Hospitality Management Faculty
Janette (Jan) Roy Ph.D., CMP, CTA, Program Coordinator Hospitality Management
Dr. Roy started as an adjunct hospitality instructor in Fall 2020. Prior to coming
to Harper, she worked for Purdue University Global as Hospitality Course Lead; Jan
worked in the industry for 20 years, serving in senior management positions at Sheraton
Hotel, McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and
the USDA Graduate School. She hods a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management,
A Master of Science in Human Resource Management, and a PhD in Organization and Management.
Dr Roy was promoted to Coordinator of the Hospitality program in 2022 and teaches
all of the hotel management courses. FSM111, FSM114, FSM115, EM120, FSM210, FSM211,
FSM2112, FSM213, FSM214, FSM230 and FSM299.
Gerard Bonner, Adjunct Chef Instructor
Chef Gerard has been around the culinary world for over 15 years, and he very passionate
about sharing what he has learned with his students. He is all about upscale dining,
American formal cuisine, and really getting down to the nitty-gritty of culinary techniques.
Chef Gerard graduated from Auguste Escoffier, and since then, he has done everything
from fine dining and country clubs to weddings and even fast-casual. For the last
six years, he has operated his own personal chef business, and it's been a blast.
Chef Gerard came to Harper College in 2023. He loves working with seasonal ingredients
and diving into different regional cuisines, like Nigerian, Southern American, French,
Italian, Mediterranean, and some seriously good Central Texas BBQ. Chef Gerard is
the chef de cuisine and teach FSM109 and FSM110.
Barry Carlson, Adjunct hospitality management Instructor
Barry teaches a number of courses including FSM111, FSM115, FSM120, FSM210, and FSM220.
Carlson's teaching approach blends course content with industry examples and current
events, encouraging students to evaluate their own and others' experiences to apply
in their education and career progression. Carlson graduated from Marquette University
in Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Marketing
specialization, earned Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) certification from the
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, and Certified Meeting Professional
(CMP) certification from the Convention Liaison Council.
Heather Johnson, Adjunct Chef Instructor
Heather Johnson graduated from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota with
a B.A. in Psychology. She also received a Culinary Certificate from Kendall College
and a M.B.A from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Heather has held
various hospitality management positions including general manager, wine director
and sales/event coordinator at both independently and corporately run restaurants.
She teaches Fam107, FSM108, FSM163, FSM72, FSM214, and FSM216.
Cheryl Knecht, Adjunct Hospitality Management Instructor
Cheryl Knecht is a seasoned entrepreneur in the food industry, a dedicated educator,
and a passionate culinary instructor. She is the Founder and Owner of Schoolhouse
Kitchen + Studio, a cooking school for kids and families with three locations and
partnerships across Chicagoland. With a deep commitment to fostering community connections
through food, she co-founded Sugar Beet Food Co-op, a community-driven grocery store
in Oak Park, IL, in 2015. With over 30 years of experience in the service and hospitality
industry, Cheryl’s journey began as a "fry chef" at McDonald's and evolved into managing
a Wine Spectator award-winning wine bar. She has since built a thriving million-dollar
cooking school business that reflects her love for food, education, and community
engagement. Her impact on the local food movement has earned her the Golden Beet Award
from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for Community Food Development (2015) and a
spot in New City Chicago’s "Big Heat" list of the city's top food innovators three
times. Cheryl teaches FSM111.
Heather Larson, Adjunct Hospitality Management Instructor
Heather Larson, CMP, CDME, President & CEO Meet Chicago Northwest. She son is a seasoned
hospitality leader with several years of sales management experience at a number of
upscale Chicago hotels including the Allegro Hotel, White Hall Hotel, Drake Hotel
and the Fairmont Hotel. She joined the team at Meet Chicago Northwest in 2010 as a
sales Manager. She quickly became Director of Sales and she was named President &
CEO in June 2021. Heather sits on the Board of Directors of the Schaumburg Business
Association and is past Chairman of the Board for the International Association of
Exhibitions and Events Midwest Chapter. She is also a mayoral appointee to the Arlington
Heights Economic Alliance, Rolling Meadows Economic Development Commission and the
Schaumburg Business Development Commission. She extends her expertise in the classroom,
and teaches FSM260, Destination Management.
Pili Rios, Adjunct Chef Instructor
Pili Rios has been an educator for over 30 years. She is an adjunct culinary arts
instructor at Harper College for over 20 years. She started cooking at the young age
of 8 years old in the family kitchen. Cooking side-by-side with her mother, she soon
developed a love for cooking. She decided to become an educator so that she could
inspire students to learn baking and cooking. Pili has received silver and gold medals
in ACF culinary competitions. She received an AA in Hospitality Management- Culinary
Arts from Elgin Community College, a bachelor's degree in management and leadership,
and a master's degree in organizational leadership, both from Judson University. Her
culinary experiences include; cooking for Congress in Washington D.C., Austria and
France.
