Hampton Roads Convention Center appoints Kristin Macan as Executive Chef 

Hampton, VA — The Hampton Roads Convention Center has appointed Kristin Macan as executive chef, bringing new culinary leadership and a focus on scratch-made dishes, quality ingredients, and memorable guest experiences to its catering program.

The convention center, managed by Legends Global, a premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands, recently welcomed Macan to lead its culinary team. Her background spans culinary education, community food programs, and high-volume foodservice, including teaching at the Culinary Institute of Virginia and serving as director of community kitchens and programs at Mercy Chefs.

Macan’s experience developing grab-and-go food programs and cooking in mobile kitchens has prepared her to manage high-volume foodservice in varied settings. She will draw on that experience to strengthen operational efficiency and expand the convention center’s culinary offerings.

“Kristin brings a valuable combination of culinary expertise, operational leadership, and a passion for creating memorable guest experiences,” said Hampton Roads Convention Center General Manager Eric Nealy. “Her experience will help us continue to evolve our catering program and deliver the quality and creativity our clients and guests expect.”

Since stepping into the role, Macan has worked alongside the kitchen staff to bring more scratch-made elements into the operation, including sauces and dressings to make dishes stand out. When possible, Macan said the team is sourcing local products, including fresh seafood and produce. The goal is to build flavor from the ground up while maintaining the consistency and quality required to serve thousands of convention center guests.

Macan works closely with Sous Chef Angela Penttila, who has been with the convention center for more than a year and oversaw kitchen operations during the executive chef search. While cooking remains part of her role, Macan says much of her work involves ensuring the kitchen operates smoothly, from training and scheduling staff to maintaining equipment, ordering ingredients, and planning menus.

“Having Angela’s excellent culinary skills is really crucial to the partnership,” Macan says.

Macan and Penttila are exploring new ways to engage guests through chef-attended stations, interactive food displays, and customized menus. Whether serving a conference, reception, or banquet, they aim to create memorable dining experiences that go beyond simply feeding a crowd.

“There are refreshing changes on the way,” Penttila says.

For Macan, that commitment comes down to treating every plate as an individual experience, even when hundreds of meals must leave the kitchen.

“You aren’t cooking at volume for, say, 700 guests,” Macan says. “You’re cooking for one person 700 times so every plate is consistent. We want guests to taste the intention in what we present.”

That attention to detail extends to the variety of guests the convention center serves. Macan and Penttila are working to elevate the menus with vegan and vegetarian selections, ensuring guests with different dietary preferences can enjoy flavorful, thoughtfully prepared meals.

“Angela makes great vegan food because of her farm-to-table experience. She just knows how to treat vegetables that make them really interesting,” Macan says.

Together, Macan and Penttila are building on the convention center’s existing catering program, focusing on fresh ideas, quality ingredients, and memorable food served consistently at scale.

About Kristin Macan:
Macan is a culinary educator and industry innovator who trained at The Culinary Institute of America. She has a master’s in business administration from ECPI University. As a faculty member at the Culinary Institute of Virginia, Macan designed and led the Innovative Retail Production program, preparing students for careers in high-volume food production, operational efficiency, and foodservice management. She also developed and modernized curricula for associate and bachelor’s degree programs to reflect evolving industry standards and culinary trends. Her honors include Innovator of the Year in 2023 and 2024.

Macan also brings extensive experience in community foodservice and nonprofit leadership. At Mercy Chefs, she designed and launched an innovative, scalable community kitchen model focused on sustainable, nutritious meal production, leading a team of six professionals and volunteers to produce and distribute more than 350,000 meals in 2020 through partnerships with more than 25 local organizations. Her work included developing nutrition and food budgeting education for low-income families, providing hands-on culinary job-skills training, and coordinating large-scale foodservice and disaster relief initiatives. Her community impact earned her the Governor’s Volunteerism Award (2015), HR Volunteerism Award (2015), and Pillars of Promise Award (2020).