Staff of McHales Catering
Chuck McHale
President
Chuck began his career with the family business when he was 13 years old as a bagger and clean-up person. He continued to work in many different areas and departments throughout high school and college. Chuck assumed management responsibilities after his father’s passing. Over the years, Chuck changed the focus of the family business from a retail food market to off premise catering and ultimately to on and off premise catering/banquet hall management.
Jenny Schneider
Vice President
Jenny McHale Schneider has been a lifetime employee of McHale's Events and Catering. Jenny worked part-time in the family business throughout high school and college in many different positions. In 1999, the year The Marquise opened, Jenny began working in the office as a Sales Rep/Event Planner and eventually became the Sales Manager. Jenny has now assumed the role of Vice President. Jenny received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993 and a Master of Social Work in 1996 both from the University of Kentucky.
Melissa Merse
Operations Manager
Melissa started with McHale's in 2011. She comes with a vast knowledge of the hospitality industry with over 30 years experience. Her background consists of Local Store Marketing for the Cincinnati market, General Manager of high volume locations and opening new franchises in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area as Regional Manager. She is Serve Safe Certified in Food and Alcohol and her experience with guests and coordination of operations has proven to be a great asset to the management of banquets and special events for McHale's Events and Catering.
Melinda Mathis
Sales Manager/Event Planner
Melinda has been with McHale’s Events and Catering since March of 2002. Melinda joined the company as an Event Planner and has since assumed the role of Sales Manager/Event Planner. Melinda received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1998 from Thomas More College and completed the Professional Stage Management Internship in 2001 at The Julliard School in New York City. From fall of 1998 through spring of 2000 she completed a national and international tour with Tony and Tina's Wedding. Additionally, she was in the 2007 Northern Kentucky Leadership program.
Megan Foltz
Event Planner
Megan has been an Event Planner with McHale's since 2008. She graduated from the University of Kentucky where she studied Marketing and Management. Megan is an expert coordinator of details and has an amazing rapport with people which allows her clients to relax and enjoy the process of planning their event.
Cassie Dean
Event Planner
Cassie joined McHale's team in 2010. She brings a wealth of experience to McHale's; having owned her own catering business in Montana before moving back to her native Cincinnati. Cassie has a great knowledge of the behind the scenes workings of an event which is a vital asset to anticipating the needs of her clients.
Kaitlyn McHale
Event Planner
Kaitlyn is another lifetime employee of McHale's, having started with the grand opening of the Marquise Banquet and Conference Center as a coat check. She worked through grade school as a coat check and dishwasher, then started banquet serving during high school. While attending college, Kaitlyn started full-time event set-up and Banquet Manager. In the summer of 2009 she became Co-Hall Manager at The Florentine Event Center. In October 2010 she took on the role of Hall Manager at The Grand. In March 2011, having experienced every aspect of the background of an event, Kaitlyn made the natural transition into event planner. She graduated from SHI School of Medical massage in April 2011 and passed her State Boards in June 2011. A dedicated employee of McHale's, Kaitlyn loves working with the clients and making each and every event a success!
Mary Jo Rose
Event Planner
Mary Jo started with McHale's in January 2011. Her background includes experience as an Estimator/Inside Sales for a Manufacturers' Rep Group of restaurant equipment and smallwares, as well as a Sales Assistant to five project managers for a National Company in contract and design for restaurant equipment. Mary Jo was named customer Service Rep of the year for Wasserstrom Company in 2003. Her expertise in customer service combined with her caring and considerate personality make her an excellent representation of McHale's Events and Catering at Drawbridge Inn.
Dawnielle Foussard
Event Planner
Dawnielle is our newest event planner at Drawbridge Inn since 2011. Having worked in the non-profit sector for over five years with a focus on fundraising, she brings a unique perspective on event planning. Dawnielle attended NKU where she studied Communications and Sociology.
Chris Weist
Executive Chef
Chef Chris, a native of Cincinnati, cut his culinary teeth at age 16, learning to cook steaks to temperature at a local restaurant. He then went on to graduate from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, worked under talented chefs from New York to California, and spent time in Aspen and The Big Island of Hawaii. Chris has a great working knowledge of many types of cuisine and varied cooking techniques. Among his many accomplishments is cooking along side Emeril Lagasse in Seymour Indiana for his Food Network program “Kick your School Lunch up a Notch.” Chris lived in Hawaii for 2 years, allowing him to get in touch with exotic ingredients that found their way to the back door on a daily basis, including fresh fruits and vegetables and, of course, the finest seafood, which he caught and cooked. For the last 10 years, Chris has been honing his skills on the road and delivering restaurant quality food at varied locations, including catering in some of the finest homes for future presidents, and many off site events of various sizes.
Kevin Cattani
Chef
Chef Kevin joined McHale's in January 2009 and has 35 years in the food industry. He holds a degree in Culinary Arts, having attended Cincinnati Culinary Arts Academy affiliated with the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Kevin has an amazing sense of style in his food preparation and his flavors are superb. Additionally, he creates the most amazing fruit and ice sculptures.
Brittany Daly
Catering Chef
Brittany came to McHale's in July of 2009 after three years as Chef at the banquet hall which is now The Florentine Event Center. She attended Westmoreland County Community College and apprenticed at Red Star Brewery and Grill during her college years.
Doug Inman
Catering Chef
Doug has a wealth of experience working all over the United States with Specialty Restaurant Group, Buckhead Restaurant Group, The Heritage, Elegant Fare, and College of Mt. St. Joseph to name a few. Most recently he worked with Compass Group at Procter and Gamble. Doug and Executive Chef Chris have worked together on and off since the 80's and McHale's is excited to have Doug as a member of the team!
Jessica Jusak
Catering Chef
Jessica came to McHale's in June 2011 with a very diverse culinary background. She earned her Culinary Arts Degree in 2008 from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California. She completed her externship running two different kitchens in Boi Taull, Spain. Following that she took advantage of her European experience and traveled throughout Europe for another six weeks learning about various cultures and their foods. Upon returning to the states and graduating, Jessica began working at Clubmed in Port St. Luicy, Florida producing food from a multitude of countries. In 2009 she returned to California to hone her skills at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion in Anaheim. At Roy's she worked her way through all stations - pantry, prep, pastry, vegetable, appetizer, expo and fish which helped develop her unique perspective on food preparation.
Allison Poe
Catering Chef
Allison started with McHale's in 2010. She earned her Culinary Degree in 2004 from Sullivan University. Her skills in the hospitality field range from Cook to Sous Chef to Kitchen Supervisor at a number of places in the Greater Cincinnati area including The Olive Garden, The Pub at Crestview Hills and Sheraton Cincinnati Airport Hotel.
Phyllis Davis
Scheduling Manager
Phyllis has been catering to brides for over 30 years! As an original employee of the Town and Country Banquet Center, she was excited to join the McHale's team in May 2002 when it became the Gardens of Park Hills. Phyllis has worn many hats throughout her career, filling many roles from Banquet Manager to Hall Manager to Personnel Manager. Her current role as Scheduling Manager has proven to be a great asset to McHale's, facilitating the smooth operation of numerous events amongst several locations on a weekly basis.
Millie Woolwine
Training Manager
Millie has worked in the hospitality industry for a total of nine years serving in all aspects of customer service. Before coming to McHale's in 2008, Millie worked for the Marriott Corporation in the hotel division where she was taught very strong customer service standards. Her experience as a Banquet Manager shined at McHale's which led to her not only running events, but overseeing The Grand as Hall Manager. Millie quickly fell in love with that facility but when asked to step up to help out in the office she accepted the challenge. She has moved forward into training all incoming banquet staff and the results are evident in our glowing customer comments. Millie still serves on many events as Banquet Manager and loves taking the burden off of the shoulders of the host as they enjoy the luxury of their special day. Millie is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and uses her computer background to assist her husband in their Time Recording business.
Annie Severino
Office Manager
Annie joined the McHale's team in May 2009. She has extensive experience in office management as well as accounts payables and receivables, database management, and computer technology. She spent seven years in the fundraising department of a private university and previously spent 16 years typesetting and graphic designing.
Gary Lonnemann
Properties Manager
Gary took over management for all of the McHale's properties in August 2010. He brings over 20 years of experience in property management, as well as purchasing and rehabbing 17 properties over the last 15 years. He owned and operated a roofing and remodeling company for 12 years. In addition to his position at McHale's, Gary manages a commercial five-story building in downtown Cincinnati. Gary's expertise and knowledge of remodeling and construction has been more than instrumental in the building of the new commercial kitchen and offices located at The Gardens of Park Hills.
Lisa Carter
Hall Manager - The Marquise
Lisa has been with McHale's since 1991, before any banquet halls or event centers, working side by side with Chuck in the grocery store and doing off-premise party catering. She has 25 years experience in the Food Service industry. She is a graduate of NKU with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and an Associate's Degree in Business Administration. Lisa attended CATERSOURCE 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada and holds a Food Service Manager Certification from the Northern Kentucky District Health Department. In addition to Hall Manager, Lisa is a Banquet Manager, will often times roll up her sleeves to help out in the kitchen, and is the creative genius behind all the room decor and holiday decorations at every McHale's facility.
John Collett
Hall Manager - The Gardens of Park Hills
John joined McHale's in 2004, an American Airlines retiree after 27 years of service as a Reservations Sales Agent and Instructor. He oversees both the Vista Room and the Arbor Room at The Gardens of Park Hills as well as bartending at events. With two separate banquet rooms on two floors, there is a lot of coordination and detail that goes into making each event flawless. During a busy season, it is not unusual for John to manage the setting and re-setting of two weddings on Friday, two weddings on Saturday and whatever events may come up during the week or on Sunday. John does a beautiful job of making each and every event seamless and special as if it was the only one on the schedule.
Eileen Schaffstein
Hall Manager - The Grand
Eileen joined McHale's in the fall of 2010. Eileen brings a wealth of creative knowledge to her position, having run a successful modeling agency for four years. Additionally, she co-owned a Marketing business with her husband while raising three children. Eileen has taken on the challenge of managing The Grand, with its balcony and ballroom levels, providing creativity and professionalism to each and every event!
Katie Kirk
Hall Manager - The Florentine
Katie started with McHale's in March 2011 and quickly transitioned from banquet server to Hall Manager at The Florentine Event Center. She loves the catering business and plans to make a career of it. Currently she is working on her Associate's Degree in business Management at Maysville Community and Technical College with an anticipated graduation date of May 2012 while concurrently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at MCTCS with an anticipated graduation date of December 2012.
Bobby Woolwine
Hall Manager - Drawbridge Inn
Bobby has been with McHale's since June 2008 in numerous positions from set-up staff to banquet server to bartender and currently holds the position of Hall Manager at Drawbridge Inn. He came to McHale's experienced in running events at a venue that served on dinner plates once used in the White House by President Reagan. Bobby loves the challenge of overseeing 31,000 square feet of banquet space with over 18 banquet rooms accommodating everything from weddings to conventions to dog shows! No matter how formal or laid back you want your event to be, Bobby can take on the task of handling your entire event from the room set-up to banquet managing.
Wedding Open Houses!
Tour our fantastic banquet halls and enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, coffee, tea, soft drinks, champagne and wine!
