Americrown, the leader in motorsports catering and concessions, has announced changes to its management staff following the season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
As part of the restructuring, Corporate Executive Chef Michael Pappas has been promoted to the position of Vice President, Jeffrey Spencer will assume the role of General Manager of Food and Beverage Operations, and both Chef Mikell Blocker and Chef Carl Van Wagner have been elevated to respective Regional Corporate Chef positions, sharing responsibilities around the country.
Michael Printup will continue to lead Americrown as he has since 2015, in addition to serving as Watkins Glen International President.
Pappas received his formal training at Florida State College’s Culinary Institute of the South in Jacksonville, FL following service to our country with the U.S. Army for eight years. After laying the foundation for his career with the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island and Omni Hotels, Pappas spent five years as Corporate Chef for Harry’s of America, leading stadium kitchens during Super Bowl XXXIX at Jacksonville’s Alltel Stadium as Regional Executive Chef for Centerplate. He also held a previous post as Senior Executive Chef for the Atlanta Braves.
Spencer received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Prior to his enrollment, Spencer was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for four years. Following graduation, he gained his Certified Wine Professional Certificate while working at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant in St. Helena, California. After spending time at home in Tallahassee, Florida as the executive chef at Tapas and Café Cabernet, Spencer became the General Manager for Seminole Concessions at The Florida State University and later took over the Leon County Civic Center. Before joining Americrown, he also spent time at Florida Gulf Coast University where he oversaw all campus food and beverage.
Blocker earned his culinary degree from Scott Community College with continued training from the Culinary Institute of America. His career has been diverse, earning extensive experience and managing various locations including Mall of America Field with the Minnesota Vikings, Kauffman Stadium with the Kansas City Royals, First Energy Stadium with the Cleveland Browns, and Red Rock Amphitheatre.
Van Wagner came to Americrown from Aramark where he held the Executive Chef position with the Atlanta Braves. With 25 years in the industry, Van Wagner brings experience from some of the industry’s most attended stadiums in the country with stints at Lambeau Field, Wrigley Field, and Churchill Downs. Throughout his career, he has supported major events including the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, and All-Star Games for both the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, in addition to successfully opening the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, PPG Paints Arena. Van Wagner has been with Americrown since 2014 and has been responsible for oversight at Michigan International Speedway, ISM Raceway, and Kansas Speedway.
Printup has served as President of Watkins Glen International since 2009. The western New York native first joined International Speedway Corporation as vice president of Americrown, a position he held until 2005, working out of Michigan International Speedway and overseeing all food and beverage services for ISC-owned facilities and the show car programs. In March 2015, Printup assumed managerial oversight of Americrown, focusing on increasing profitability, a successful execution of food and beverage at the new Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway, and enhancing overall value and operations. Printup also served more than 15 years with Sportservice Corporation in various capacities around the country, including over ten sports stadiums that hosted top-level competition including MLB, NFL, and NHL.
“These changes put Americrown in the best position to succeed and improve as we head into the 2019 event season,” Printup said. “We look forward to supporting these four in their new roles and watching the continued growth that is sure to follow these promotions.”
Americrown, originally formed in 1989 by Lesa France Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of International Speedway Corporation, is the leader in motorsports catering and concessions. Operating at 11 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks nationwide, Americrown touches millions of race fans annually. Our ever growing fleet of mobile food concessions and catering equipment is unparalleled in the industry. Americrown’s team of industry professionals brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the table with an overall goal of customer satisfaction.
Americrown PR
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