CHEF LAWRENCE WALKER

Culinary Director, 1913

Lawrence Walker’s journey to the culinary profession may have been prolonged, but it was always destined. A Texas native, the kitchen served as Walker’s original happy place, discovering and nurturing his love for cooking with the matriarchs of his family. After a fruitful career in the mortgage sector, Walker made the permanent leap to the culinary world — enrolling at L’Etole Culinaire in St. Louis, before honing his skills and passion for high quality and high volume output via everything from high-end country club kitchens to an eventual role at The San Luis Resort in Galveston — Walker’s birthplace. As the current Executive Chef of Lucille’s 1913, Walker is able to combine his passion for community with his love of feeding others. Under Walker’s leadership, the 1913 kitchen team has delivered more than 150,000 meals to Houstonians in need. Alongside Williams, Walker continues to help expand the non-profit’s culinary reach, while ensuring that food and community go hand-in-hand through the sustainable utilization of fresh, local ingredients and the creation of healthy, hearty meals that are nourishing to both the body and soul.

CHEF KHANG HOANG

Founding Chef Partner

Chef Khang Hoang began his culinary career at just 19-years-old, working behind the sushi bar at Houston neighborhood restaurant Tenshi. The experience ignited the discovery of his lifelong passion for all things culinary, honed as he watched the customers enjoy his different creations. With his sights set on a permanent profession in food, Hoang enrolled in the culinary program at the Art Institute of Houston. Upon graduation, Hoang joined the team of the formerly celebrated Houston hotspot, Chef Robert Gadsby’s Bedford Restaurant. It was there that he first met Chef Chris Williams, developing what would prove to be an important friendship that magnified a mutual admiration for one another’s cooking styles. Hoang later cut his teeth in acclaimed kitchens from Houston sushi and Japanese tapas restaurant Kata Robata to celebrity chef David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City before returning to Houston to help Chef Chris open his inaugural eatery, Lucille's. As Lucille’s Partner/Chef de Cuisine, Hoang continues paying homage to the restaurant’s namesake by creating innovative takes on Southern classics via infusions of international flavors and techniques.

JAILYN MARCEL

Frankly Collective

Media + Partnerships

A self-proclaimed logophile, Jailyn Marcel’s passion for communications was honed at Howard University where she studied journalism and political science before returning to her hometown of Houston to put pen to paper full time as the Assistant Digital Editor for PaperCity Magazine. It was there that her love for hospitality was born, composing articles about Houston’s food and beverage scene for PC’s burgeoning website, while also overseeing the brand’s digital marketing initiatives. Following nearly four action-packed years as a digital journalist and social media manager, Marcel made the jump to the field of public relations with the goal of tackling a new aspect of the communications industry. The pivot resulted in two and a half years as a Senior Communications Manager with boutique public relations and marketing firm On the Mark Communications, which morphed into Public Content in 2019 — a professional stint that granted her the opportunity to oversee several major hospitality accounts in addition to sharpening her expertise in social media and integrated marketing strategy. Jailyn has since launched The Franky Collective, a creative communications agency that specializes in supreme storytelling for an ever-evolving culture

CLEVE TUTTLE

Woreman Brand Agency

Brand + Design

Design thinking & communication are the key aspects that have stabilized a successful career in the brand development and management industry. Cleve met Chef Chris in 2005 when he was designing Chef Robert Gadsby's Bedford, and later teaming up to develop the brand and design for Lucille's, Chef Chris's first Houston venture. Cleve has a deep passion for hospitality design and a love for the interaction of people and experience that great restaurant design provides. Having a background in branding combined with the rich history and innovation of the LHG's concepts allows Cleve to create stunning spaces with compelling stories to be told in them.