Faculty & Staff

Name: Mary Ashley Title: Senior Administrative Assistant Department: Culinary Arts Phone: 918-293-5030 Email: mary.bell@okstate.edu

Biography: Mary Ashley began working for OSU-Okmulgee August 2003. A move from Colorado to hometown Okmulgee brought Mary back to the area. Before returning home Mary worked for Hewlett Packard on several large projects, serving as computer support, server support, subject matter expert; assisting in team leadership and management.

Name: Rene Jungo Title: Assistant Division Chair Department: Culinary Arts Phone: 918-293-5026 Email: rene.jungo@okstate.edu

Biography: Born and reared in Switzerland, Rene' grew up in the hotel business. After graduation from high school, he entered a culinary apprenticeship program in Montreux, Switzerland. He learned English while attending the Swiss Mercantile College in London. He also attended Academia Suize in Barcelona, Spain. He has experience with various national and international hotel companies, restaurants, clubs, airlines and cruise lines and has worked in England, Spain, the Bermuda Islands, the Caribbean Islands, South America, Singapore, and Switzerland. He earned the distinction of Certified Executive Chef from the American Culinary Federation and has attended continuing education sessions at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Johnson & Wales College in Rhode Island. He joined OSU-Okmulgee's culinary faculty in 1986.

Name: Ronald L'Heureux Title: Instructor Department: Culinary Arts Email: ron.lheureux@okstate.edu

Biography: Chef Ron L'heureux was born and raised in Connecticut. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1984 and trained at Tavern on the Green in New York City while a student. Upon graduation he joined ClubCorp in Dallas, Texas. He later worked as executive chef at various country clubs throughout Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Ron landed at OSU Institute of Technology in 1995 and has taught baking and pastry, meat fabrication and many other classes. He left the college in 2005 to work in sales and marketing for a wholesale food distributor. Ron later returned to our Culinary Arts program, bringing new insight and ideas. The basic fundamentals and techniques of good cooking are an important part of his teaching philosophy.

Name: Bill Leib Title: Instructor Department: Culinary Arts Email: bill.leib@okstate.edu

Biography: Chef Leib was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA. He started pursuing his passion for this business at a young age, taking cooking classes when he was 12. During his high school years he worked for "Pleasures of the Palate Catering," the largest catering business in the state of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University in 2002 and trained at Hotel Hershey while in school. Then, Chef Leib started his own catering business serving the central PA area. Chef Leib then helped open the National Military Park and Museum in Gettysburg, PA, managing its catering program. From there, he went on to be catering director at Shippensburg University, and most recently was the production manager at the campus' largest dining hall, serving close to 4,000 meals a day. Chef Leib brings a great deal of experience to OSUIT as he has been involved in many facets of the food service business.

Biography: Born in northern Michigan, Jason moved to Oklahoma in 1977 and started cooking at a very young age. He spent 10 years working as a cook in Oklahoma City prior to attending OSU-Okmulgee where he graduated with honors in 1997. Jason has worked in some of the most prominent restaurants in Tulsa. His service includes: Sous Chef at the Bistro at Brookside immediately following graduation; Managing Chef at the Golf Club of Oklahoma, Executive Chef at the Bistro at Seville, Executive Sous Chef and Head Chef at Deco Restaurant in the Adam’s Mark Hotel, Head Chef of the Warren Duck Club, and the Executive Chef at Inverness Village. “I’ve prepared fast food to four diamond cuisine and even healthy diet fare. I’ve served intimate dinners for two and prepared food for a thousand. Returning to OSU-Okmulgee as a faculty Chef completes a cycle for me.”

Name: David Perryman Title: Faculty Department: Culinary Arts Phone: 918-293-5006 Email: grady.perryman@okstate.edu

Biography: Chef Grady Perryman is a 1995 graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute. He then went to L'Auberge de Sedona in Sedona AZ. with Chef John Harrings. Chef Perryman is a accomplished pastry chef and ice carver. His work has been featured in Arizona Highways and Food and Wine Magazine. Chef Perryman joined the OSU Culinary program in 2005. Before OSU Chef Perryman owned and operated Muskogee Bread Works in Muskogee OK. Prior to that he held positions at Big Cedar Lodge, Branson MS, Little Italy Restaurant, Muskogee OK, Miss Addies, Muskogee OK. and Adams Mark Hotel, Tulsa OK.

Name: John Surmont Title: General Manager Department: Culinary Arts Phone: 918-293-5014 Email: john.b.surmont@okstate.edu

Biography: John was born and reared in LeMans, France and earned his Certificate of Professional Capacity (C.A.P.) at LaBrasserie du Theatre in LeMans. He moved to the U.S. at the age of 19 and began working at a French restaurant in Lafayette, LA. He worked as Sous Chef for Specialty Restaurant Corporation and as Executive Sous Chef for Southern Hills Country Club, the Westin Hotel, and Company Flagship Hotel. He also worked as Executive Chef for Castaway Restaurant in San Francisco, the Camelot Hotel and the Doubletree Downtown Hotel in Tulsa. He earned the Certified Executive Chef distinction from the American Culinary Federation and has taken continuing education classes from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He joined the OSU-Okmulgee faculty in 1989.