Board of Directors and Board Members

Craig Gilbert

Managing Partner of Drive This! Entertainment

*Charter Member

Craig Gilbert was a charter member of Epicurean Charitable Foundation when he joined in 2001. Mr. Gilbert has made it his goal to mentor students by passing along the knowledge and expertise he has gained from more than two decades in the hospitality industry.

As a Managing Partner of Drive This! Entertainment, Mr. Gilbert oversees operations of hot spots including RHUMBAR, Casa Fuente Cigars, American Burger Works and Tacos & Tequila in Las Vegas and Natural 9 Noodle Company and Tacos & Tequila in Cabazon, Calif. His previous experience includes serving as the Vice President of Food and Beverage at the Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and Vice President of Food, Beverage and Entertainment at Pala Casino Resort and Spa in San Diego.

Mr. Gilbert attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and has been an active member of various industry organizations including the James Beard Association, American Academy of Hospitality Sciences and the American Culinary Federation.

Kelley Jones

Founding partner of Trust3 Hospitality and Kelley Jones Hospitality

*Charter Member

Kelley Jones is the founding partner of Hospitality Alliance and principal of Kelley Jones Hospitality with offices in New York City, Dallas and Las Vegas. Kelley is the host of Vegas Restaurant Rehab featured on the Food Network. His ventures include the Hotel Melby and The Landing Rooftop in Melbourne Fl, Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara, Hotel Cormorant in La Jolla CA, and the Avenue Hotel in Bellevue WA, Violette’s Vegan Organic Cafe in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kelley and his Hospitality Alliance partners are creating, curating and operating Food Halls in Dallas, Las Vegas and Napa. Jones launched Gaku Ramen, loosely translated in Japanese to “educated noodle”, in Burlington Vermont and Boulder Colorado with a planned expansion into college towns across North America.

Jones instructs the culture and leadership training for all managers and team members for the Madison Square Garden Company at their venues including LA Forum, Chicago Theater, Beacon Theater, MSG and Radio City Music Hall. He trains teams at Newark Airport for OTG Management and Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX for Westfield.

Previously, Jones opened Hops & Harvest with James Beard award winning partner Bradley Ogden, an American farm to table comfort food concept. He also partnered with Top Chef Angelo Sosa on Poppy Den an Asian gastro-pup and retained Sosa as his culinary consultant at The Malibu Inn on Malibu Beach, California. He partnered with Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian at Tudor House and HIGHBAR at The dream Hotel on Miami’s South Beach and opened Todd English Pub as managing partner in Las Vegas. He created Suite & Tender at the Se Hotel in San Diego and Eden on Miami’s South Beach, both with Michelin 2 Star Chef Christopher Lee.

Jones has been on the opening executive teams of some of the country’s leading hotel brands including The Monaco Washington DC, Hudson New York, Clift San Francisco, Argonaut San Francisco, and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Las Vegas. Jones has managed the operating teams of eight of the top 100 highest grossing restaurants in the country and has led the opening teams of five of the top 100 highest grossing restaurants in the United States. Jones held senior executive level positions with three of the top 75 multi-concept restaurant operators in the country (#’s 3,7 and 15) as ranked by Restaurant & Institutions Magazine.

Because of his expertise in the hospitality industry, Jones is often tapped to share his views and insight at conferences around the country including National Restaurant Association Show, Nightclub & Bar Show, Hospitality Design Boutique Expo, ALSD Conference, RD&E Conference, G2E Summit, the Independent Lodging Congress and Hospitality Innovation Planet in Madrid, Spain. Jones has spoken at prestigious institutions including Temple University School of Hospitality and Tourism, Culinary Institute of America, Florida International University and UNLV. He has been interviewed and quoted in industry magazines such as Nations Restaurant News, Restaurant & Institutions, Market Watch, Cheers, Restaurant Business, Food and Beverage Underground, Food Arts, Hospitality Design, Tasting Panel and Wine Enthusiast. Jones’ hospitality background is extensive and includes the following enterprises:

Kelley Jones is the Chief Development Officer of Hope For The City a non-profit of over 2700 Volunteers that sprang into action on March 18th 2020 to organize and execute pop up food pantries around the Las Vegas Valley to feed those affected by the Covid 19 pandemic which to date has fed 12 million pounds of food to over a million individuals. Jones is a founding member of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation in Las Vegas and continues to serve on the board and previously on the executive committee as Vice President and Chairman. He also served on the board of the Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation as secretary.

Ken Johnson

Executive Director of Food & Beverage for Four Queens/Binion’s

Ken Johnson joined ECF in 2010. With a passion for mentorship and education, Mr. Johnson has made it his goal to encourage students to achieve their dreams through hard work and determination.

Mr. Johnson currently serves as the Executive Director of Food and Beverage for Four Queens and Binion’s Gambling Hall. Mr. Johnson began his hospitality career as a Front Desk Supervisor for Four Queens in 1982. Other previous experience includes Beverage Manager for Four Queens in 1992, Assistant Director of Food and Beverage for Four Queens in 1997 and Director of Food and Beverage for Four Queens in 2000.

A native of Kenitra, Morocco, Mr. Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of West Florida.

Marisa Martino

Sherri Pucci Sosa

Michael Scafuto

Michael Scafuto of The M&M Group Entertainment

Michael Scafuto, CEO & President of The M&M Group Entertainment, is a 2nd generation entertainment industry executive and a 4th generation US Military veteran, serving in the US Navy as an Air Crew Survival Specialist (PR2 AW/SW).

Michael has spent his entire life in the entertainment industry, from walking music festivals at the age of 8 with his father to becoming one of the leading casino talent buyers in the US. The M&M Group, now 40-year company, is a well-known multi agency that has both venue and artist clients and maintains one of the largest Latin rosters in North America. With more than 300 shows annually, with over 150 different artists of every genre imaginable, the M&M Group’s extensive knowledge and dedication continues to bridge the gaps in all areas within the entertainment industry.

He is most excited to join ECF to effectively contribute and assist in guiding young people through their time with the foundation. He looks forward to being a positive role model and setting a great example for these emerging young professionals.

In his spare time, Michael is a full-time family man and spends 99% of his time with his daughter Penelope, son Michael IV, and wife Kaylyn. Michael and his family also spend many weeks boating from Alaska/Canada to the southern parts of Latin America or in the desert riding dirt bikes, sand rails and camping. He is always trying to teach his children that living life through your eyes and doing things will always better than watching it on TV.

Sean DiCicco

Corporate Vice President of Food and Beverage, ClubCorp.

In 2011, Mr. DiCicco joined Epicurean Charitable Foundation to positively affect deserving students’ lives in Las Vegas. After serving as Vice President of ECF for 2013 and 2014, he now takes over as President for 2015-16. Mr. DiCicco’s goal for ECF is to mentor the young minds of future food and beverage leaders and give back to an industry that has been so good to him. As ECF president, Mr. DiCicco will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations for the organization with a focus on fundraising, building community relationships and student development.

Mr. DiCicco graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, with dean’s list honors. In addition to serving as Vice President of ECF, Mr. DiCicco is an Advisory Board Member for Le Cordon Bleu and served on the Board of Directors for Cheflive Las Vegas.

Michael Kennedy

Director of Food Operations at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa

In 2010, Mr. Kennedy joined Epicurean Charitable Foundation to support and mentor the next generation of hospitality professionals. After serving as Executive Committee Secretary for 2013-14, he held the title of Chairman of the Board for 2015-19. As chairman of the board, he was responsible for working closely with the ECF executive committee and board of directors to enhance member recruitment and oversee all community-based fundraising and grant efforts.

Mr. Kennedy is the Director of Food Operations at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. In his role as Director, he oversees South Point’s Food and Beverage Department as he works to implement strategic plans, guest relations, process improvement and create food and beverage promotions for the property. Mr. Kennedy oversees the hotel’s 13 venues including dining, fast-casual, concessions and the hotel’s wine program. With more than 24 years of experience, he continues to expand his expertise in analyzing, developing and implementing policies to drive his department toward higher achievement.

Mr. Kennedy enjoys quality time with his wife and children and coaches Summerlin North Little League.

Travis Hackney

Vice President National Accounts - Gaming, Sysco Corporate

Travis Hackney developed an early interest in hospitality when he became the Project Manager to MGM Resorts for US Foods. After spending over 10+ years in the industry, his fluency in developing strategic partnerships among large hospitality groups and contract accounts has most recently brought him to Sysco as Vice President National Accounts - Gaming.

After earning a BS in Political Science from UNLV, Travis moved to Carson City, Nevada where he served as a congressional intern under Marilyn Kirkpatrick, current Chairwoman of the Clark County Commission. Realizing that politics was not his passion, he moved back to his hometown of Las Vegas and began his career with food distribution. Being from Las Vegas and having a natural affinity for the business of gaming and hospitality has encouraged Travis to accumulate professional accolades such as Casino Account Executive of the Year, multiple years in a row.

Travis attended UNLV while continuing to pursue a career in hospitality foodservice. Growing up in a Las Vegas household with a single mother also in the industry, he is highly motivated to give back to the Las Vegas community. A true, proud product of Las Vegas, UNLV, and hospitality he enjoys sharing his experience with others.

After that of Husband and Father, his favorite title is House League Hockey Coach for the Las Vegas Ice Center. Travis has played hockey his entire life and is pleased to be teaching the youth of Las Vegas about teamwork and working hard. He believes these two attributes are crucial to the success of every facet of his life.

Lesley Bowman, CPA

Corporate Controller for Elite Golf Management

Lesley received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Finance at UNLV and her Master’s in Accounting and Financial Management at Keller Graduate School in California. Lesley is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of California. Lesley has over 19 years of Accounting/Finance experience, 10 of them being in the golf industry and 8 being in the travel industry. She is the Corporate Controller for Elite Golf Management and is owner of Accounting4Me, an accounting firm targeted to help small businesses.

Lesley joined ECF in March of 2021 to give back to the community, spearhead ECF’s accounting, and be involved in a charity that gives scholarships to deserving recipients. Lesley has become the accounting tutor for our ECF students, which she loves and finds very rewarding.

Lesley is a dog mom to Marvin, Evie, and Storm, which are a Frenchie/Boston mix. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling (especially to the beach), going to Vegas Golden Knights games, golfing, going to concerts and volunteering at other local charities.

Jason Wade

Vice President of Sales, Wine & Spirits at Breakthru Beverage Group

Jason Wade is a Vice President of Sales, Wine & Spirits for Breakthru Beverage Group. In this role he works with F&B operations throughout Las Vegas, to help them create cutting edge beverage programs, and build relationships with key suppliers and influencers in the industry. After graduating from the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV Jason began a 20 year career in hospitality, centered around wine and beverage. Prior to his last position as Director of Beverage for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Jason managed wine and beverage programs for high profile restaurants at Wynn Las Vegas, Bellagio and the Four Seasons.

During his time at Wynn Las Vegas, Jason began volunteering for Three Square, a charity in which the property was heavily involved. This sparked his desire to give back to the community which he has called home for 25 years, and he has since continued his volunteer work with the Nevada SPCA, Sunshine Nevada and Project 150. He joined the ECF in 2021 to continue working with Nevada’s young adults and help inspire the students of his alma mater.

Jason grew up in Hawaii surfing the beaches of Oahu, and still loves to spend his free time in the outdoors. He cherishes his time with his family, hiking, snowboarding and mountain biking whenever possible.

Megan Archambeault

Vice President of Sales

Megan Archambeault is the Vice President of Sales overseeing the MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, New York-New York and the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. She is responsible for the strategic direction, vision, and performance of the Sales, Convention Services, Catering, and the Group Dining departments, supporting all four campuses. Megan works closely with the Banquets & Culinary team and is focused on delivering a world-class F&B experience for Group and Convention guests. Megan is known for her strategic approach to drive profitability, curating customer experiences, and a continual focus on employee morale and culture.

While starting her love for hospitality in Ohio in 2001 in a local Banquets facility, she felt that her career truly started in 2004 when she moved to Las Vegas and joined the Bellagio sales team. From there, she went on to hold numerous sales management and event operations positions within Bellagio, The Light Group, and MGM Resorts International. In 2016, she rejoined MGM Resorts International as the Executive Director of Sales at MGM Grand where she played an instrumental role in the development and planning of the $130M Conference Center Expansion.

She believes strongly in developing our future hospitality talent and giving back to an industry that has given her so much. Megan holds a Hotel Administration degree from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and has actively participated in the Mentorship programs offered through UNLV, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and currently MGM Resorts. Megan is a recipient of the 2016 Connect Meetings 40 under 40 Innovators and Influencers Honor and the 2021 Innovator Award for Smart Women in Meetings.

Megan currently resides in Henderson with her husband David and their two daughters. In her spare time, you will find Megan and her family traveling and participating in unique events, as she believes money is best spent on experiences and memories with her loved ones.

Amber Jung

Vice President of Marketing at the SAHARA Las Vegas

Amber loves helping people create memorable experiences in a unique way. With over 10 years of experience in the casino industry, she is experienced in a wide range of marketing facilities including brand marketing, casino marketing & events, and hospitality marketing with a focus on food & beverage and hotel.

Amber joined Epicurean Charitable Foundation in November 2021 to work along like-minded professionals and brings a unique skill set to benefit both the students and organization.

In addition to her work as a marketing professional by day, Amber is a mom of three- Baily, Kylee, and Paulie, an entrepreneur, brunch enthusiast and is known for her design and creative skills.

Vildan Buric

Director of Food and Beverage at Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino

Class of 2014

As an ECF and Cum Laude Graduate from UNLV, Vildan has continuously achieved milestones, since his first ever Food and Beverage assignment. Currently, Director of Food and Beverage at Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino, Vildan has completed his level one Sommelier and Cicerone Certifications. Vildan is a true leader that all of our current students can call a mentor.

Vildan is now giving back to the foundation, by serving as a Board Member.

Jason Charboneau

Senior Vice President, Beer, NA and CBD for Southern Glazers Wine, Spirits and Beer

In his role, Jason is responsible for leading and developing beer and non-alc strategy while building strong supplier and customer relationships. Jason has been actively engaged in SGWSB college recruiting program along with leading volunteer event organization and coordination, including supporting the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, Habitat for Humanity and local blood drives.

Jason joined ECF in February 2021 to help ECF offer more scholarships and guide the current students and alumni through challenges of the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

Jason is a proud Texas Tech Red Raider, graduating in 2006 with a degree in International Business. In his free time, Jason is more than likely spending time with his wife Alyssa and 3 young children, including coaching his daughter’s softball team, or out enjoying all the amazing food and entertainment Las Vegas has to offer.

Martha Morales

Assistant General Manager at Boyd Gaming

Martha is an ECF Alum and first student to become part of the ECF board.

Las Vegas raised, Ms. Morales, graduated from Rancho High School and from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a degree in hospitality management. Ms. Morales also holds a Master in Business from the University of Southern California. Ms. Morales began her career in the hospitality industry at the age of 16 and utilized both her education and experience to develop her skills. She has worked at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Hilton Las Vegas, Arizona Charlies Decatur, Stratosphere Hotel, Caesars Palace, Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace and recently joined Boyd Gaming as the Assistant General Manager at the Orleans Hotel and Casino.

Ms. Morales joined Epicurean Charitable Foundation as a board member to combine her passion for empowering young women and leading others with her knowledge of the hospitality industry. Ms. Morales enjoys hiking, dancing, and participating in community outreach events. Ms. Morales is the proud mother of Jasmin.

Anthony Olheiser

Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

In his role at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Anthony is responsible for the development and execution of all F&B outlets and strategies, including menu development, culinary standards, talent acquisition, sourcing, and budgeting. He brings more than 20 years of diverse hospitality expertise to ECF, having most recently served as Vice President of Food and Beverage for Sahara Las Vegas.

Anthony was also Executive Director of The Park, and he has held leadership roles with MGM Resorts International (as Executive Director of Brand Activation), The Ritz Carlton Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE (as Director of Food and Beverage), and MGM Grand (as Director of Entertainment and Development).

Anthony’s unwavering passion and commitment to mentorship drove him to join ECF in April of 2022 to make a positive impact on the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Anthony is an avid runner, a hot sauce connoisseur, and a loyal WWE fan. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife Natalie and his son Anthony Jr. and their daughter Ariana.

Bruce Belcher

Director of HR for Southern Glazer's Wine, Spirits & Beer for Nevada

Bruce Belcher serves as the HR Director for Southern Glazer’s Wine, Spirits & Beer for Nevada. In this role, he provides HR leadership and guidance for the state while partnering with business leaders on strategic HR initiatives and serves as an integral champion of Southern’s culture and values.

Prior to joining the Southern team, Bruce spent over 20 years with MGM Resorts where he held many leadership roles in Human Resources, including VP of Human Resources for Circus Circus Hotel & Casino and Director of HR for Aria Resort/CityCenter Campus. Bruce brings significant experience with strategic business partnering, employee engagement, employee/labor relations, employee retention and talent management.

He also earned two degrees from UNLV, his Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management/Administration as well as his MBA.

Bruce was raised in Las Vegas and has three children: Alyssa, Brynn & Brandon with his wife Ramona. Outside of work, Bruce enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking advantage of everything that Las Vegas offers, while working around the kid’s competitive soccer club commitments.

Alyssa Mendes

Vice President and General Manager, Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace

Alyssa currently leads all aspects of operations for Nobu Hotel and is a member of the hotel leadership team at Caesars Palace, helping to drive the overall strategy of the property with respect to revenue management as well as operational efficiency and service standards. In addition, she oversees the operations of both Qua Spa and weddings at Caesars Palace.

Prior to that, Alyssa was VP of F&B at Harrah’s Las Vegas, The LINQ and Flamingo Las Vegas, overseeing both front of house and back of house culinary operations. Alyssa started her career in hotel operations where she held management positions at Harrah’s & Harvey’s Lake Tahoe and Harrah’s Resort Southern California before moving to Las Vegas as the Director of Hotel Operations at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

Originally from the San Diego area, Alyssa graduated from Sonoma State University with a BS in Psychology and enjoys outdoor activities and traveling

Nick Trujillo

Director, Global Partnerships for Vegas Golden Knights

In his role with the Golden Knights, Nick is responsible for generating sponsorship revenue for the entire family of Bill Foley owned sports enterprises. This includes the Golden Knights, Henderson Silver Knights, and Vegas Knight Hawks, as well as community facilities, The Dollar Loan Center, City National Arena, and America First Center. As well as the NBA’s G League Ignite. He previously held positions for the Las Vegas Desert Dogs and Las Vegas Raiders focused on generating revenue in hospitality focused sales roles. Combined he has over a decade of experience in the sports industry.

Nick joined ECF because the foundation supports a cause near and dear to his heart. Growing up in circumstances like the students the foundation supports, he would not have been able to attend a four-year university without a scholarship. He has seen firsthand what an opportunity like this can mean for someone’s future and wants to be a part of providing those opportunities to deserving recipients here in Southern Nevada.

Originally from the California Bay Area, Nick has lived in Vegas since 2018 and has fallen in love with the city. He is recently married and spends his free time on a golf course, exploring new restaurants with his wife, Shelbi, or taking an adventure with their dog, Daisy.