South Florida Food 50: Devonie Nicholas of South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Devonie Nicholas, Marketing and public relations director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Why she’s Food 50: She has been integral to the growth of South Florida’s premier food festival to an international, multimillion-dollar fundraising behemoth.

When Devonie Nicholas started working at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, she was in charge of promoting one event. Eight years later, she has the fest’s 80-plus events under her domain, not to mention all of its sister program, the New York City Wine & Food Festival. As the fest has grown from a one-day event to a weeklong celebration of food and drink that has raised more than $22 million for Florida International University, Nicholas has been there every step of the way.

Her role: To keep national media hits coming, ensuring everyone from Al Roker to Andrew Zimmern has everything they need. “Dev has a palpable appetite for foodie knowledge and a deep love for our festivals,” festival founder and director Lee Brian Schrager says. “Above all else, she is a doer who strives for excellence and holds everyone to the same standard.”

Where to find her: South Beach Wine & Food Festival, multiple locations, Feb. 24-28; 877-762-3933

Web: sobefest.com

Instagram: @devnicholas

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 4:00 AM with the headline "South Florida Food 50: Devonie Nicholas of South Beach Wine & Food Festival."