PARK 100 FOODS - Key Persons
David J. Alves obtained an A.S. degree in Culinary Arts, B.S. in Food Service Management and B.S. in Education from Johnson and Wales University, Providence, RI. David is the Vice President of Park 100 Foods, where he guides the Research and Development, Total Quality and Processing teams.
Eric Sparks obtained an A.S. degree in Culinary Arts and B.S. in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University, Providence, RI. He also served as a graduate assistant and fellowship instructor at the university. He earned his Certified Executive Chef status from the American Culinary Federation in 1993, and has won numerous awards in both state and national hot food competitions. Eric's fifteen years of Food Service experience has been in the capacity of Executive Chef for several restaurants, private clubs and hotels.
Since 1993, he has been blending Culinary Art with Food Science to translate gold standard recipes into manufacturing formulas. He spent the first three years with Industrial Food Design in Lexington, KY and has been with Park 100 Foods since 1996. He has been asked to speak at national sales conferences, RCA technical workshops, seminars, and national conferences as well as IFT regional and national meetings. Eric is currently the Corporate Director of Research & Development at Park 100 Foods, based out of Indianapolis, IN where he manages the development of fresh and frozen product development for food service and national restaurant chains.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Office
- Director of Product Development
Michael Joy graduated from Johnson and Wales University, Providence, RI, with an A.S. degree in Culinary Arts. For the next 10 years he held several Chef and Pastry Chef positions in national hotel chains rising to Executive Pastry Chef and Executive Chef status at Stouffer Hotels and Hilton Hotels respectively. Michael made the transition out of hotels and restaurants in 1989 to the Corporate Chef position at Grace Culinary Systems, a division of WR Grace. There, for the next 8 years, Michael acquired in-depth R&D skills and extensive knowledge in food manufacturing including cook chill, commercial baking and the then new technology of Sous Vide processing.
Combining Culinary Arts and food manufacturing skills Michael has helped develop food products for such noted companies as McCormick and Co as Corporate Chef/Savory Applications Manager, International Coordinator/TechnoChef™ for Firmenich Inc, and Vice President Culinary Services for The Original Soup Man restaurant chain. In these positions Michael has traveled the globe developing food products for retail and food service, setting up and executing consumer focus groups and training local product development teams He is currently the Director of Product Development at Park 100 Foods based out of Indianapolis, IN where he manages the development of fresh and frozen product development for food service and national restaurant chains.
Chef Michael is a founding member and Past President of the Research Chef Association, a member and former Distinguished Lecturer for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Michael has written several articles as Contributing Editor for Prepared Foods and Food Product Design publications.
Chef Nick Mayes began taking culinary arts classes at the Area 31 Career Center while attending Ben Davis High School. His training continued at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and he also completed an externship at the acclaimed Chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurant Delmonico in New Orleans.
After graduation from The Culinary Institute, Chef Mayes began cooking at celebrity chef Todd English's Olives restaurant in Las Vegas at The Bellagio Resort & Casino. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to executive sous chef. He continued his training at other Todd English restaurants in Boston and then was the opening executive chef of Figs in West Palm Beach, Fla. In the summer of 2009, Nick moved back home to take over the culinary arts program at the Area 31 Career Center. Park 100 Foods welcomed Nick to the team in September of 2016.
Tom Beagle obtained an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts in 1983 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Service Management in 1985 - both from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI. He also served his alma mater in various capacities as a graduate teaching assistant as well as a fellowship instructor, earning Magna Cum Laude scholar status in each of his graduating classes.
Tom's professional food industry experience spans over 30 years and is divided between managing numerous restaurants, catering, commissary, and retail food operations as well as being a product development chef in the process manufacturing industry. He is recognized as a Culinologist and holds the title of Certified Research Chef from the Research Chef's Association, of which he is also a member.
He is Senior Research & Development Chef and Lab Manager for Park 100 Foods, Inc. where he has been employed for the past 20 years. His responsibilities include product research, formula development, production scale-up, and manufacturing support for 3 USDA inspected processing plants. Park 100 Foods produces high-quality fresh and frozen food products for food service, retail, and institutional operations, as well as the health and wellness industry. These products are distributed worldwide.