Some Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) Culinary Arts students and graduates are embarking on an exciting career path at Barnsley Resort in Adairsville.
“Barnsley Resort was impressed with a couple of students in the Culinary Arts program that we sent there to assist with a catered event,” said Chef Greg Paulson, program director and instructor of Culinary Arts at GNTC. “Their executive chef boasted about how knowledgeable and well-trained the students were.”
About five years ago, the resort invited GNTC Culinary Arts students to tour the property and stay for lunch, Paulson said. The field trip is now an annual activity that allows Barnsley Resort to connect with students in GNTC’s Culinary Arts program.
About 12 current employees at Barnsley Resort are GNTC students or graduates. In the last two years, the resort has hired 10 people from GNTC’s Culinary Arts program, Paulson said.
Chef Marc Suennemann, executive chef at Barnsley Resort, said the resort was very impressed with GNTC’s students and graduates.
“I think the program is great because the cooks we hire from GNTC have a passion for the business and are eager to learn more,” Suennemann said. “Chef Greg and Chef Anna (Ray) do a great job teaching and preparing students for a lifetime in the culinary field.”
Paulson and Ray train students to handle stress, think on their feet and manage all of the demands of the culinary field, he said.
Suennemann said he anticipates multiple GNTC-trained employees will be ready to be promoted or to move to the next stage of their careers within the next six to 12 months.
GNTC students Nashaun Lee, Jake Richardson and Roxie Riley currently work at the resort and expect to graduate with their associate degrees in Culinary Arts this fall. Lee and Richardson found their calling in the kitchen as children, watching family members prepare meals while Riley said she moved into the career after working in fast-food while in high school.
Lee, a Cartersville resident, said he has been a preparation cook and line cook at the resort for about one year.
“Every shift presents a new challenge—whether it’s preparing for a large wedding, working a busy service or learning a new technique from the chefs I work alongside,” he said. “I also enjoy the fast pace of the kitchen because every service pushes me to think quickly, stay focused and give my best effort.”
Lee plays a role in preparing and cooking food for weddings, banquets and catered events, many of which serve 100 or more guests, he said.
“Every event is different, and I enjoy being a part of creating moments that people will remember for the rest of their lives,” Lee said.
At Barnsley Resort, Lee wants to gain experience in every station of the kitchen and strengthen his culinary and leadership skills so that he’s confident in any kitchen environment—whether it’s à la carte dining, banquets, weddings or large catering, he said. One day he wants to become an executive chef and own his own restaurant.
Riley, a line cook at Barnsley Resort’s Woodlands, has worked at the resort for a year. She worked four years in fast food before becoming the manager of a burger restaurant. She said she enjoys the creativity that a Culinary Arts career affords her.
“After high school, I didn’t have definite career plans, and cooking seemed like something I would enjoy,” said Riley, who lives in Woodstock.
Riley said her favorite cooking duties are preparing hot cooked-to-order foods and sautéing.
Richardson, a resident of Adairsville, works as a line cook in cold foods, salads and desserts. The socialization that happens in the kitchen as people prepare a meal together adds to his zest for cooking, he said.
“I love seeing all the pieces come together for fine dining—from the preparation of the food to the plating and serving,” Richardson said. “There’s a satisfaction that you feel when you put food on a plate and hear that a customer enjoyed the presentation and thought the food was tasty.”
He said he always wanted to cook, but circumstances did not allow him to pursue culinary school for several years. He worked at A&B Creekside Restaurant and Catering, a smokehouse and steakhouse in Cave Spring, prior to working at Barnsley Resort. He was also a 2026 nominee for Best of Rome—Chef.
Richardson would like to continue building his experience in the environment Barnsley Resort provides “with amazing staff who are patient and teach me how they want things done,” he said.
Richardson’s long-term goal is to own his own restaurant where he will be the executive chef; the restaurant would be something between casual and fine dining with an environment that invites families to dine together and experience a quality of the food and atmosphere that chains don’t provide. He wants to feel pride in the quality of the food served, he said.
“Chef Anna Ray has been very supportive as I learn to bake,” Richardson said. “She makes me better each week.”
Ray also teaches food and beverage safety training, menu development and healthy diet, which teaches recipe adjustments that can be made to maintain a food’s flavor while addressing dietary concerns, such as a low sodium diet.
Richardson said Paulson has helped him build his confidence and believed he would succeed in a culinary career before he believed it himself. One of Paulson’s lessons he always remembers is not to trust that a recipe will turn out as expected, so he tastes repeatedly during the preparation and makes adjustments as needed.
Lee said GNTC’s Culinary Arts program has helped him build a strong foundation in professional cooking techniques, knife skills, food safety, sanitation, kitchen organization, menu preparation and time management, adding that the instructors genuinely care about their students’ success.
“The hands-on training has allowed me to build confidence in my cooking, strengthen my teamwork and communication skills and prepare me for the fast-paced environment I experience every day at Barnsley Resort,” Lee said. “Looking back, choosing GNTC has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
Riley said GNTC’s Culinary Arts program equipped her with the book knowledge, cooking techniques and vocabulary that are essential to Culinary Arts professionals. She chose GNTC because she loves the Rome community and was impressed with how personable the GNTC faculty and staff are.
“The people at GNTC care about you,” Riley said. “The classes there are smaller so the chefs give students the individual attention they need.”
Suennemann attributes the good partnership between the resort and GNTC’s Culinary Arts program to effective communication.
“This relationship is a great stepping stone for the students to learn as much as they can in the culinary field and beyond,” Suennemann said.
“Barnsley Resort is well-managed and well-respected,” Paulson said. “Our partnership with them is a win-win for GNTC students and the Culinary Arts program.”
Georgia Northwestern Technical College delivers high-quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students can pursue associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in a wide range of career pathways, including aviation, business, health, industrial and public service. Over the past year, 14,082 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. The college has an annual credit enrollment of 9,342 students and achieved a 100 percent placement rate. An additional 4,740 individuals are served through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start® programs.
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