Laura has been cooking and working in the culinary world for 25 years. She has owned and operated multiple restaurants, including Pirosmani in Seattle, taught cooking privately and through culinary schools and culinary programs around Seattle. She has been a private chef and placed chefs into private homes; consulted on many different levels; worked for a stone hearth oven company as educator and coordinator; created a cooking school within a cooking store; worked as cook, sous chef and executive chef for many restaurants; and has done a great deal of catering throughout her entire career.
Laura has worked with elementary and middle school children and has taught child-focused cooking classes for the last 10 years.
With a Bachelors degree in Child Psychology from the University of Oregon, Laura went on instead to become a chef. Today she is looking forward to working with youth and their families, digging in the dirt and stirring a pot of soup.
Jeff Konkle has been cooking in restaurants for over 20 years. He has been a sous chef, a chef, and a line cook in kitchens large and small. His palate is exquisite, his knowledge of various traditional cuisines unsurpassed. He appeared on Iron Chef America, where he battled Bobby Flay.
His interest in cooking can be traced back to his parent’s first garden, where at the tender age of 7, he was introduced to sun-ripened sugars in the form of a freshly shelled English pea. This is one of the early memories that inspired in this boy the wonder of growing things; that fueled the desire in this young budding chef to coax the innate goodness out of farm fresh produce (as it cooks in a pan or boils in a pot) later in life as a career.
Jeff has cooked this childlike sense of wonder into thousands of dishes for unwitting guests over the years, and on the meager salary of a cook, he learned a thing or two about gardening along the way. Several gardens, compost piles, and worm bins later, he hopes to inspire in others the art of the table as well as the art of growing a tasty tomato or chili in the great Northwest.
Kimi has been a writer and a lover of words her entire life. She is also passionate about helping youth find their way to becoming successful, independent grounded, adults.
A Seattle newbie, Kimi has lived in the area for 2 years and comes from Dallas Texas where she enjoyed long tomato growing seasons. She grew up on a ranch and has a special love for all flora and fauna but is really looking forward to learning more about the specific plants and animals that live and grow in Washington.
Kimi has been a nurse for over 25 years. She currently works at Seattle Childrens Hospital. Prior to moving to the area, her nursing career focused on pediatric behavioral health and chemical dependency in adolescents. She has always done pediatric nursing and says she much prefers working with sick children rather than sick adults.
An avid home cook and gardener, Laura is excited for the chance to share her passions with youth through Green Plate Special.
Laura has lived in Seattle for most of her life, and enjoys traveling, experiencing different cultures, and trying as many new foods as possible. She has a Bachelors degree from Gonzaga University and currently works as Development and Communications Coordinator for Braided River.
BOARD
Laura Dewell President
Marja Brandon Secretary
Martin Pagel Treasurer
Colm Nelson
Stephanie Beack
VOLUNTEERS- Programming and Garden Support 2013
Deepa Bhandaru
Amy Theobold
Micha Dudgeonwood
Jazelle Prado
Kinsey Vetter
Jessica Rogers
Jane Orvis
John Leavell –mows the outer reaches!
Tracy English
Juan Carlos
Kelly Allen
Paige Crogan
