Charles Jorgensen is a former hotel food and beverage director, executive chef, and culinary educator with over 40 years of experience in culinary arts. He owned a company specializing in food manufacturing, catering, and special events. He still enjoys cooking for his family and friends.

 Charles has shifted his artistic attention to photography, another lifelong passion, and developing Charles Jorgensen Productions.

Charles is a lifelong arts patron who started enjoying the symphony with his father at an early age. He lives in Saint Charles with his wife Akiko, who is a passionate musician and plays flute and piano, and two daughters, one who studies violin performance while presently playing violin for EYSO Youth Symphony and Chamber Music Institute while also studying flute and playing for EYSO Philharmonia and the other who studies violin performance while playing violin for EYSO, and studies oboe. He firmly believes in music education's benefits for all children and is excited to assist Elgin Youth Symphony in fulfilling its mission.