A New York Catering Company Deeply Rooted in Experience

Deborah grew up with the sights and smells of food all around her. From her mother’s family dinners to her father’s greasy spoon restaurant in Manhattan, Deborah’s culinary enthusiasm began as a young child. She entered the kitchen at age 13, where she would wake up at 3:30am to work side by side with her dad at his busy luncheonette.

After high school, Deborah travelled throughout Europe, where she explored many different cuisines. It was there that she discovered her passion for combining and fusing interesting flavors. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and eventually took over her father’s coffee shop, transporting it into a local neighborhood staple for delicious, fresh, inspiring food.

Deborah Miller Catering & Events builds upon the roots and history of the past using personal recipes and handmade combinations to produce elegant yet playful food.

A mother of four adult sons, she lives with her husband and dog, Louie in Manhattan.

Lauren’s hometown is Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Lauren is a proud “Jersey” girl at the core and does not pump her own gas. Lauren has a BA in communications from Boston University and has spent the majority of her career at Deborah Miller Catering & Events; she became a partner in 2015. Prior to joining Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Lauren has always enjoyed working in hospitality, including her role as Director of Special Events at Sounds of Brazil in New York City and as Catering Manager at Foodie’s Catering in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

There is nothing Lauren enjoys more than long days at the beach watching the sun rise over the ocean and set over the bay, followed by cocktails and a barbeque with family and friends.

Lauren currently resides in lower Manhattan with her four children, husband Paul, and magnificent dog Blu Storm.

Alexandra hails from the Hudson Valley, where she grew up horseback riding and cultivating a passion for her longtime hobbies of gardening and hiking. Alexandra holds a B.B.A. and M.B.A from Marist College, in addition to an Associates in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. Over the past decade she has served in various culinary roles in New York, which include working at Union Square Events as a Private Chef, and most recently as Culinary Director at The Skylark, Abigail Kirsch’s premier rooftop venue in Manhattan’s Fashion District.

Tirelessly committed to her professional endeavors, Alexandra spends her free time traveling and working on building her botanical candle company. She currently lives in Dobbs Ferry with her husband and majestic dog, Siena.

Jon moved to New York City in 2003 from Charleston, SC. He attended Johnson & Wales University where he studied Hotel and Restaurant Management.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Jon oversees event logistics, orchestrating daily details – large and small – around manifesting event ideas into realities. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Jon worked at Great Performances Catering as Director of Purchasing, and at Creative Edge Parties as Executive Chef of Events.

Jon enjoys bread baking, beer brewing, and entertaining. Outside of work you can often find Jon playing chess, enjoying board games, or working on puzzles. Jon lives in Brooklyn, NY with his family.

Growing up in central New Jersey, Justin became interested in food as a young child, from the soil it was grown in until it was conceptualized as a dish and savored. He has worked in food service since he began his first job at a local pizza restaurant, and over the course of his career, he has had a growing passion for both food and the people who prepare it.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, he dove into the NYC food scene working at the prestigious Waverly Inn while obtaining a culinary degree from the French Culinary Institute. In every role until his most recent position as Executive Chef of Great Performances, he has enjoyed engaging in the most difficult work. He believes this is the place where learning happens, all in the pursuit of sharpening his skills and palate to offer our guests and our staff an experience that represents the joy food gives to him.

Justin believes food brings us together on every level. How we grow it has the power to shape the world around us, creating a destiny for our planet, and eating a meal has the power to mark a special day in a unique and profound way. Food is art, culture, community, our past and future, and an integral part of the human experience. Justin loves how food connects us, and being central to that connection is his greatest joy. In his limited spare time, Justin enjoys reading, yoga, bicycle rides on the Brooklyn Waterfront, and spending time with his wife of six years and his two young sons.

Betty was born and raised in New York City. Growing up, she moved around frequently throughout the five boroughs but finally settled in Queens in her teen years. Betty is a Certified Public Accountant and has her MBA in finance. She has 20+ years’ experience in financially guiding clients and businesses through tax strategies and preparation of financial statements.

Betty is passionate about empowering and helping others by supporting and appreciating others around her, be they family, friends, clients, or coworkers. She is happily married to her husband of 18 years and raising two teenagers in Downtown Manhattan.

Brette grew up in Long Beach, New York. She attended Indiana University where she majored in Hospitality & Event Management.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Brette manages the planning and execution of off-premise catering events. She coordinates menus, rentals, and staffing, communicating with all internal teams to ensure successful event execution. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Brette was Restaurant & Event Manager at Hendricks Tavern in Roslyn, NY where she excelled in client relations, event booking, and menu creation.

Brette is passionate about food, traveling, shopping, and dogs. Outside of work you can find Brette working out, eating out, and hanging out. A fun fact about Brette: she once won a car! A Long Island native, Brette now lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Byron comes to us from Quito, Ecuador. He studied electronics at Unidad Educativa Salesiana Don Bosco High School and is a Gastronomic Administration graduate from Technological University Equinoccial of Ecuador. He has completed 13 levels of English language learning and excited about continuing his studies.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Byron makes sure catering and event orders arrive on time. He produces physical menus and labels, packs and supervises orders, and oversees the delivery staff. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Byron worked at Six flags Magic Mountain in California as a Looney Tunes character in their entertainment department, at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado as a Food Prep and Buffet server, and at Hotel Americano here in New York as a Line Cook for their rooftop restaurant.

Byron enjoys playing soccer, listening to all kind of rock music, and spending time with my kids. He likes learning about technology and fiddling with computers and mobile devices. Outside of work you can often find Byron discovering museums, parks, and beaches, cooking at home, or spending time painting and playing videogames. Byron lives in Elmhurst, Queens with his amazing wife, two kids, and a pug puppy.

Emely, or “Chama” as many teammates call her, is originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela. She graduated from the University Rafael Bolloso Chacin “URBE” with a degree in Banking and Insurance Administration.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Chama is responsible for keeping the kitchen organized and client food orders ready on time. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Chama worked at Great Performances, originally in pastry and then as part of the Prep Team holding such titles as Prep Team Leader and Waste Control Manager. Passionate about culinary arts, Chama excels at making beverages in large quantities, specialty sandwiches, and delicious pizzas.

Outside of work you can often find Chama video chatting with her mother and son Ignacio who live in Venezuela. Chama loves running, music, reading, and dance. Chama currently lives in Queens Village with her boyfriend, his family, and their three dogs named Mia, Coco, and Candy.

Heather is originally from Orlando, FL. She attended the University of Central Florida, Rosen College where she studied Event Management.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Heather maintains incoming leads and grows existing client relationships. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Heather worked at Conrad NY, Neuman’s Kitchen, and Puff ‘n Stuff Catering.

Outside of work you can often find Heather attending a hot yoga class, baking cupcakes, or playing with cats. Heather lives in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District with her fiancé, David.

Heather is a New York native originally from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. She has a B.S. in Communication from the University of Miami where she double majored in Public Relations and Economics. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Heather spends her time helping people create fabulous culinary experiences! Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Heather was Associate Event Director at Thomas Preti, Catering Operations Coordinator at Great Performances, and a Culinary Team member at Purslane. Outside of work Heather enjoying travel, hiking, cooking, swimming, and taking advantage of New York’s amazing restaurants.

Heather lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is a big football fan – her teams being the New York Jets and the Miami Hurricanes – and is currently learning how to roller dance.

Mark grew up with close ties to his Puerto Rican ancestry while living in Bronx, NY. At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Mark oversees purchasing and the creation of workflows as they relate to the systems we use in our day-to-day operations. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Mark worked as Purchasing Manager at Great Performances and Receiving Manager at Food Direct.

Mark enjoys gardening, biking, and cooking. Outside of work he spends his time with his kids and tending to his plants. Whether he is hiking, bike riding, cooking, or painting, Mark is always listening to music. A fun fact about Mark: He is very observant and therefore notices nearly everything that happens around him. Mark is proud to still call The Bronx his home.

Megan hails from Austin, Texas. She brings with her a degree in Patisserie and Baking. At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Megan oversees data entry of recipes, systems Administration, and Event Chef booking. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Megan worked for Union Square Hospitality Group where she was Host at Gramercy Tavern, Floor Manager at Caffe Marchio/Marta, and Culinary Operations Administrative Assistant at Union Square Events.

Megan enjoys history and anthropology, as well as when restaurants with robust a mocktail menu. You can often find Megan reading books and eating delicious food. Perhaps not her top choice, but fun nonetheless, Megan reads a lot about dinosaurs given her sons’ obsession with dinosaurs. A fun fact about Megan: She still has one of her baby teeth!

Megan lives in Ridgewood, Queens with her husband and two little boys.

Oscar, better known as “O.” in the kitchen, hails from Peru. He studied Culinary Art at Hudson County Community College.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, O. makes sure clients receive the best experience through food and service, and that the Deborah Miller kitchen maintains a positive and creative environment. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, O. worked as Lead Saucier at Great Performances where he was the mastermind behind creating and developing sauces for menus, as well as Waste Control Team Leader. Prior to that, he was Sous Chef and Kitchen Manager at Elephant Plate.

O. is passionate about research, constantly looking to learn more about flavors, music, and places. He enjoys sports, cooking, socializing, and family time. Outside of work you can find O. reading, play Goalkeeper on the soccer field, and experimenting with flavors in his own home kitchen.

O. has a dog named Bailey, a cat named Leia, and a fish named Chewbacca. O. lives in New Jersey with his wife and their newborn son, Aiden.

Wanda is originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She holds an Associates in Computer Science from Monroe College and is a 2015-2016 Graduate of the ELEVATE | [email protected]’s Mentor Program.

At Deborah Miller Catering & Events, Wanda assists the Finance Team by overseeing accounts receivable. Prior to joining the Deborah Miller Team, Wanda worked at WarnerMedia under the at HBO division as Affiliate Account Assistant tracking and reconciling payments. Before that, she worked at Turner Broadcasting (CNN/TBS/TNT) in Atlanta, GA as Sales Assistant supporting the onboarding of new affiliates, and as Contracts Assistant performing contract reviews related to company guidelines and contract negotiations.

Wanda loves spending time with her family, listening to music, and dancing. She enjoys photography, arts and crafts, chilled wine, and watching movies. A fun fact about Wanda: She is the middle child of five siblings. Wanda has two sons named Christopher and Nathaniel, two dogs named Zowie and Chloe, two cats named Quelinda and Cuddles, and a beta fish named Killer. Wanda lives in Bronx, NY with her husband Alberto.