MC-2014

Certified Household Manager/Chef

I was born in Washington D.C. in a Catholic family with an older brother and sister. My father’s family is Italian, and my mother’s is Greek. My early childhood was spent in Maryland where I was surrounded by books, music and the freedom to be a child and explore the outdoors. Most days were spent building forts, exploring the woods and spending hours along the Potomac River.

I have been very organized even since childhood and this has followed me into adulthood; I know the value of hard work and I feel my natural ability to organize and my common sense allow me to get the job done. I quickly learned that honesty and integrity combined with my ability and drive to work hard were valuable assets and staying true to these values would be the only way to succeed and have true pride in myself at the end of the day. My standards are high, and I want to make sure my Principal’s expectations are met and exceeded. I take great pride in my work. I have two children, now one is in college and another a junior in High school. They are very responsible, and self- reliant; we live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Over the past twenty years, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to travel and do what I love to do, cook and explore. I have honed my skills over the years and have had the fortune to be able to work in fine dining restaurants, busy hotels and most importantly, for private families. Working in the private service field started with parties and catering events and the next natural step was to work in private homes and that is where my service heart has been ever since. I have been able to take care of the daily needs of my Principals, their family and guests. I have the natural ability to see what needs to be done, anticipate needs and fill them. I have an excellent work history. I am a no non-sense work style and I get the job done. I am very astute at working on your agenda. I am very structured and focused on details.

My top three service standards are Culinary, Administrative and Housekeeping.

Culinary: I have enjoyed cooking and entertaining from an early age. I started buying cookbooks in my early twenties, and then decided to attend Scottsdale Culinary Institute. After culinary school, the fire was lit and I was then able to learn from many creative chefs along the way. My experience after being formally trained turned into a quest for knowledge that led me to explore different avenues in the culinary world. I worked in many facets of the restaurant service industry including three catering companies, large hotels, many intimate restaurants, giving cooking demos at a resort, creating countless menus for service in many restaurants, working as a chef in pastry and seven years as a personal chef for a lovely family. I am able to utilize my skills and experience in the culinary field by being able to identify the needs of my Principals and their guests and surpass their expectations. I am able to cook all kinds of meals orchestrate dinner parties and create memorable desserts and pastries. I am also able to organize the pantry/food storage areas to make sure healthy food is always available and at its best. I am able to set up for smaller parties, from flowers to music and everything in-between.

Administrative: I have always known that without schedules and systems in place, people will not take responsibility. You have to let people know what they are expected to be doing and when they are expected to do it. My experience in administration has been that of scheduling staff and vendors in various restaurants. In private service, scheduling was all about timing, knowing when the best time to get things done to give the appearance of ease. I have been able lead by example, keep people on task, schedule shopping and vendors, have bids done by contractors and keep things running efficiently. Every job I have ever worked was about a good sense of timing, down to seconds. I have been lucky enough to be able to add common sense and speed to the equation as well. This works well with my ability to organize myself and the scheduling of employees, vendors and shopping without compromise.

Housekeeping: I discovered very early in life that keeping my room clean and organized saved a lot of time, and by doing so, would afford me free time to do as I wished. My experience in housekeeping, besides my own home, has been formally taught to me recently at Starkey and by that which I learned at my former Principal’s. While being hired to prepare food, I also made sure the house was in order. Besides cleaning the kitchen area, I also took care of bed and bath linens, vacuuming and dusting, cleaning bathrooms, organizing the boat house and tidying the patios and dock area. Through my drive and natural abilities to keep things in order, cleaning comes naturally to me. I will be able to bring balance and order to my Principal’s home and make sure it is always welcoming and in tiptop condition.

Technical Skill Synopsis:

Administrative:

  •   Ability to navigate the internet and basic knowledge of PC software

  •   Experience managing and scheduling a staff, contractors and vendors

  •   Managed food budgets, schedules and calendars

  •   Formally trained in the patented Starkey Service Management System

    Housekeeping:

  •   Capable of zoning a home and creating task sheets for effectiveness in cleaning

  •   Can set up a housekeeping plan to include daily weekly and detail cleaning schedules.

  •   I can train housekeepers

  •   I have an eye for detail

  •   Knowledgeable in cleaning products and their usage

    Culinary:

  •   Formally trained as a culinary chef

  •   The ability to create what people want, create healthy choices

  •   Able to cook healthy, classical and specialty diet meals, skilled in all facets

  •   Can plan and execute dinner, cocktail and special event parties

  •   Capable of maintaining a clean kitchen, stocked pantry and refrigerator and have

    healthy snacks on hand

  •   Improving knowledge of wine to better pair with food

  •   Can set up food pantry and shopping lists

    Clothing & Valet:

  •   Able to launder and iron clothes

  •   Organize closets and pack for leisure travel

  •   Capable of sewing buttons and make minor clothing repairs

  •   I can supervise a laundress

    Entertaining:

  •   Experienced planning, cooking and serving parties

  •   Trained in American plated, French, Russian and English styles of service

  •   Able to create ambience through decoration, flowers, food and music based on

    Principal’s standards

  •   Certified level one sommelier

Grounds & Property:

  •   Able to schedule and create task sheets for daily, weekly and seasonal maintenance

  •   Has basic knowledge of gardening, flora and fauna

    Maintenance:

  •   Has the ability to be resourceful to make up for lack of knowledge in maintenance

  •   Can schedule and handle vendors to maintain household systems

    Security & Safety:

  •   CPR certified

  •   Defensive driving, clean driving record

  •   Natural ‘alert’ personality

    Transportation & Travel:

  •   Experience cooking and serving on yachts and has traveled with Principal on private plane

  •   Capable of planning travel itineraries, making reservations

  •   Basic knowledge of vehicles and a love of the classics

  •   Is a good driver with a clean driving record

    Personal Care:

    Child Care:

  •   Experience caring for many children other than my own, from ages 6 months to 13 years

  •   Cared fulltime in home for two preschool aged children for two years

  •   Able to maintain daily schedules and provide education and arts

  •   Natural affinity and life experience with children

    Elder Care:

  •   Volunteered with Meals on Wheels in Sedona Arizona

  •   Life experience with relatives, friends and acquaintances

    Pet Care:

  •   Affectionate towards most animals in general

  •   Was raised around many different breeds of dogs

  •  Knowledge and experience of regular health of dogs

Guest Care:

  •   Experience working in a home with frequent high number of guests

  •   Ability to create guest management (profiles, likes/dislikes, services required)

  •   Able to take personal care according to Principal’s standards of guest care with ease