LV's Karen Nava Wins Prestigious 2015 Avero Award

Karen Nava

The Board of Directors of Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas (ECF) and Avero LLC have selected University of Las Vegas, Nevada junior Karen Nava as the winner of the 2015 Avero New York City Restaurant Education Experience.

The annual experience sends one deserving ECF scholarship recipient, along with their respective mentor, to New York City for a four-day immersion into the food and beverage industry. The selected student earns the opportunity to meet and learn from leading chefs, managers, restaurateurs and hoteliers while visiting some of the city’s most prominent dining establishments. Nava will enjoy New York City from Monday, Aug. 17, through Thursday, Aug. 20, alongside her ECF mentor Ana Marie Mormando. Mormando serves as general manager of The Mansion at MGM Grand and has been vice president of ECF for the past three years, joining more than 25 other leading hospitality and food and beverage executives that make up the ECF Board.

“I am very excited to expand my hospitality education outside of Las Vegas and get an in-depth look into one of the world’s busiest cosmopolitan cities,” said Nava. “I’m thankful to ECF and Avero for the opportunity and look forward to learning as much as possible and bringing that knowledge back to Las Vegas to share with my peers.”

The Avero Restaurant Education Experience has been awarded exclusively to ECF students since its inception in 2010. As part of the trip, Nava will meet with the Avero executive team to learn how the company’s restaurant software technology helps food and beverage operators improve efficiency and guest experience and drive profits.

“Avero is committed to supporting ECF’s mission of mentoring deserving students pursuing careers in our industry,” said Damian Mogavero, CEO and founder of Avero. “We hope that the Avero New York City Restaurant Education Experience will have continue to have a lasting, inspirational effect on these students and many others for years to come.”

Nava is pursuing a career in hospitality management at UNLV and is a leader in numerous extracurricular activities: President of the school’s chapter of National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH), Founder of UNLV’s DECA chapter, and Director of Public Relations for UNLV’s Human Resource Student Association (HRSA). She recently secured a position at the front desk for The Venetian | Palazzo Las Vegas and was named one of Vegas Seven’s “Most Intriguing People” in 2012.

More information may be found by calling 702.932.5098, visiting www.ecflv.org or following @EpicureanLV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.