Colleen Neily, Red Seal Chef
Instructor, Hospitality
Born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Colleen started as a cook at the young age of 14 and is very proud to have become Nunavut's first Red Seal Certified Chef. She also has a two-year Culinary Arts program diploma from The Culinary Institute of Canada and a Degree in Culinary Operations.
Colleen's industry experiences and specialties include Culinary Management and Culinary Business Strategies, Restaurant Management & Customer Service, Research, Product Development & Entrepreneurship, Private & Luxury Fine Dining and being a part of the National Technical Committee also known as Skills Canada. She has worked closely with Food Network Chefs: Chuck Hughes, Lynn Crawford, Mark McEwan, Anna Olson and Michael Smith.
Colleen loves every minute of what she does as an instructor at Portage College. She likes students to develop their character, be creative and to apply their passion. Colleen believes that cooking is an art and a method of personal satisfaction that many people need to explore, and that they just need the opportunity and right person to encourage them along the way.
Away from campus, you can find Colleen with her dog and husband, spending time in the fresh air. She loves to bike, run, walk and play sports.