At Your Service –
The Team

Patty Lemke considers her time with Kelber Catering as the highlight of her 35-year career in hospitality. Her journey began in sales for a hotel in far-away Texarkana, Texas. In 1993, Patty joined Kelber Catering and in 1996 opened a sister company, Monona Catering in Madison, WI. During her 20 years at Monona, Patty developed her servant style leadership that shares power, puts employee needs first and helps people perform at their best. She is now CEO of both award-winning companies. In her current role, Patty guides a nationally-recognized team of professionals committed to providing exceptional guest experience using the highest possible standards for creative, sustainable menus and superior service.

“You can count on us doing whatever it takes to make sure the customer is happy, satisfied, and well taken care of.” 

Patty is the point person within the facility in regard to services but adds that she has no need to micromanage because, “We have seven directors who do an outstanding job.”

Patty takes great pride in working at Kelber Catering due to its ability to provide a fantastic experience for its guests. Patty echoes this same experience in her home life where she loves cooking for family and friends and seeing the delight it brings to them.

As the Executive Chef and Culinary Director of Kelber Catering, John Doody has high standards, enjoys developing exciting, contemporary menus, and maintains a calm temperament, all of which are important to running a kitchen that can serve thousands of meals daily.

“You won’t see the issues you find in other high-volume kitchens. Our staff knows why they are here and they enjoy what they do.”

With over 43 years of service in the culinary industry, Chef John has been with Kelber Catering for 23 of those years. He leads his award-winning culinary team with an open mind to new concepts while communicating the importance of food and equipment safety, responsible use of resources, and camaraderie throughout the company.

“Sometimes I hear a client’s request and think, ‘How will we make that work?’ then I wrap my head around it and we always find a way to make it happen!”

John embraces the challenges and unique characteristics of high-volume catering.  Special dietary requests or menu alterations are not an obstacle with this gifted chef. He works closely with the sales team to make sure the menus are to client specifications. Whether  serving 75 or 2500 guests, an array of hors d’oeuvres or a five-course plated meal, each client receives the same detail-oriented attention from Chef John and his crew every time!

Linwood is a 35-year veteran of the catering and event industry.

He started in the hospitality industry as a housekeeper and quickly worked his way up through the operations side of the industry to land his first director role in 1990. He has held senior leadership roles for such industry icons as Hilton, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Intercontinental Hotel Group and Caesars Entertainment. During his career he has booked and coordinated events for celebrities, international dignitaries and 4 former presidents. Linwood genuinely believes his professional calling is to work with clients to create unique experiences that evolve into eternal memories. 

Linwood’s passion for catering and events allowed him to become immersed in the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), ultimately serving as National President in 2014-2015. In 2007 he received his CPCE, Certified Professional in Catering and Events, from NACE and in 2015 he received an honorary DFS, Doctorate of Food Service, from the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) in recognition for his contribution to the industry. Having this international network of contacts allows Linwood to share trends in catering and events from around the world with the clients he works with in helping to make their event vision a reality.

During his personal time, Linwood loves spending time traveling and creating lasting memories with his family.

Learning the hospitality industry by working at her uncle’s downtown Minneapolis restaurant, Stephanie Case had no idea she began a job that would lead her in to a very fulfilling and successful career.

Stephanie walked into the doors of the Old Minneapolis Auditorium in 1979 as an on-call bartender for Kelber Catering. From there she grew her knowledge and love for food into continuous promotions with Kelber until she landed as Sales Manager in 2000 and planted her roots.

“Kelber Catering is my second family.  I grew up here.”

Her knowledge of good food, culinary trends, and an adventurous palette contribute to the endless possibilities within the Kelber kitchen and her own! Stephanie embraces challenge, especially when new menu planning season arrives. She is known for her subtle demeanor, get-it-done attitude, and always being just around the corner to assist clients.

Stephanie’s contributions to Kelber stretch far beyond the sales office. She prides herself in bringing new recipes to the catering table.

When turning off the light at Kelber you will find Stephanie at home spending time with her grandchildren, tasting new wines from her cellar, and surfing the web for her next new food creation.  She loves preparing fresh dishes for her husband, who is a retired professional chef.

When Nick was 18, his brother got him a summer job bussing tables at the Madison Club in Madison, WI. It was there he developed a dedication to customer service and hospitality. After two summers at the Madison Club, Nick moved to the Twin Cities to further his career within the food and beverage industry.

Nick accepted his first hotel position in the Twin Cities as a Banquet Houseman and after thirteen years and a series of promotions within the same property, he sought the next step in his career. In December of 2017, Nick joined the Kelber Catering team as a Sales Manager.

While Nick admits to being a bit of a character and is always up for a laugh, he first and foremost prides himself in customer satisfaction and is ready to assist his clients any way he can.

“I’m always a phone call, email or text message away and I highly encourage my clients to reach out with any questions they may have.”

Shane Streitz started his career with Kelber in the Shipping and Receiving department in 2003. Shane asked the General Manager of Kelber how he could move up in the company, and they made the generous offer to send him to culinary school!

“I have been given the chance to run each department in the kitchen, giving me a comprehensive picture of what everyone goes through to create a successful meal.”

After completing his degree, Shane worked his way up to the position of Executive Sous Chef. He is indispensable to the Executive Chef by staying ahead of what is needed. His duties include managing a large team of cooks, ensuring all recipes are prepared to the highest standards, and menu development.

Shane describes himself as a fast-paced person; this not only suits the non-stop kitchen environment but also feeds his enjoyment of mixed martial arts which helps him relieve stress.

It takes a lot of skill to balance beautiful and delicious when you are working in quantities of 10,000. Executive Pastry Chef Nicole Sandlin calls her pastry team “the smallest but mightiest department in the Kelber kitchen”.

Nicole started out as a chemical engineer in California. Her path to pastry began when she moved cross-country to Chicago and enrolled in pastry school. In the Windy City, she worked at a high-end hotel where her talents matured working under 5 chefs who shared their knowledge, recipes and techniques.

“The most important part of my job is being able to put all the moving parts together: to know what needs to be done, when it should be done, and by whom.”

Nicole was looking for a management position when she moved to Saint Paul and joined Kelber Catering as the Executive Pastry Chef. Nicole and her team make sure the first plated dessert looks and tastes as amazing as the last one that leaves the kitchen.

Nicole is a world traveler and has spent a lot of time in Asia. She loves experiencing different cultures and, of course, tries desserts in every place she visits.

Brad started his cooking career by first attending culinary school while working as a short order line cook. After completing school, he was looking for something more challenging to hone his cooking skills. Kelber was a great fit considering its high volume events and a higher standard for food and service. Brad has been with Kelber since 2016, starting as an on-call employee. In 2018, he was promoted to management and was a great addition for the Super Bowl Experience that followed. With his new title, Brad’s duties include: managing exhibit hall food outlets while making sure food is served to its highest standard, menu development, and setting a high standard in regards to customer service.

“Being a leader is something that he takes a lot of pride in. Keeping a high morale in the kitchen and leading by example are two big parts of my management style he incorporates on a daily basis. Working at Kelber has been a great experience and opportunity.

When he’s not at work, Brad enjoys watching Minnesota sports. He is an avid Minnesota Wild and Vikings fan.