DENVER — Potatoes USA is pleased to announce Alex Cooper of Bethesda, Maryland, will be the manager of its Spud Nation food truck expansion into Washington, D.C., and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. Cooper brings a solid set of skills from previous food truck business interests and a passion for this industry.
Cooper’s most recent role was as the Events Director for the D.C., Maryland and Virginia Food Truck Association (DMVFTA). In this position, he focused on creating and designing food truck based events like the Capital City Food Truck Convention and Curbside Cook-off. The Capital City Food Truck Convention is a two day gathering of the food truck industry’s brightest chefs, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Curbside Cook-off is the DMVFTA’S annual signature festival that’s not to be missed. It features food trucks, mobile retailers, local craft beers, an artisans market and kid zone.
Before, in his United Kingdom homeland, Cooper owned and managed a profitable food truck business called Nom Catering. While developing this business, he was involved in the startup and creation of one of the first food truck associations in that nation. “This role focused around understanding the food truck industry and developing ties with local and national organizations to promote and forward the industry in the UK,” Cooper said. “Media spokesperson skills were vital, as the role took me onto many forms of media including TV, radio, internet streams and video creation.”
In the UK, Cooper also worked as an Events Manager and Team Leader for Pfizer UK, and as an Account Manager at Aspire Events, specializing in conference and exhibition design. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Kent, at Canterbury, Kent, England; and a Bachelor of Science in Leisure Management from Writtle College, near Chelmsford, Essex, England.
Additionally, Brandon Cassulis has joined the Spud Nation Food Truck in Denver. He will be traveling around town inspiring consumers with field-to-fork potato adventures. Spud Nation was created by Potatoes USA and is the first food truck owned by the 2,500 farming families involved in the potato industry
Before moving to Denver, CO, Cassulis lived in New York, and worked in the foodservice industry for over seven years. He was an Assistant General Manager for Friendly’s in Middletown, NY. Best known for its ice cream, Friendly’s is an East Coast restaurant chain, with 380 locations, that was founded in 1935 in Springfield, MA.
Cassulis holds an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from the State University of New York at Delhi, located in the Town of Delhi, NY. He also graduated from the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Goshen, NY, with high honors in the advanced culinary program. He received a Certificate of Proficiency in The Culinary Arts, and holds a ServSafe Certification. ServSafe is a food and beverage safety and certificate program administered by the National Restaurant Association.
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About Potatoes USA
Potatoes USA is the marketing organization for the 2,500 commercial potato growers operating in the United States. We promote five main potato products: fresh table-stock potatoes, fresh chipping potatoes, seed potatoes, frozen potato products and dehydrated potato products. The National Potato Promotion Board, dba Potatoes USA, was established in 1971 by a group of potato growers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes. Today, as the largest vegetable commodity board, Potatoes USA is proud to be recognized as an innovator in the produce industry. For more information on Potatoes USA’s mission to “Strengthen Demand for U.S. Potatoes” by creating positive change in the industry through innovative and inspiring approaches, please visit PotatoesUSA.com. In an effort to enhance diversity of the Board, USDA encourages women, younger growers, minorities, and people with disabilities to seek positions on the board.
Source: Potatoes USA
