about us

Food brings us together; leadership is knowing what to do once we are all at the table.

Hi there, my name is Jess Vishner, but my students call me Chef V. I have been a culinary arts teacher at Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy since 2014. Prior to starting to teach I spent the better part of a decade cooking in award winning restaurants in Boston and Wasington DC.

I earned my Bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland, and my Masters of Education from Concordia University. I majored in Career & Technology Leadership and minored in Career & Technology Curriculum and Instruction.

When I'm not teaching or cooking, you can find me spending time with my family, volunteering as a search and rescue technician, and enjoying the outdoors.

“Teaching is a lot like cooking. You start with a plan, a recipe, then something happens and the plan is out the window.
What you do once the plan is out the window is where the magic happens. Bold new flavors emerge as a new dish comes to life.
Just the same as an aha moment for students connecting all the pieces together to form a deeper understanding.”

Jess Vishner