Chef Opal Poullard, a two-time Food Network ‘Chopped’ Champion is a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator through the American Culinary Federation.
Chef Opal also carries a Professional Chef 1 certification through the Culinary Institute of America and Level 2 Award in Wines through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in addition to her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Management.
Her broad knowledge of Culinary comes from her passion to learn from various cultures when traveling around the world including Italy, Spain, England & France. While serving overseas for 7 years in Asia living in both Okinawa, Japan and South Korea, she spent her free time learning more about the food and culture in those locations.
After many years abroad and multiple deployments, she served as an Enlisted Aide to various high profile Generals leading to her selection as an Advanced Culinary Instructor at Fort Gregg-Adams. While there she trained over 300 Military Chefs that work for General Officers, The Pentagon and White House.
Her prestigious accolades led to her selection by the First Lady of the United States of America, Dr. Jill Biden to be a Guest Chef at the White House in 2023.
Most recently, Chef Opal competed as one of the top 12 Professional Chefs in America at the 2025 U.S. Culinary Open.
Post retirement after 20 years in the US Air Force, Chef Opal owns a culinary consulting business, Chef Opal LLC.
