Jack Strong
Executive Chef
Oregon-born Chef Jack Strong comes to The Allison Inn & Spa with more than 30 years of culinary experience and most recently held the position of Executive Chef at the 453-room JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. During his tenure, he was awarded the coveted Culinary Excellence of the Americas by Marriott. Chef Strong previously held positions at Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa, where he was honored with a James Beard nomination for Best Chef Southwest and co-authored the cookbook, The New Native American Cuisine. He began his career in the Culinary Arts Program at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR.
John Morales
Executive Sous Chef
Chef John Morales began his professional career opening the JW Marriot Hill Country San Antonio Resort with 1,000+ guest rooms, named the highest volume JW Resort in North America in 2010. While there, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America and worked alongside many award-winning chefs with a focus on Latin American Cuisine. He went on to become banquet chef at Omni Hotels and Resorts at La Mansion Del Rio, chef de cuisine for Ostra at the Mokara Hotel and Spa, and executive chef at The Sheraton Madison Hotel in Wisconsin.
As the executive sous chef with The Allison Inn & Spa since November 2022, John enjoys being able to interact with all personnel, being surrounded by high-quality ingredients, and working with our talented chefs.
Andrew Toombs
Chef De Cuisine
As a native of the Pacific Northwest, Chef Andrew Toombs has found his home in many kitchens around the region in which he has taken advantage of the bounty that this area has to offer. Knowing the importance of establishing tight relationships with the local farmers, Andrew believes there is an art to producing simple yet delicious food. Primarily self-taught, Andrew has led crews and worked in notable kitchens, The Silver Grille in Silverton and Merenda restaurant and wine bar in Central Oregon. It was the lure of the bounty of the Willamette Valley when Andrew found his way to Newberg at The Allison Inn & Spa in 2010. He currently resides as chef de cuisine for Jory Restaurant and leads the culinary team of Jory.
Elaine Heide
Wine Director
Elaine Heide comes to The Allison with more than 20 years of experience in the wine trade. Her focal points for The Allison’s wine program are based on three ongoing initiatives: community, inclusivity and education.
Elaine holds Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 and Level 4 Diploma certifications and is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) through the Society of Wine Educators. Additionally, she is a certified WSET educator and enrolled as a student at the Institute of Masters of Wine.