Our Team
Helen Aker, Catering Director
Helen joined the Local Restaurant and Catering family in the summer of 2013 working both in the restaurant and serving as an invaluable team captain on off-site events. Helen's upbeat personality, creative ideas, and vast understanding of the food and beverage industry makes her an asset to our catering team. Helen received her BA in Business and Communication from Lynchburg College and has used her experience to help develop our Catering Program. Helen excels in engaging with clients, her overall enthusiasm makes planning any event stress free and enjoyable and also makes her a passionate catering director and wedding planner. In her free time, Helen enjoys crafting of all kinds, working on her garden and adventures with her husband, newborn baby girl and furbaby Sandy!
Kelly McCauley, Associate Catering Director
Kelly joined the catering team in the fall of 2020 as a Catering Coordinator and Wedding Coordinator and brings with her knowledge of all types of events. She received her BS in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management with a concentration in Event Management and a minor in Business. After working as a Wedding Coordinator in Northern Virginia for a few years, she moved back to Charlottesville to take a job as the Event Manager for a non-profit foundation for three years before joining us at The Local. In her free time she enjoys her two cats and all the entertainment they provide, creating beautiful epoxy resin pieces and will soon be developing photos in her own darkroom.
Samantha joined our catering team in 2020 and became one of our most reliable team members in the middle of a crazy year for everyone. After a year of catering she took on more responsibility helping with every aspect of our events from start to finish and became our newest coordinator. Samantha exudes calmness while executing events making her an asset when working with staff and clients. Her favorite part of each event is being able to work with groups to make sure all their expectations are met, and she excels in customer service! In her free time, Samantha enjoys photography, writing novels, playing soccer and traveling to visit her family in the Philippines.
Sam Clarke, Catering Coordinator
Kari's background in the food and beverage industry developed while attending the Culinary Institute of America where she studied wine and business management and joined The Local Catering team in the spring of 2017. She was quickly acknowledged as our lead chef in 2018 and has been the fire burning our engines since! Her creativity has helped develop new menu ideas and promoted our dishes to the quality you taste at every event! In her spare time Kari enjoys crafting with yarn making gorgeous crochet pieces, all her animals, and game nights with her husband!
Kari Hogan, Lead Catering Chef
Eleanore Lehman, Catering Coordinator
New to the team, but not new to catering! A native of Wichita, Kansas, Eleanore brings more than 15 years of restaurant and catering experience to the team. Her experience includes all aspects of planning and executing events, ranging from small events to full-service weddings. She has an eye for detail and a flair for creating memorable experiences. In her free time, Eleanore enjoys spending time with friends and family, touring local vineyards and wineries, and her dog Wrangler.
Photos By: Jen Fairello