Kati, the owner and Pastry Chef, has been in business for over 10 years and is recognized in the industry for reliability and quality. She began her career in Michigan at General Motors and then later resided in Milwaukee as a Regional Sales Director for Manpower Inc. While Kati earned her B.S. in Social Work and later a Masters in counseling, her love for catering AND sunshine was never far from her mind. It only took one trip to the USVI to know that this was the place to make it all happen. Upon moving to St. John in 1993, Kati began working as a Charter Boat Chef out of St. Thomas. Having survived Hurricane Marilyn she moved to St. John and began serving our visitors by baking muffins out of her 12 x 12 efficiency apartment. Not long after her baking blossomed into provisioning for villa rentals, followed by catered InVilla dinners and eventually event planning. Kati has dedicated herself to continually providing Positively Outrageous Service for all of her guests, raising the bar in hospitality on the island of St. John. Kati specializes in Artistic Wedding Cakes and continues to enhance her skills through course work at the Institute of Culinary Education, in NYC. There she works side by side with renowned book author and Master Cake Designer, Toba Garret. It was not long ago, however, that she wore both the Pastry & Executive Chef Hats, delighting celebrity guests like Carol King, Joan Rivers and Tony Danza, and while she now concentrates on Cake Decorating she maintains her leadership position heading up the KatiLady Team as President. Kati keeps her finger on the pulse of the company by overseeing all operations within. KatiLady is committed to making your vacation more than memorable, sending you home aching to return to Paradise for not just the scenery but the unbeatable customized meals and service it provides.

Ann Heeger, Operations and Event Manager

• St. Louis, Missouri
• Maryville University, St. Louis MO
• The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis & St. Thomas USVI
• Harrah's Entertainment Inc.

OfficeManager@Katilady.com

Ann hails from the gateway state of Missouri and has been on St. John since 2006. Having successfully launched her career in the hotel management arena through multiple positions at both The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas. Her background further promotes the commitment and service KatiLady provides by adapting The Ritz-Carlton standards to our small company. Ann oversees our day to day operations and Event Management. You will notice her graceful personal touches throughout our company's various services on the phone, in person and through her eloquent writing and planning. Ann's enthusiasm for Positively Outrageous Service and her creative problem solving abilities make her a born leader. Her weddings are flawless and breathtaking. Let Ann introduce you to the romance of St. John.

Katie Shea Tarta, Operations Manager/Event Planner

• Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
• B.S. Hospitality Management, Boston Univ.
• MBA, Univ. of Cincinnati
• Event Planner (Boston, NYC, Cincinnati, NH, Philadelphia, NC, St. John)
• Ritz Carlton Trained

Email Katilady

Katie Shea has a B.S. in Hospitality Business from Boston Univ. as well as an MBA from the Univ. of Cincinnati. She has more than 10 years experience coordinating both private and corporate events. Her career began at The Ritz- Carlton in Boston where she started out supervising the Fine Dining Staff at the Roof Restaurant. Soon after, Katie Shea began working at Banc of America Securities in NYC, where she planned events from 2 to 2000 guests. Her creative skills and event background continued to grow over the next several years. While obtaining her Masters she also managed all Trade Show and events in the Mid-West region for a custom Wine gift company out of NJ. Throughout this time, Katie Shea has traveled yearly to St. John with her husband and is more than familiar with the nooks and crannies that make this island stand out from the rest. She has been on St. John since August 2004 and is dedicated to making each event absolutely unique. Her goal is to ensure the Wedding of your dreams and that every guest walks away completely enchanted by the magic KatiLady creates.

Edika Franco, Executive Chef

• Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Adobe Systems In House Caterer
• Peas n' Pod Catering
• Private Society Catering

Chef@Katilady.com

Edika, born in the Yucatan of Mexico and raised in Santa Fe, joins our KatiLady team as the new Executive Chef. Her career in cooking developed through a series of apprenticeships and led her to Adobe Systems in California, where she established a reputation as a capable Chef with a strong integrity. Soon after this, she embarked upon the path of gourmet catering which meandered through Private Society Dining for celebrities like Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard and Val Kilmer. Most recently Edika joins us from Peas n' Pod Catering in Santa Fe where her skills as an Executive Chef were finely tuned and well recognized by industry magazines such as Gourmet, Bon Appetite and New Mexico Magazine. A clear highlight of Edika's past is her time at the Georgia O'Keefe Café located in the same artist's museum. Her creativity, likely inspired by the masterpieces surrounding her, grew at a tremendous rate as she experimented with presentations and ingredients including the famed Juniper and Herb marinated Leg of Lamb and Chick Pea Fries. We are thrilled to have Edika onboard and anxious to see what she creates in the kitchen. Visit our website for an expanded menu including authentic South Western & Mexican.

Colleen, Senior Basket Specialist

• Saugus, Massachusetts
• R.A. Child Development and Human Relations
• Driver Extraordinaire

Orders@Katilady.com

Having moved from Massachusetts with her two sons and husband in 2005, Colleen joins KatiLady as one of the most accomplished women we've ever met. Her story is inspirational. Colleen, a cancer survivor 3 times over, mother of two and wife of 14+ years brings a sense of commitment, energy and strength to KatiLady that has yet to be surpassed. You will see Colleen in and out of the rental villas on a weekly basis and find her extensive knowledge of the island and sense of direction helpful for planning a day off the beaten path.