The Sea Island Culinary Team

Chef Jonathan Jerusalmy

Sea Island Culinary Director

Chef Jonathan Jerusalmy has traveled a long, winding, and delicious road throughout his distinguished culinary career. From his education at the Institute Technique des Métiers de L’Alimentation in Tournai, Belgium, to internships at Michelin-rated restaurants in France, to kitchens at top resorts, Chef Jerusalmy is one of only 350 Master French Chefs in the world. He has worked and traveled around the globe, committed to using home-grown, seasonal ingredients right here, at Sea Island.

Chef Bill Welch

Executive Chef, The Cloister, Beach Club and Sea Island Events

From his start in the kitchen as a dishwasher at age 13 to graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Welch began his professional career as Sous Chef at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Chatham, MA, under Executive Chef Bill Brodksy. Chef Welch joined Sea Island in 2009 as Lead Line Cook in the Georgian Room, our Forbes Five-Star restaurant. He was instrumental in the opening Tavola in 2011, and was promoted to Sous Chef. In 2013, Bill assumed the role of Banquet Sous Chef and then Executive Sous Chef. Bill’s latest promotion has led him to his current role of Executive Chef of The Cloister, Beach Club, and Sea Island Events.

Chef Daniel Zeal

Executive Chef, The Lodge

Chef Zeal’s life has always revolved around sharing good food. His passion for creativity and the satisfying aesthetics of cooking were ignited at an early age. Today, he is a Forbes Five-Star award-winning chef. He’s come a long way since watching his earliest idol, the charismatic TV-cook Martin Yan. Chef Zeal began his professional career at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, FL, where he served as Chef de Partie of the resort’s AAA Five-Diamond Grill Room. Chef Zeal came to Sea Island in 2006 as Sous Chef of the Georgian Room, and then became Chef de Cuisine in 2009. He moved into his current role, Executive Chef of The Lodge in 2016.

Chef Julian Scheibel

Chef de Cuisine, The Georgian Room

Chef Julian grew up in Ober-Morlen, a small town outside of Frankfurt, Germany. His first job was picking mushrooms with his grandmother and selling them at the local market. At age 16, he attended the Hotelier and Gastronomy school in Butzbach, Germany. After graduating, he worked for a Michelin-star restaurant and traveled around Germany to develop his craft and experience new ingredients. Scheibel was selected to be part of the German Culinary National team, competed in the Culinary Olympics and the Culinary World Championship, where he was awarded two silver medals. In 2013, he came to Sea Island, as Chef de Partie of the Georgian Room, moving into his current role in 2015.

Chef Robert Reynaud

Chef de Cuisine, Tavola

Before traveling the world studying, exploring, and shaping his culinary path, a curious 12-year-old learned to cook at home with family, and discovered his love of cooking while making fudge with his grandmother. Reynaud has traveled throughout Italy—Parma, Modena, and Bologna—and studied the relationship of pairing food and wine in California’s wine country. Prior to joining the Sea Island team in 2013, Chef Bobby served as Corporate Executive Sous Chef at That’s Amore restaurant in Washington D.C.

Chef Phillip Jackson

Executive Sous Chef, The Lodge

Chef Jackson is passionate about putting his considerable artistic skills to good use and gets a lot of satisfaction and joy from witnessing big smiles after a great meal. He began his career at Sea Island in 2006, where he helped open the new Beach Club. He then moved to Houston, Texas to become the Chef de Partie at the Renaissance Hotel. Jackson returned to Sea Island in 2010 to join The Lodge culinary team. Chef Jackson was recently awarded the 2015 Stevan Porter Emerging Hospitality Leader of the Year Award, presented by the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association.

Chef Tom Lash

Chef de Cuisine, Davis Love Grill

Chef Lash knew from an early age that cooking was to be his calling in life. From high school through college he aspired to become a chef—and accomplished this goal by seeking out opportunities to learn from some of the best. Beginning at a modern French restaurant in Atlanta, followed by a technically challenging assignment as pastry chef at the Buckhead Westin, Chef Lash has consistently sought to expand his experience and broaden his horizons.

Chef Cortney Harris

Executive Pastry Chef

While completing an externship program at the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Harris worked at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Grand Geneva, WI. Upon graduation, Harris was promptly recruited by Sea Island and continued her career in the Sea Island Bake Shop. Over the next seven years, her talent, strong work ethic, and attention to detail enabled her to work her way through the leadership ranks and moved into her current role in January 2014.

Ryanne Carrier

Director of Wines & Spirits, CS

Carrier’s career can be split into two categories—food and wine—and she has committed significant amounts of time to her love of both. Carrier holds certifications in Professional Cookery including Baking and Pastry, and after being in the kitchen for several years, Carrier began pursuing her sommelier certifications with the Court of Master Sommeliers. She joined Sea Island in 2010 as the Sommelier in Georgia’s only Forbes Five-Star restaurant, the Georgian Room, and moved into her current role in 2012.