Prior to joining the world of food manufacturing, Chef Kami Smith began her life of pastry arts with the team at Emeril’s Restaurants and Marriott International Hotels located in heart of New Orleans, Louisiana.  While in New Orleans, Kami was able to develop skillsets in breads, chocolate work, pulled and poured sugars, and helped manage the pastry team to support major event such as opening of the D-Day Museum, Super Bowl, Microsoft, Arthur Anderson, ACF National Conference, and so much more.

With a strong sense to return to her roots in East Tennessee, Kami returned home and took the position of Pastry Chef at an adorable Victorian home known locally as The Troutdale Dining Room Restaurant in Bristol, VA.  While there in Virginia, Kami was asked to spearhead the new culinary program and community bakery at Virginia Intermont College. She also became the local star of “Cooking with Chef Kami” in East Tennessee.

However, a new opportunity in Atlanta, Georgia came up and Chef Kami left the bakery, the tv show, and her team, and joined Schwan’s Bakery, in Atlanta, GA as their newest Research Pastry Chef, where she and her team designed unique multi-layered cakes, brownies, tarts, pies, and cheesecakes for National Accounts around the country. She later joined Dawn Food Products as their Corporate Pastry Chef training the industry on their high-quality products. Though she still resides in Atlanta, today she is the Directory of Culinary Showcasing for Pecan Deluxe Candy which is located in Dallas, Texas, where she and her amazing team work on multiple candy and nut inclusions, snack blends, drink and milkshake bases, coffee/ smoothie syrups, plus bakery items for the ice cream, yogurt, cereal, and foodservice industry.