Gary Prell
Vice President, Culinary Development

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Gary has had an extraordinary career as chef, culinary educator and hospitality executive - and he's been extraordinary successful at each and every position.

Notable positions of Gary's include having co-founded renowned San Francisco caterer Bon Appetit Catering, serving as dean for the School of Culinary Arts for the Arts Institutes in Denver, managing the hospitality services of three of the largest convention centers in North America and leading the Professional Culinary Institute, one of the nation's premier culinary arts school, as President and CEO.

Now Gary provides his vision, leadership and passion for event hospitality to Centerplate's clients as our Vice President of Culinary Development.

Chef Sean Kavanaugh
Senior Executive Chef, Sports and Entertainment

Bringing 25 years of culinary and hospitality leadership to the Centerplate team, Chef Kavanaugh has a passion for delivering superior service and creating memorable food. He has continually applied his culinary expertise and strategic business sense in ways that have earned him industry acclaim, and significant business results. Under his leadership, the Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton Phoenix earned the rating of 9th best restaurant in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. His proven ability to upsell food and beverages to existing and new customers led to outstanding short-term sales increases in high profile convention center accounts. Further, Chef Kavanaugh was honored by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors for the most innovative suite menu in sports, was the winner at the 2008 Scottsdale Culinary Festival for his innovative menu and service design, and earned a finalist position in the 2009 Event Solutions Spotlight Award for Catering Company of the Year.

Chef Orlando Morales
Senior Executive Chef, Sports and Entertainment

Chef Morales is one of the most experienced and talented chefs in the event hospitality business today with his twenty-two years of service to premier resorts, stadiums, convention centers and entertainment venues. He is based at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers. He has catered Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, World Series, NHL All-Star Games, and the BCS Championship Game. He is also extraordinarily well-versed in building openings having served as the culinary lead on multiple stadium, arena and convention center opening teams.

Chef David Skorka
Senior Executive Chef, Convention Centers

Having identified his passion for cooking at a young age, Chef Skorka nurtured his interest and developed his craft in a number of high-profile kitchens. These experiences helped him to become the acclaimed chef he is today. Chef Skorka exhibits great leadership and innovation from both a culinary and operations perspective, and E³ Executes Extraordinary Experiences that reflect genuine hospitality.

Chef Skorka has planned, coordinated, prepared, and served a number of high-profile events, such as Presidential Dinners (Gerald Ford, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush) and celebrity events (lunch for Muhammad Ali, lunch for Oprah Winfrey). In addition, his diverse experience makes him well-versed in satisfying events of any complexity.

Chef Blair Rasmussen
Executive Chef, Vancouver Convention Centre

Blair Rasmussen, a British Columbia-born chef, received his culinary training in Vancouver and is a leading figure in the development of Canadian West Coast Cuisine. Prior to his arrival at the Vancouver Convention Centre, he held positions at the Hyatt Regency, Meridien Hotel and the Canadian Club at Expo ’86. His first assignment was as an international chef was at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo in 1991. Since then, he has played a key role in Canadian food and wine promotions around the world. From Beijing to London and Amsterdam, from Barcelona to San Francisco and Washington DC, his culinary work has helped to establish a new reputation for Vancouver’s food and wine scene. During his tenure as Executive Chef, the Vancouver Convention Centre received the AIPC award for “World’s Best Convention Centre” in both 2002 and 2008 with the highest marks given for food quality and service.

Chef Jonathan Barnett
Executive Chef, the Miami Beach Convention Center