Randy Williams, a Chef Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston and previously the executive chef at Zero George Hotel, has spent his career honing his teaching skills while working in the culinary industry. He has worked and trained under Chef Tom Colicchio of Craft Restaurant and Top Chef fame, executive chef Craig Deihl of Kindred Restaurant Group in Charlotte (formerly of Cypress in Charleston), Chef Donald Barickman of Magnolia’s, and with Chef Doug Blair at the Cassique Clubhouse on Kiawah Island, eventually opening the cooking school and Restaurant at the boutique hotel Zero George in downtown Charleston.

Two bachelor’s degrees in business from College of Charleston paired with his decades of Culinary Arts background have led him down the path of Culinary Education at the Culinary Institute of Charleston while keeping one foot planted firmly in the industry. His love of the culinary world is reflected in his daily life by cooking with ingredients produced through hunting, fishing, foraging, and tending to his edible backyard.

Randy’s diving career began in the Summer of 2025 after finishing his Divemaster Certification with Carolina Dive Locker. After leaving the world of running for medical reasons, he began diving as a new life challenge. His love of the marine world made it an easy transition and if he isn’t working the dive boat with CDL, you will most likely find him in the woods, on/in the saltwater diving or fishing, or cooking up something fun for the next CDL meeting.