After six years of serving as executive chef at Darlington, Bret Clark has been promoted to director of dining services. Clark has 31 years of culinary experience, 18 of which are as an executive chef or director of operations.
“I am very excited to have Bret transition to this role,” said Beth Pollard, assistant head of school for business and operations. “Bret has some exciting changes planned to enhance food service for our community. His commitment to Darlington combined with his extensive experience make him an ideal fit for this position.”
In his hometown of Austin, Texas, Clark gained an appreciation for food at an early age and followed that interest into culinary school. Directly from culinary school he began to travel, chasing culinary experiences and working with great chefs and mentors along the way; from Montana to North Carolina and finally in Georgia where he has settled since the Olympics in 1996.
“I am excited and honored for the opportunity to begin work as director of dining services at Darlington,” Clark said. “I am grateful to have an amazing culinary team that has grown with me over the years, including the promotion of Kenneth Pressey to executive chef. The diversity of the student body has offered a much welcomed challenge to Dining Services, and my goal is to continue to make strides in accommodating the wide array of cultural tastes and experiences. As director I am looking forward to creating a dialogue with students and student leaders so that we may create a more inclusive dining community.”
Clark enjoys spending his down time cooking at home, fishing and working in the yard. He and his wife Casey have two daughters, Maddie (18) and Garrett (8).
