Meet the Staff

Karla Boetel

Chef Karla V. Boetel got her start in culinary arts as a student at DMACC and graduated from the Culinary Arts program with honors. She taught for the DMACC Culinary Arts program while simultaneously opening a kitchen at The Wine Experience in Des Moines, where she was executive chef.

In 1999, Chef Boetel won a nationwide contest and a scholarship to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. As a student, she worked part-time in several well-known restaurants as a pastry chef.  She left New York in the fall of 2001 with a Bachelors of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management.

In early 2003, she was named Executive Chef for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and three years later she returned to her alma mater DMACC to join the Iowa Culinary Institute faculty. Chef Boetel added international culinary experience to her resume in 2006 when she completed a chef's apprenticeship in Le Cergne, France.  She is currently an Executive Chef/Professor at the Ankeny Campus in the Culinary Arts program.  Chef Boetel is an active member of the American Culinary Federation.  Her certifications include Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator.  She is also proud member of the Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs.

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