Cecilia Han brings to the Society Room a wide range of experiences from her 30 plus years in the restaurant and catering industry. She received her formal training at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.  Her work resume have included restaurants, hotels, private schools, hospitals, hotels and high end catering companies. She also owned her own catering company, S&S Fine Foods out of Boston.
 
Most recently, Ms. Han has served as Director of Operations for Jordan Caterers & Event Planners of Cheshire, CT.  Ms. Han has managed many galas and corporate events including New Britain Museum Gala, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture Gala & Juneteenth Celebration Wadsworth Atheneum Gala as well as events from 1 to 1000. She was also involved with several high profile events with public figures and presidential candidates.

Jim Bucko, general manager said, “Cecilia brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and talent to The Society Room. We needed a person to manage and execute our events whether it be a wedding, gala or corporate event and we were fortunate enough to have Cecilia join our team of managers and employees. Cecilia has talents not only in the areas that the customers see but with the culinary and behind the scenes as well.”

Chef Drago born and raised in Granby, Connecticut, has taken his career from Connecticut to Nashville, Tennessee and back again. Chef Drago aquired his Bachelors Degree in Music Arts at Belmont University while working the gamete of food service and operations in local Tennessee restaurants. With his music and culinary background tied together, Chef Drago not only musically performed with county music celebrities like Dean Sams of Lonestar, but cooked his way into the CMT Video Awards After Party in 2002 and 2003 hosting country artists and celebrities to including Diamond Rio, Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley.

With his natural ability to prepare food for guests from two to two thousand, Chef Drago refined his culinary skills in some of Tennessee finest restaurants including Chef Market Café and Criallo’s Bistro. His success continued back in Connecticut, where he continued to please guests at the Sous Chef at Trumbull Kitchen and soon after as the Catering Chef for The Bushnell Center for The Performing Arts with Max Restaurant Group.

“I knew we had found a unique chef with Stefan” said General Manager Jim Bucko. “I knew Stefan was talented from a creation and large scale production stand point but I was even more impressed with Stefan when he was one of 6 Connecticut chefs to prepare and present a signature dish at the CPTV, Farm to Table event at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station. Stefan was among the State’s top chefs and in the strong opinion from the 100 plus guests who attended the event was Stefan’s hors d oeuvres and entrée topped the favorite list for the evening.”

Chef Drago’s culinary, organizational and production skills brought him to The Society Room of Hartford, where he will be the leader in the culinary creativity & production of Hartford’s most beautiful catering facility.

The Society Room of Hartford is pleased to announce Mrs. Jessica Correia as its corporate sales manager.  She is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University and relocated to Connecticut from West Chester, PA. Mrs. Correia comes to The Society Room with 7 years of event sales and planning experience. Her career started as a sales and event manager for Marriott Hotels throughout the state for six years. Prior to joining the Society Room Mrs. Correia worked with Jordan Caterers & Event Planners selling and servicing events in the Hartford area and beyond. Her focus was primarily on events held at the Wadsworth Athenaeum of Art. Her resume includes events such as the Wadsworth Atheneum Annual Gala, The Hartford Symphony Annual Gala, Mastercam Annual Meeting, Fox 61 Morning News Premier Party, Delta Sigma Theta Conference, numerous weddings and countless corporate meetings and seminars.

Jim Bucko, General Manager said, “Mrs. Correia worked with us on our first event Riverhouse Catering held at The Society Room in May 2008. I was completely impressed with Mrs. Corriea’s knowledge of the business, attention to detail and calm demeanor. Knowing we would be occupying the space at 31 Pratt Street long term I asked Mrs. Correia if she would be interested in joining our sales team and to my delight she accepted.”

Mrs. Correia started with The Society Room on Monday, November 3 and is actively working with local companies in and around Connecticut to create unforgettable events at The Society Room of Hartford.

Dana Montanari began her career in food and beverage in 1998 at the age of 16 as a part-time job as a server assistant at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. It wasn’t until she became an event server for a small country club in her hometown that her passion for catering began to grow.

Just ten years after stepping foot into her first kitchen, Ms Montanari took a full time position at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, CT where she contributed her personal touches to creating and stylizing events ranging from large member golf outings to weddings and beyond. Her enthusiasm for interior design and unique eye in photography coupled with her love of all foods played on her side while spending a summer on Cape Cod at Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club where she worked on and oversaw events for Academy Award winning Marcia Gay Harden and Tyson Beckford. Dana spent a year as a Catering Manager at The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts for Max Restaurant Group. It was there where Ms Montanari met Chef Stefan Drago and Christine Sullivan. “Being surrounded by such successful and creative people within the entire restaurant group was a great boost for my career.” It was there that she worked on events such The 2007 Hartford Hospital Red and Black Gala, several Metro Hartford Alliance socials and Ovations, The Bushnell’s largest yearly fundraiser, to name a few.

General Manager Jim Bucko said, “Dana became part of our team as an hourly employee immediately when we took over. While The Riverhouse ownership worked through a lease agreement with the building owners, Alkon Pratt Street, Inc., she was extremely patient in waiting for a management job offer. I asked Dana, knowing she was overly anxious to begin as The Society Room’s wedding coordinator, if she was considering talking with other catering venues and her reply was, “I have to wait for the position here because I will not find another venue that will live up to The Society room’s grandeur!”

Ms. Montanari said, “Being part of The Society Room of Hartford, one of the most ornate and beautiful event spaces, and the Riverhouse family has been a great pleasure for me. Growing up just a stones throw from Hartford has given me the opportunity to be able to embrace the city for all that it has to offer.”