone in the community.

He has been eager to help students in the program and says this is making his job easier because it takes prospective hires from baseline level to management level. He already employs one CVTC student in his kitchen and he is looking to add more students in the future.

Shawn’s goal is to show that the Chippewa Valley can come together over great good!