PROFILE
Career History
Over 30 years of involvement in the culinary and hospitality industries with experience as an entrepreneur, small business professional, and business principal, in diverse industries and market sectors including Food Science, Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Catering; Agribusiness/Farmers’ Markets; Event Planning & Management; Health and Wellness.
Entrepreneurial Ventures
- S.O.L. Food , Ellisville MO
- S.O.L. Food Farmers Market, Maplewood MO.
- Point Labaddie Farmers Market, Labadie MO
- Healing Hands Wellness Therapies, Ballwin MO
- Ellisville Community Farmers’ Market, Ellisville MO,
- Events Unlimited, St. Louis MO and Annapolis MD
- Domestic Goddess, St. Louis MO
- Chesapeake Cheesecake, Annapolis MD
Employment
- Kitchen Conservatory, St. Louis MO
- Schlafly Farmers Market, Maplewood MO
- Wildwood Farmers Market, Wildwood MO
Expertise
Creating relationships and sharing my passion through information, education, storytelling, social media, and events
Conceptualizing/establishing/promoting/marketing/managing small businesses and building strong, enduring relationships with diverse stakeholders, including municipal officials and government agencies, and with the public to support/further their success.
Farmers Markets/Agribusiness Marketing and Promotions, Teaching, Presentations, Event Planning, Media Relations, Health and Wellness, Customer Service, Optimizing Online Presence Culinary Education including Food, Wine, Cider, and Spirits, Building Alliances and Partnerships, Food Science, Public Relations Liaison with Stakeholders
BRAND
Consummate and enthusiastic food professional experienced in many aspects of food science, culinary and pastry arts, and beverages; a knowledgeable and passionate advocate for farmers and producers; collaborative relationship builder; exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills; known as resourceful, “can do,” professional with “magnetism that pulls people together to achieve a common objective.”
Education
Degree-equivalent-and-more college and university coursework plus extensive and varied continuing education.
Technology
Experienced with a range of software and apps; advanced skills with social media. Proficient with creating/enhancing online presence and with electronic marketing; skilled with website management.
Highlights of Experience and Employment – Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Catering
Founder of S.O.L. Food (Sustainable, Organic, Local) Ellisville MO, 2018-present;
Chef and Culinary Arts Educator, and S.O.L. Food Principal, for entrepreneurial venture/small businesses offering fact-finding classes, hands-on workshops, Farm events and visits, a variety of food and beverage tastings, cooking experiences, recipe sharing, and shopping experiences to educate, inform and influence:
- Culinary Professional – Chef and Cooking Instructor developing, preparing for, and teaching a variety of classes
- “S.O.L. Food Series 1,” Local Chef Kitchen, Ballwin MO, 11/05, 12, 19/19
Kitchen Conservatory, St. Louis MO, Spring 2019-Present
Passionate educator presenting cooking demonstrations and culinary education for locally owned, premier kitchen store merchandising kitchen tools and products and cooking classes/food and beverage experiences
- “Date Night for Couples: Tuscany for Two,” 11/29/19
- “Against the Grain with Local Flours,” 11/23/19
- “Heir and Parent: The Great Pumpkin,” 10/12/19
- “Cocktails, Canapes, Crudites: A Retro Cocktail Party,” 08/16/19
- “Maven of Local Food and Farmers,” 06/18/19
- Hard Cider Tastings and Pairing with Mickey Kitterman (multiple dates)
Domestic Goddess (Personal Chef and Household Assistant); Chesapeake Cheesecake Artisanal and Custom Desserts, St. Louis MO and Annapolis MD, 1990-2005
- Founder/Principal of successful and busy catering, and party planning, along with personal assistant/errand runner/light house cleaning before parties
- Personal Chef -planning a variety of menus, shopping, and preparing custom meals in homes
- Pastry Chef creating and catering custom and high-end specialty desserts
Highlights of Experience and Employment – Agribusiness/Farmers Markets.
As a past board member and President of the Missouri Farmers Market Association (MFMA), I am a long-term advocate for farmers and food producers. Gathering information, doing research, asking questions, attending conferences and classes, visiting farms, speaking with customers and clients, working with producers (brewers, bakers, vintners, chefs), authors, local and national government organizations, and organizing large-scale events and small intimate gatherings including popular Farmers’ Markets, promote farmers and agribusiness.
Point Labaddie Farmers Market, Labadie MO, 05/10/18-Present
- Founder/Market Manager of weekly, producer-only Farmers’ Market at Point Labaddie Brewery, offering local, seasonal produce, pastured meats, eggs, honey, cut flowers, freshly prepared hot foods, baked goods, and more, as a weekly farmers market in a small town 35 miles west of St. Louis MO
- Started an Artisan and Farmers Market holiday market series in 2020
Schlafly Farmers’ Market, Schlafly Bottleworks, Maplewood MO, 04/16-03/19
- Market Master recruited to assume management of an established, successful, 11-year-old Farmers’ Market in a thriving commercial/retail district
- Managed/promoted weekly market with 20-25 vegetable, fruit, and local artisan vendors
Market Manager, Wildwood Farmers’ Market, Wildwood MO, 03/13-10/18
- Heavily recruited to manage a struggling market in a young and growing municipality of 35700 residents in West St. Louis County
- Liaison with local government, marketing, advertising, PR, management/oversight, financials/budget management, logistics, on-site management including set up, human relations, trouble-shooting and problem-solving, and tear down
- Recruited, coordinated, and liaised with vendors; arranged for weekly live music; managed contracts
- Worked with city administrators and City Council members to educate, inform and encourage support of the market
- Implemented sensitive policy change requiring that market sale items be “local, homemade, homegrown and producer only” and still grew market from 8 to 25 vendors in just 1 season
Market Manager, Ellisville Community Farmers Market, Ellisville MO, 05/10-10/16
Founder and Owner/Manager of a successful community market in a municipality of ± 9100 residents which drew attendees from a large suburban West County area
- Initiated, established, promoted, and grew the market in collaboration with municipal representatives and resident volunteers
- Recruited core group of volunteers; worked closely with City Park Administrator and Staff and City Council and Staff to encourage support and involvement
- Handled contracts, permitting, government liaison, liquor license technicalities, sales, and financials
- Scheduled/coordinated producer-only market vendors, weekly live music, and Children’s Market
- One of the first farmers markets in the region to have a program for kids and a kids’ market tent
Highlights of Experience Employment – Event Planning and Catering
Events Unlimited, St. Louis MO and Annapolis MD, 2000-04:
Founder/Owner/Principal of successful entrepreneurial event planning business, planning, organizing, and coordinating myriad details of annual meetings, conferences, and special events for 50-2500 participants and coordinating monthly on-site planning meetings with host organizations and sponsors
Event Planner/Caterer designing/managing parties, weddings, wine tastings, and other special events
- Planned major events with organizations and entities such as the Missouri Department of Conservation;
- City of St. Louis (MO); Bass Pro Shops; Arizona, New Mexico and Kentucky Departments of Game and Fish; Southeast Fish and; Wildlife Agency; Maryland Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Department of the Interior; and others
- Collaborated with the Missouri Department of Conservation to plan the American Fisheries Society (AFS)
- Annual Meeting drawing ±2000 participants to St. Louis MO (2000)
- Liaison for planning with the Department of Conservation, Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, and other
- conference sponsors and vendors, the City of St. Louis, and hotels (Adams Mark & Sheraton)
- Worked closely with pipe and drape companies to set up a trade show area featuring ±100 vendors
- Planned, scheduled, and hosted social events plus outings for spouses and VIPs such as an evening social at the St. Louis Zoo, a 5k “Spawning Run,” and a Mississippi River barge tour
- Worked with the City of STL and Bass Pro Shops to organize a 1-day welcoming social event (fish fry, barbecue, live music) in an outdoor downtown venue (Kiener Plaza)
- Worked with the staff of St. Louis Zoo, sponsors, and food and beverage vendors to plan/manage private evening events in Zoo’s then-new River Walk area
- Success of AFS’ St. Louis Meeting led to a contract to manage Annual Meeting in Phoenix AZ (2001)
- Planned Southeast Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) National Conferences, one hosted by
Kentucky Department of Game and Fish in Louisville KY and one hosted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in Hunt Valley MD, both attracting ±2000 registrants
Worked with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Zoo, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Conservation Fund, US Department of the Interior, Bass Pro Shops, and Washington, DC area media, chefs, caterers, food purveyors, party rental companies, and food & wine distributors to plan, coordinate, promote, and present Taste of the Wild, Chesapeake Style, a 1-night, $200/person, centennial celebration (2004) of the National Wildlife Refuge System held at Patuxent ResearchRefuge; managed on-site set up of chefs’ equipment, food deliveries, bars, live music, and auction.
Highlights – Health and Wellness
Founder/Owner/Principal & Licensed Massage Therapist, Healing Hands Wellness Therapies, Ballwin MO, 2005-Present
- Built a successful enterprise with a solid client base and sustained new business
- Added Aesthetics menu of services and premier international organic skincare brand
- Engaged with a broad range of clients concerned about their health and well-being