Mary Collins-Shepard

Mary Collins-Shepard has extensive experience in culinary education and community outreach, currently serving as a Community Relations/Culinary Educator at Tupelo Honey Cafe since February 2013, where responsibilities include conducting culinary demonstrations in elementary schools and managing the Tupelo Honey Heroes program. Previously, Mary worked as a Culinary Expert and Class Instructor at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. since October 2003, and served on the board as an Event Coordinator for Friends of the UT Gardens from 1995 to 2008. Additionally, Mary contributed as a Management Consultant for the Bioactive Natural Products Group at the University of Tennessee's Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology from 2004 to 2007, and held the position of Project/Operations Manager at Commodore Advanced Sciences, Inc. from 1992 to 2002. Mary holds an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee, a Master’s Degree in Plant Pathology from Clemson University, and a Bachelor's degree in Plant Science from the University of Rhode Island.