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Campus Review
June 3, 2013
Meet Clayton State’s New General
Manager for Dining Services, Dyiesha Kerr
By Samantha Watson, University Relations
People find security in habit. Change
makes us uncomfortable because it
requires adjustment. Yet change is pre-
cisely what Clayton State undergoes to
institute improvement and growth. Laker
Nation doesn’t just go through change, it
becomes enriched.
Clayton State’s most recent enrichment,
Dyiesha Kerr, comes to campus from
Sodexo as the new general manager for
dining services. Her diverse background
and passion for culinary arts will prove to
be promising aspects in her developing
success here.
“I’m really excited about working at
Clayton State and getting back into cam-
pus food services,” comments Kerr, “The
campus is really beautiful. Right now I’ve
just been getting to know everyone, and
they’ve all been really friendly and shown
me a lot of hospitality.”
Kerr held a position at Atlanta
International School in Buckhead prior to
coming to Clayton State. Atlanta
International is a pre-k through 12-grade
school comprised of international stu-
dents. Kerr gained a lot of experience con-
structing menus featuring three interna-
tional entrees a week during her time
there.
All of Kerr’s prior experience to Atlanta
International was based in high education
establishments. She came to Clayton State
to get back into university dining services.
She explains that she enjoys it better, “It’s
more fun to be able to interact with the
college students and do more promotions,
and all around do more culinary wise and
front of the house wise.”
Kicking off the dining services improve-
ments is Lakeside Dining Hall’s new floor
renovations, but Kerr is ready to imple-
ment some of her own culinary ideas onto
campus. She explains that she is “eager to
introduce some new menu items, specifi-
cally healthy options, and see the commu-
nity’s response.”
As general manager for dining services,
Kerr is responsible for the Dining Hall,
Jazzman’s Café, Pizza Hut, Sub
Connection, Sandella’s, and catering. She
starts off every workday visiting each din-
ing option to check in with supervisors,
employees, and customers.
Not only does Kerr want to introduce the
Laker community to new things, but she
also wants to keep successful dining serv-
ices programs going strong. She notes the
environmental consciousness of campus
dining services and wants to continue the
recycling program. She also mentions the
student marketing coordinator position
that she is currently looking to fill. This
position is held by a marketing major
every semester and offers experience in
marketing for all the dining options across
campus.
Kerr obtained her degree in Culinary Arts
and Restaurant Management from the
New York Restaurant School. She also
completed an extensive internship in Italy
that lasted a year-and-a-half.
“I’ve been working in food service ever
since I was 13. I just love it,” comments
Kerr, “I love to interact with people, and
put together new recipes and see people’s
expressions when they try new things.”
Kerr is married to a fellow lover of culi-
nary art, who is a chef at the Flip burger
boutique and Cheeky. A native of New
Jersey, she now resides in Douglasville
and has a 17-year-old son who will be
graduating high school this year, and a
four-month-old daughter.
Her love for food doesn’t stop at her job,
but extends into her hobbies as well. She
confesses that she has a passion for cake
decorating, “I actually started when I was
nine years old baking cakes and pies and
by the time I was 12 I was selling them.”
Even though Kerr and her husband are
chefs, they like to go out to experience the
different restaurant atmospheres to keep
up with what’s trending and try new
cuisines. Kerr admits that she likes to
duplicate what she finds in other restau-
rants, and put her own spin on a dish. The
couple does, however, cook for them-
selves quite often. Kerr loves any dish
with seafood in it, explaining that she
makes a great smothered red snapper at
home.
retired dean of the School of Technology
at Clayton State, who served with
Hatfield, who he refers to as, “an excel-
lent professor,” for many years.
A specialist in Medieval and Ancient
Philosophy, Hall was adjunct faculty at
Clayton State in 2001, 2002, 2004 and
2005 before becoming an assistant pro-
fessor of philosophy in the fall 2005
semester and an associate professor of
philosophy with the fall 2010 semester.
He has been organizer and editor of the
Proceedings of the Southeast Philosophy
Congress, which has been held at Clayton
State since 2008. His book, “Thomas
Aquinas and John Duns Scotus: Natural
Theology in the High Middle Ages,” was
published by Continuum Studies in
Philosophy in 2007 and reprinted in 2009.
Hall holds philosophy degrees from the
University of California at Davis (B.A.),
San Francisco State University (M.A.)
and Emory University (Ph.D.)
Hall, cont’d. from p. 2