When the members of her sorority first asked for a personal chef, Victoria Hartman didn’t take it seriously.

“It was almost a joke at first,” said Hartman, chapter president of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

But last week, the sorority with around 80 sisters hired a part-time chef named Joy Blackeney. Chefs in sorority houses are a common occurrence across the country, however, Pi Phi is the first Greek-letter chapter at GW to hire a personal chef at its on-campus house.

Whipping up American, Moroccan, Mediterranean and Asian-inspired dishes, Blackeney also makes bath bombs – a kind of bath salt – in the shape of cupcakes for the members.

Hartman said the idea for a chef arose after Pi Phi sisters moved into their new home in Strong Hall, which is equipped with a brand-new kitchens.

Pi Beta Phi adviser Mary Lu Meixell said having a chef will help chapter members bond through more sisterhood events, including weekly dinners after chapter meetings on Sundays.

“After a lengthy search starting with referrals and ending with Google, we found the perfect match in Chef Joy!” Meixell said in an e-mail, adding, “Joy has already lived up to her name.”

Hartman said Pi Phi’s Vice President of Housing Nicole Walsh did much of the legwork on the project, and spent the summer getting approval from GW and Pi Beta Phi’s Chapter House Corporation.

Hartman said Pi Phi members were “extremely excited” when the chapter announced the news last Thursday. Chapter regulations barred any of the members from speaking with The Hatchet.

“I’m looking forward to getting more feedback internally and externally,” Hartman said, adding that she hasn’t had a chance to gauge the response from the rest of the community because the position was just filled last week.

“This is something I can see expanding to more of the Greek life here,” Hartman said. “It could help to further develop Greek life at GW.”