Council & Community Members

BYU Executive Chef John McDonald has over 30 years of high-end and high-volume culinary experience at hotels, resorts, clubs, and universities. He attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland Oregon where he studied classical and international cuisines and pastries. He graduated in 1991 with honors. In 1999, Chef John became a Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation – a designation he has maintained ever since. He has served on the advisory board for the culinary program at Utah Valley University and Simplot Foods. Chef John has chaired and co-chaired numerous ACF sanctioned competitions around the country. He has also competed in several local, national, and international chef’s competitions and was won accolades such as the 2012 ACF Beehive and Western Regional Chef of the Year.

Fernanda has a decade of experience working at the Culinary Support Center. Prior to BYU, she made her name as the Executive Pastry Chef for the renowned Grand America Hotel for 10 years. On top of additional chef experience working with Marriot, Wyndham, and Little America hotels, Fernanda is a recognized Certified Executive Pastry Chef with the American Culinary Federation. Originally from Brazil, where she received her degree in Culinary Arts, she went on to obtain a number of French Pastry Arts accreditations from the reputable The French Pastry School in Chicago, and L’Ecole Varlhona in New York. In her work at the BYU Bakery, Fernanda manages an expansive production of baked goods, from donuts to extravagant plated desserts for catering events. Combining a French and Latin flair, Fernanda is responsible for creating menus and bringing new tastes to our campus, including the duty of elevating and inventing new creations for the massively successful Milk & Cookies.

Scott Compton is the executive chef/food and beverage manager at Aspen Grove. He has been in the business for 40+ years. Scott started working fast food and doing dishes, working his way up. His work experience includes restaurants, ski lodges, and management companies. His favorite part of his job is teaching his employees the different cooking skills, and any other pertinent skills. "When I was young, my mother told me to find a jobs where I would always have work and I would never starve. I have stuck with that philosophy through my entire career. I love what I do and I love where I am currently working."