December Member Spotlight Shannon Nylander, CPCE

Please welcome 1 of 2 of our December Member Spotlight's .... Shannon Nylander with St. Petersburg Yacht Club!

HOW DO I GET SPOTLIGHTED? ... If you are interested in being spotlighted, be sure to attend meetings! We draw for a member spotlight each month!

Shannon Nylander, CPCE

I have been the Director of Catering at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club since 2000 and a member of NACE since 2003. The Yacht Club has been around since 1909. This is the first private club I have ever worked at and the biggest challenge is trying to introduce new things and ideas to a club and a membership that is so steeped in tradition and not changing. I do love a good challenge though.

I am originally from Denver, Colorado and am one of five girls, the middle one. My entire family still resides in Colorado, which is where I was before moving to Florida. People always ask why would I move from Colorado to Florida, and the answer is simple......there is a beach. I am definitely a beach girl and love spending free time there. I did go to the mountains when I was in Colorado; however you definitely had to plan it out and have the time. I do make it a point to go to Denver once a year, so I don’t miss not being there. Here, I live five minutes from the beach and can work a 10 hour day and still be able to go enjoy the beach at the end of the day. Quality of life is wonderful here.

I went to Johnson & Wales University and received a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts and also my Bachelors Degree in Foodservice Management. My first job out of College was as the Director of Catering at the Citadel Military School in Charleston, South Carolina. I was with them for two years when I landed the Pastry Chef position at the Westin Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Pastry was my first passion and I did this for several years, until the self realization that I was much better with people
than holed up in a kitchen. I then put my business suit back on and got back to the sales side of things, where I have been ever since. I did get my CPCE certification this year as well, which I highly recommend doing to all of my counterparts. Not only do you get the certification, but the wealth of knowledge that you gain through the process of studying is invaluable.

My partner Melissa Boulineau (General Manager at the Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge) and I are celebrating our 5th Anniversary in December. We have also welcomed the addition of our son Peyton Riley to our family, who was born October 10th. The adoption will be final by the end of the year, and we couldn’t be any happier than we are right now.

Shannon Nylander, CPCE
Director of Catering
St. Petersburg Yacht Club
spyccatering@tampabay.rr.com
www.spyc.org
727-892-6882

OCTOBER 2014 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Please welcome our October 2014 Member Spotlight ... Mike Lamando with Amici's Catered Cuisine.

HOW DO I GET SPOTLIGHTED? ... If you are interested in being spotlighted, be sure to attend meetings! We draw for a member spotlight each month!

Mike Lamando

Amici’s Catered Cuisine is an off premise catering company that provides high quality creative cuisine, elegant food presentations, and attentive service resulting in happy clients and a steady overall growth in business for over 30 years.

Amici’s was originally opened in Palm Harbor in 1983 as a meat market, deli and catering business in a 900 square foot space and was named “Amici Prime Meats”. The retail business was phased out after 14 years but created a solid foundation for the smooth transition into a full scale catering business due to the development of customer trust and loyalty. In 1997 Amici’s moved to Oldsmar, in the middle of the tri-county Tampa Bay area, where their focus was strictly on growing the catering company.

Amici’s Catered Cuisine recently expanded into a 10,000 square foot building purchased to improve efficiency, enable future growth and to better serve their clients.

Owner Michael Lamando, a graduate of Florida State University, has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management. He has been a member of NACE since 1998. Michael’s passion for food and service developed at an early age having grown up in New York in an Italian/Irish home. Michael emphasizes a family atmosphere in the workplace and surrounds himself with the best staff in the hospitality industry. Many employees have been working at Amici’s for over 15 years. Even though the majority of his time is spent on continually improving his business, he always finds time to give back to the community. Over the years, he has contributed to a variety of fund raisers and charities. On November 16, 2014, Amici’s is honored to be donating their catering services for “Mission I Do” at Old McMickey’s farm in Odessa. “Mission I Do” is a 25K Dream Wedding Gift for a wounded veteran and his bride to be.

Amici’s Catered Cuisine is a preferred award winning caterer at over 100 banquet and reception halls in the Tampa Bay area. They specialize in wedding receptions, casual business meetings, fully staffed corporate events, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras , cocktail parties, grand openings, company picnics, birthdays, anniversaries, fundraisers, holiday parties, luaus, seminars, medical lunches, graduations, proms, yacht parties, school and church functions, etc.

Michael is a single father and has two children, Tianna, 9, and Michael, 5 and they live in Dunedin. He enjoys coaching his son’s T Ball team and is an All Pro Dads captain at their school in Palm Harbor.

To learn more about Amici’s Catered Cuisine please give them a call at 813-855-1100 or 727-447-1600 or visit their website at www.amiciscatering.com.

September 2014 Member Spotlight is...

Neil Shannon Photography

August 2014 Member Spotlight - Michelle Renee

July 2014 Member Spotlight!

Our July 2014 Member Spotlight is Diana Tamayo, owner of Café Ala Carte Tampa Bay/Orlando and The Gelato Carte. Hopefully you’ve been able to enjoy these services at various NACE meetings over the past 7 years! A NACE member since 2008, Diana has served as Hospitality Chair, Membership Chair, and Board Treasurer from 2010 to 2012. 

Café Ala Carte is a mobile, gourmet espresso, latte and cappuccino bar that is a welcome sight at any event! Whether a private celebration or corporate event, services always include delivery, a professional barista to serve made-to-order specialty coffees (hot or over ice), gourmet teas and hot chocolate, glassware or designer disposable cups, 7 nonalcoholic flavorings and assorted sweeteners, including sugar swizzle sticks and whipped cream. Packages can also include an assortment of liqueurs to add to specialty coffees or signature hot toddies. Services can be provided for intimate groups or conventions as large as 6,000 guests. 

The Gelato Carte features a pristine cart and attendant to serve many varieties of delicious, artisan gelato and sorbet, with small carts serving up to 6 flavors and large carts serving up to 9 flavors at a time. Delivery, a server, cups, spoons and napkins are always included. 

When both Café Ala Carte and The Gelato Carte are provided at the same event, Affogato Desserts are served at no additional charge. Loved in Europe for decades, Affogato Desserts are made with a scoop of gelato and a shot of espresso poured over it. It is topped with whipped cream, if desired. 

These delicious and unique services are a treat to be enjoyed by guests of all ages – and will leave a lasting impression! Visit www.cafealacartetampabay.com orwww.thegelatocarte.com for more information and photos of recent events. For quotes and availability, please call 813-514-0783 or email Diana@cafealacarte.com.

January 2014 Member Spotlight! Jordan Prosser

Taken at Botanica International Design Studio