Edward (Ed) Evans

EDWARD (ED) EVANS serves as the Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Cordish Gaming Group, the gaming division of The Cordish Companies. In this role, Evans is responsible for leading community development, sustainability and engaging Team Members and local and regional stakeholders to drive strategic initiatives that align with the company’s goals and values.

Under his leadership, Cordish Gaming Group has strengthened its relationships in the communities it serves, including a $12 million donation to the Severn Center in Maryland which included a state-of-the-art Boys & Girls Club, gymnasium, teen club and senior activity center, and a $750,000 donation to the Murphy Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. He sits on the board for Workforce Development for Anne Arundel County, Rise & Shine, Planning Advisory Board Anne Arundel County, Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, and volunteers for the New Songs Community Learning Center and Men-for-Meade, Hungry Hands and C.A.R.E., an animal non-profit.

Before he transitioned to his current role, Evans served as Director of Culinary Operations at Cordish Gaming’s flagship property, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, where he oversaw culinary operations with a particular focus on expanding food and beverage offerings and enhancing quality. As part of this effort, he helped lead departmental efforts to develop stronger relations with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), and other minority-owned vendors.

Prior to joining The Cordish Companies and Live!  in 2015, Evans’ extensive culinary experience included Corporate Executive Chef for Thompson Hospitality, where he oversaw a team of more than 40 chefs and sous chefs in over 26 business units, Corporate Director of Food and Beverage with LTD Hospitality Group, and Executive Chef at restaurants including Red Sage, Papa Razzi, and Gordon Biersch Breweries. He used his culinary know-how to inspire the next generation of chefs through the Live! Culinary Academy, a cooking school he launched in-house designed to develop team members’ expertise and cooking skills. He uses many of these same lessons in his community service outreach to mentor and inspire through his lectures, keynote speeches and guest cooking appearances. He has an affinity towards mentoring underprivileged youth and lives to serve as a role model for future generations.  

Evans is a graduate of Baltimore International College. He was named one of the 25 People to Watch in 2024 by Global Gaming Business, one of the premier industry publications, and named a Black History Hero in 2021 by the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association. He has been featured as a guest on TV shows ranging from local morning news to the hit Food Network series Chopped. He currently resides in Anne Arundel County with his wife and three children.