Lisa Lynn, Catering & Convention Services Manager at Caesars Entertainment, Inc., has more than 20 years of experience in the leisure and corporate travel markets. Prior, Lisa served as Catering & Conventions Services Manager at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, Director of Event Planning for the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs CA,and Director of Catering for Lake Las Vegas Resort. She has served as President of the National Association of Catering Executives, Las Vegas Chapter and currently remains on the Executive Board.
James Filtz, CPCE
James, alumni of the Culinary Institute of America, is Convention
Services Manager at the Sheraton New York Hotel. Formerly, he served as
Manager of Weddings and Catering & Convention Manager for the
Venetian and Palazzo Resorts in Las Vegas. Prior to that, he specialized
in weddings and social events as Catering Manager at Loews Lake Las
Vegas. Serving on the Executive Board of Directors of the Las Vegas
Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives, James has
been involved with developing innovative program ideas for the chapter
as well as overseeing the chapter's involvement with the Catersource
conference. James has a CPCE (Certified Professional Catering Executive)
designation from NACE. He also holds the first-level certification from
the Court of Master Sommeliers and is working on certification to
become a Certified Sommelier.
Michele Polci, CPCE, CMP
In her position as director of citywide catering
sales for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, Michele oversees the sales
effort for all catered events across one million square feet of banquet
and event space in eight Las Vegas properties: Bally's Las Vegas,
Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace,
Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.
Polci leads a team of 15 sales people who specialize in social and
corporate eventsbusiness.
Committed to the industry, Polci is actively
involved in the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Association of
Catering Executives (NACE). In July 2007 she was honored by NACE as
National Caterer of the Year for her endless enthusiasm, dedication, and
extraordinary commitment to the industry. Polci currently serves as
national chair for the education and accreditation committee.
Cheryl Sgovio, CPCE
Cheryl Sgovio, CPCE is the Director of Catering and Convention Sales for the Thomas & Mack Center, Cox Pavilion and Sam Boyd Stadium. She is responsible for booking all private events in the three venues, with combined space of over 150,000 square feet, as well as overseeing all Catering for public events, averaging over 2,300 individual events per year. Cheryl was the founding Vice President, then President of the Las Vegas Chapter of NACE. She recently completed her second term serving on the National Board as Region 5 Vice President.
Patti Shock, CPCE
Patti is Professor and the Director of Distance Learning in the Harrah Hotel College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She teaches catering both on-campus and online, and she speaks to industry groups regularly. She has co-authored three books on catering, which are used in colleges and for several industry certifications. Patti has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named one of the 25 most influential people in the meetings industry by Meeting News.
Shauna Lederman CPCE
Shauna is the Director of Catering at Aliante Station Casino and Hotel. A former fund-raising chairperson, she presently serves on the Executive Board as the 1st Vice President for the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. Shauna is a Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE).
The hospitality expert professionals listed on this page all have significant experience in their respective fields. Additionally, all of them give back to the industry by teaching at The International School of Hospitality. The school requires a rigorous interview and training process for all instructors. TISOH is also one of very few schools that require all instructors to become CHE (Certified Hospitality Educator) certified.
