Our Team

The senior staff of McCall Associates knows the wedding industry inside and out. A seasoned team of culinary experts, design gurus, beverage and hospitality professionals are standing by to ensure your wedding will exceed expectations.

Dan McCall

Founder and CEO
A graduate of the Cornell Hotel School, Dan was Director of Catering at San Francisco's Hotel St. Francis from 1973 to 1980. During this period, he helped launch the St. Francis to the top ranks of hotels in special events and catering. In 1980, he founded McCall Associates, which has since become the premier catering company in Northern California with nearly 800 events each year. It is among the most successful catering companies in the nation in terms of its broad range of clients and its annual revenue. Clients include the SF Symphony, SF Opera, and many of the nation's largest corporations.

Stephen Denison

President
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with 30 years experience in the industry, Steve has been Director of Catering at the Hyatt Union Square and Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Prior to 1977, Steve spent several years in the restaurant business.

Arnold Ertola

Managing Partner
With 24 years in the catering industry, Arnie attended San Francisco City College Hotel and Restaurant School, came to McCall Associates in 1987 as an integral part of our waiter recruiting and service training operation.

Lee Gregory

Executive Vice President,
Director of Sales & Marketing
A Stanford graduate, Lee joined McCall Associates after 10 years working as an IBM systems Engineer. She is on the Boards of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City College of San Francisco as well as numerous local charitable organizations. Lee has enjoyed her work in fundraising and event planning for 20 years.

Anna Spraungel

Catering Manager
Anna has coordinated hundreds of weddings, and as a result has mastered the art of designing a day that compliments one's individual style and taste. She has over 20 years of banquet and catering experience. She has worked with many hotels and resorts including: Hyatt Regencies, Hiltons, Radissons and Lake Arrowhead Country Club.

Cyrus Pahlavan

Catering Manager
In over thirty years in the hospitality business, Cyrus has experience in all phases of the industry from service in renowned top tier hotels and restaurants to management in upscale as well as multi-unit companies.

Lucas Schoemaker

Executive Chef
A creative, modem European chef in charge of McCall's menu research and development, Lucas possesses among his many awards the title "Master Chef of America," a prestigious ranking conferred upon only 150 chefs in the United States. Lucas is a certified CEC chef and former instructor at the California Culinary Institute.

Brian Nauer

Executive Sous Chef
Brian has 24 years of experience in the food service industry. After 6 years as Restaurant Chef at the Hyatt Resort, Lake Tahoe, he joined McCall Associates in 1987. He has recently been appointed director of Quality Operations of McCall's most recent acquisition, a 5,000 square-foot production kitchen.

Peter Koenig

Managing Partner
Classically trained as a certified CEC chef, Swiss-born Peter has been an integral part of McCall's for 17 years. An Executive Chef for 27 of his 40 years in the catering industry, Peter has also worked at several leading hotels in America and Europe.

Patrick McAteer

Senior Maitre d’Hotel
Trained in London in the classic European style of restaurant service, Patrick adds European flair and professionalism to every event. Patrick has spent over 30 years perfecting the art of service. His experience includes banquet service at the Guildhall, the Reform Club, the Dorchester and the Grosvenor House Hotel.

Terry Demers

Design
After three decades of party design and visual merchandising for such prestigious firms as Tiffany & Co., I. Magnin, Filene's and Marshall Fields, Terry brings his vision and expertise to the look and atmosphere of our most spectacular events.

Miguel Torres

Director of Floral Design
As a sculptor, musician and floral designer, Miguel brings a layered, creative and adventurous feel to the McCall floral department. He has worked with some of the leading event and floral designers in the Bay Area and as an end result, has come up with a look and aesthetic that is original, artful and continues to create buzz and excitement. With a passion for detail and creativity, his style ranges from the simple and subtle, to the lush and elegant, to sculptural and modern.

John Keenan

Director of Lighting Design
An intuitive event designer with over 20 years of experience, John has redefined how lighting is used to enhance and heighten a party. A University of San Francisco graduate, he has worked under the Bill Graham label at the Warfield Theatre and the historic Fillmore Auditorium, in addition to serving as Technical Director for the two largest multipurpose atriums in San Francisco, the Galleria Design Center and the Giftcenter Pavilion.