Centerplate Names Industry Veteran, Gary Prell, Vice President of Culinary Development

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Centerplate, the leading hospitality provider to North America's premier sports venues and convention centers, announced today the appointment of culinary arts and catering industry veteran Gary Prell to the post of Vice President of Culinary Development for the company. Prell is a strong addition to the company's extremely talented culinary leadership team, which includes Senior Executive Chef David Skorka, based in Dallas, Senior Executive Chef Sean Kavanaugh, based in Louisville, and Senior Executive Chef Orlando Morales, based in San Diego.

In his new position, Prell will have responsibility for culinary training, a new chef mentorship program, and he will facilitate menu development for the company. Prell returns to the company having served as President and CEO of the Professional Culinary Institute, a culinary arts school in Northern California, sister institution to the International Culinary Center in New York City.  Previously, Prell had spent a decade in various senior management positions at Centerplate, including managing the firm's catering operations at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., and the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.  

"Gary is a great addition to our culinary team," said Chris Verros, Centerplate's Chief Operating Officer. "He comes with strong operational experience, combined with significant culinary education skills having served as both a professor and dean at respected culinary arts schools across the country."

Prell's career experience makes him ideally suited for his new culinary training and menu development role. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Prell served as the founding executive chef of Bon Appetit, the San Francisco-based catering firm and served as the Dean of the Art Institute of Colorado's Culinary Arts School in Denver in addition to his experience at Centerplate in key roles in the company's convention center operations and leadership training and recruitment.  

Prell rejoins Centerplate at a key time for the company and its clients. Centerplate has had its strongest year ever for new business and contract renewals and was just ranked the fastest-growing hospitality group in the country by Nation's Restaurant News.

About Centerplate

Centerplate crafts and delivers "Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results." in over 250 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America – annually serving over 100 million guests. Centerplate has provided event hospitality services to 15 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 12 Super Bowls, 20 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration. The company was recently named the fastest growing hospitality group in the country by Nation's Restaurant News. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com

SOURCE Centerplate