Potatoes USA adds Spud Nation manager, food truck chef

Potatoes USA has hired Alex Cooper of Bethesda, Maryland, as manager of its Spud Nation food truck expansion into Washington, D.C., and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area.

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.

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.

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, Potatoes USA said. 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, Colorado, 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, New York.

Cassulis holds an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from the State University of New York at Delhi, located in the Town of Delhi, New York. He also graduated from the Board of Cooperative Educational Services Career & Technical Education Center in Goshen, New York, with high honors in the advanced culinary program. He received a Certificate of Proficiency in The Culinary Arts, and holds a ServSafe Certification administered by the National Restaurant Association.

Photos: Potatoes USA