Yasemin Sussman

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf

Yasemin brings her experience over the past six years in the public relations world, combined with her passion for food, wine and travel, to the team at Andrew Freeman & Co.

After graduating from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Business Marketing, Yasemin began her career working in public relations with consumer and technology clients. Most recently, Yasemin was a Senior Client Executive at Voce Communications, a Porter Novelli company, where she worked with an array of high-profile clients such as Yahoo!, Sony PlayStation, Dolby and others to consult on a variety of public relations and social media programs, including press tours, campaigns, media relations, and event planning (including planning her recent wedding in wine country).

Yasemin credits her passion for food and the hospitality world from her experience as an international student in Florence, Italy. In her free time, she maintains a lifestyle blog, Art of Moda, and will never pass up the chance to entertain guests in her San Francisco loft and serve homemade cupcakes, her specialty. Outside of work she can be found attending local art and music shows with her husband, discovering local eateries, and practicing yoga.

p. 415.781.5700
e. yasemin@afandco.com

Scott Nava

“Love, peace, and taco grease” – Guy Fieri

With 12 years of food and beverage marketing experience, Scott comes with a taste for the hottest trends and a hunger to cook up new ideas and approaches to hospitality marketing. Over the years, Scott has developed his palate for innovative menu merchandising, effective sales promotion strategies, and dynamic promotional partnerships. After graduating from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in International Studies, Scott sought a Jamba Juice field marketing career that was a perfect blend of local store marketing, public relations and advertising. Scott then joined The Richards Group in Dallas, Texas to oversee in store point of sale development for Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern. For the last nine years, Scott was an Account Director with Patrick Henry Creative Promotions in Houston, Texas where he engineered restaurant, bar, and lounge menu strategies and promotions for Hilton Worldwide, Loews Hotels, and the Palm Restaurant Group.

p. 415.781.5700
e. Scott@afandco.com

Cia Glover

“Two of my best friends are a stripper and a zester.” – James Beard

Cia caught the restaurant bug early, having grown up at Saul’s in Berkeley, a New York–style delicatessen opened by her parents in the 80s. Following high school she headed East and, after graduating from Skidmore College, called New York City home for nearly 10 years. While there she indulged her culinary passions at the James Beard Foundation, working as a senior editor. With the Foundation Cia participated in many projects including the annual JBF Awards, the national food celebration Taste America, and an innovative pop-up restaurant project at Chelsea Market.

New York will always have a place in Cia’s heart, but she is thrilled to be back home in the Bay Area, where the food and restaurant scene is second to none. She is excited to bring her passion for food and encyclopedic knowledge of the national culinary landscape to Andrew Freeman & Co and its clients.

p. 415.781.5700
e. cia@afandco.com

“The meal is not over when I’m full. The meal is over when I hate myself.” – Louis CK

Originally from Park City, Utah, Laura followed her heart (and stomach) to San Francisco in July of 2012. Her passion for food and wine made the transition a dream come true, despite the fact skiing isn’t on the menu in San Francisco.

Laura graduated with a B.A. in Mass Communication with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Utah. She got her first taste of agency life working as an Account Coordinator in the public relations department at Love Communications in Salt Lake City. And for the last three years grew to love the hospitality industry while working as the Tourism Communications Manager at Visit Salt Lake: The Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Her background in public relations, hospitality, passion for travel and genuine enthusiasm make her a great addition to the team at AF & Co.

p. 415.781.5700
e. laurab@afandco.com

Ryan Robles

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.” – Oscar Wilde

Ryan comes to us from Bar Bambino where he helped to create and launch Bar Bambino Catering. During his 4 years with this Mission district favorite, he successfully managed their bustling private dining program, executed countless events and used his passion and talent for PR and Marketing to promote their in-house restaurant events, popular wine maker dinners, and the launch of Pronto by Bar Bambino.

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e. ryan@afandco.com

Waverley Aufmuth

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” – Harriet van Horne

Waverley’s lifelong pursuit of eating well stems from when she was first put to work pulling weeds in her father’s garden. From there she was promoted to pickling assistant and, after attending the California Culinary Academy, spent three years working as a Pastry Chef in the kitchens of San Francisco. She then moved to Spain to continue her culinary education – and discovered a deep-seated appreciation for olives – before relocating to New York City to earn her Master’s Degree in Food Culture at NYU. Having left her heart in San Francisco, her graduate studies focused largely on Mexican cuisine in California, culminating in her thesis on the significance of the Mission Burrito to San Franciscans. After spending a year under the tutelage of restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, Waverley returned to her native Bay Area, where she coordinated event production and PR for the Good Food Awards. She is thrilled to bring her enthusiasm for all things food to the team at Andrew Freeman & Co.

p. 415.781.5700
e. waverley@afandco.com

Casey Barks

“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

From his first job at the ripe young age of 14 bussing tables in a hometown Chinese restaurant, to paying his way through college as a server in fine dining French restaurants, Casey has known nothing in his life that hasn’t involved hospitality and dining. After graduating, his love and passion for hospitality and his education in Public Relations and Marketing joined hands as he became a part of The Ritz-Carlton’s marketing team in San Francisco.

p. 415.781.5700
e. casey@afandco.com

Erin Euser

“Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.” -Hippocrates

Erin is a born and raised Napa girl who traces her love of food back to her parents–her father, a landscaper turned organic farmer and her mother, a consummate hostess. From them, she also inherited a special appreciation for the full cycle of food–from seed, to table, to compost heap. Growing up surrounded by bounty and lively events at every turn, Erin is a healthy-food-loving, bubbly-drink-seeking woman who believes that the big picture is achieved through attending meticulously to the details. She manages to take on the latter with a smile and sense of humor. Erin comes to AF&Co. from the Yountville Chamber of Commerce where she worked for two years among the nation’s culinary powerhouses and hospitality experts. When not on the job, you can find Erin running, hiking, cycling or plain picnicking with friends in the park.

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e. erin@afandco.com

Melinda Giacalone

“If more of us valued food and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Melinda comes to Andrew Freeman and Co. with over 6 years of experience in special event planning, production and engagement marketing. She believes sharing creative ideas around food, drinks and celebrations with other passionate people is not only necessary for growth but it’s incredibly fun too!

After graduating from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Public Relations, Melinda came back to the Bay Area to work for an esteemed San Francisco wedding planner. From there, she joined the team at DPEM where she worked as an Account Manager and Event Producer crafting experiences as varied as a corporate incentive trip to New Zealand, a Silicon Valley celebration for NASDAQ OMX and SF Chefs where she first met Andrew Freeman. Melinda can take a project from conception all the way to doors opening and can even be found bussing a table or two.

Melinda can’t wait to hear about that pop-up ice cream social you’ve been looking to get off the ground or even that awesome concert you just went to. She does her best thinking over black coffee and the occasional grilled cheese and loves live music and exploring a different, vibrant San Francisco neighborhood every weekend.

p. 415.781.5700
e. melinda@afandco.com

Kate Michels

“Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.” – Robert Redford

Food is always an adventure worth exploring. There was no dish Kate wouldn’t try as a child, from frog legs to escargot to alligator. Her love for food was shaped at a young age with parents that exhibited very different talents in the kitchen. Experiencing new restaurants was a time honored tradition with her mother.

After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara, Kate began her career in the financial services industry working in client service. Building strong client relationships in San Francisco, it was time to follow her passion and came aboard to do the same with our clients here are Andrew Freeman & Co. She is not only dedicated to client success, but has a proven track record to prove it. When she isn’t trying out a new spot on her “must eat” list she is planning her next vacation.

p. 415-781-5700
e. kate@afandco.com

Monica Powers

“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first” Ernestine Ulmer

Originally from Walnut Creek, Monica has always had a passion for PR. While attending UCLA she majored in Anthropology and was member of the Women’s Water Polo team, winning two national titles. Along with carrying a full course load and practicing 6 days a week, Monica interned at fashion and personal public relations firms. After she graduated, she packed up her car and moved back to the city by the bay. In January of 2012, Monica accepted an internship at Andrew Freeman and Company and quickly realized this was were she wanted to kick start her PR career.

Outside of work, Monica enjoys finding new places to eat, traveling and connecting with friends and family over a delicious glass of wine.

p. 415.781.5700
e. Monica@afandco.com

Crystal Yang

“If more of us valued food and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Crystal Yang has been in the restaurant and social media industry since 2009. Following her UC Berkeley thesis on how social media affects the new wave of advertising, she has consulted with numerous restaurant owners and chefs on strategically incorporating social media campaigns that are dedicated to ROI. She worked with private clients in the Bay Area and also consulted as a guest speaker at the Small Business Development Center on social media marketing strategies for restaurants. In addition, Crystal not only has a consulting background in hospitality, but she also has first hand knowledge on brand development and social media integration with her own food service business that won a SF Weekly Best of Award in 2011.

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e. crystal@afandco.com

Madison Ginnett

“A balanced diet is a cupcake in each hand” – Anonymous

Born in Alaska and raised between the West Coast and East Coast (although she prefers the West) Madison’s biggest passions are food, travel and planning events for her friends. Madison has a strong love of anything sweet and first fell in love with desserts as a young child when she would help her grandma bake cookies. Her love of desserts continued to grow while working at a cupcake shop in Seattle. In 2010 Madison moved to San Francisco to pursue her love of desserts and event planning before coming to Andrew Freeman and Co. in 2011 to assist with the SF Chefs Food and Wine festival. When Madison isn’t baking something sweet or trying new restaurants in the city, you can find her enjoying a book in the park or planning her next vacation.

p. 415.781.5700
e. Madison@afandco.com

Farryn Lewis

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” – Luciano Pavarotti

Farryn Lewis’s love of food could be described as basic, but don’t count her out just yet; in her case, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Farryn joins the AFCO staff with a newfound appreciation of food and a keen enthusiasm for devouring all the finer things the San Francisco dining world has to offer.

After graduating from San Francisco State with a degree in Communications, the Bay Area native spent four years working simultaneously as the Executive Assistant at US Marketing Services – a small marketing and consulting firm, and as Sports Information Coordinator at the Academy of Art University, the nation’s only four year art institution in the NCAA.

Farryn is really excited to be working with such a fun and dedicated staff, and is glad to be a part of the team!

p. 415.781.5700
e. farryn@afandco.com