The team at Milestone is proud of the overwhelming number of 5-star reviews that have been published by clients who have expressed how the Milestone approach and process made all of the difference in the success of their event.
President
Marshall Bauer brings to his role as President of Milestone Events Group a highly successful, 30-year career in sales and marketing. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Babson College and an Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University, Marshall has a track record of successes at companies including General Dynamics Corporation, ROLM Corporation, MFS RealCom, and GE Capital Rescom.
After years of traveling as many as 40 weeks a year, Marshall and his wife Leslie decided to explore a lifestyle change that would enable him to be home more regularly. The goal was to bring his management skills, technology expertise and marketing sophistication to a new arena that ultimately was in in Northern California’s wine country.
Marshall purchased Wine Country Party & Events, established in 1976, in July of 2003. During the next decade Marshall helped build the business into the largest event rental business in the North Bay and in July of 2013, ten years to the day after it was purchased, the company was bought by a private equity group.
The concept for Milestone Events Group came out of the knowledge gleaned over the years from working within and for wineries as a member of their event services support network. Marshall believed there was an opportunity to help the wineries better support the events portion of their business and to provide a better level of service to clients wishing to host their events at a winery. Milestone Events Group was incorporated and by March 2014 our team began operation with its first winery client. Marshall lives in Healdsburg with his wife, Leslie and a large golden retriever. Their son lives in southern CA while attending UCLA. They enjoy skiing, shooting, golfing and hiking.
Creative Coordinator, Venue Design
Following graduation from Stanford University, Leslie spent her early career in technology sales and sales management before embarking, with her husband Marshall, on a career in the hospitality services industry in 2003. For over a decade Leslie enjoyed her role as co-owner and Design Director for the largest rental company in the North Bay. Her team was responsible for introducing a catalog of unique “Wine Country” specific looks and products that became the benchmark for excellence in this area.
Leslie’s role at Milestone utilizes her creative talents, as she draws on the knowledge she gained in her previous role designing company and client spaces and showrooms.
When a new venue becomes a part of the Milestone collection, a fresh set of design-focused eyes can make all of the difference to enhance the property both for wine club events as well as Milestone events. Leslie’s experience ensures the Milestone clients’ experience exceeds their expectations.
Vice President/General manager
Leslie Fravel was first exposed to the hospitality industry at a young age, working as a hostess on the weekends at her parent’s restaurant in Virginia. Leslie moved to the Santa Rosa area to attend college and began working at a local catering company, where she soon knew she had discovered her passion.
For the next twelve years, Leslie worked with a premier catering company in sales and event production overseeing 600 plus events ranging from intimate dinners, fundraisers, celebrity galas, to weddings.
To further her career in hospitality, Leslie joined a family-owned winery as the Director of Hospitality where she was brought on to develop their events program and food and wine experience. During her three years at the winery, Leslie developed one of the most successful and imitated events programs in the area.
In March 2013, Leslie was recruited to join the team at Milestone Events Group. Bringing motivation with experienced leadership, event production, and venue management to Milestone, Leslie thrives on the development of the diverse and dynamic properties in the Milestone portfolio and in our team.
In Leslie’s free time, you will find her on the sidelines cheering on her kids sport teams, hunting with her husband, and enjoying time (and wine!) with her family and friends.
CFO
Chris is a career entrepreneur with experience owning and participating in a variety of businesses. These companies have all focused on the delivery of high quality services in one form or another. Satisfied clients, positive reviews, new client referrals and seeing career growth in team members all bring him a sense of accomplishment. Chris has both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Engineering from the University of Florida.
He and his wife live in Florida, with their faithful dog companions, and spend their time golfing, boating and traveling.
Office Manager
Marie has been in a customer service-related business for the past 30 years. Her business experience includes working for an insurance company, owning a couple of businesses, one of which was a floral/gift shop, and she followed that up with 20 years as a Notary Public. With a background as diverse as this, Marie brings a special set of talents to the Milestone team (including complimentary Notary services for our clients if needed). As a believer in supporting her community, Marie has been involved in Jaycees and Kiwanis, including holding board positions and managing projects.
Marie grew up in a military family and traveled throughout the United States. She landed in Sonoma County in 2000 and is firmly rooted here now. She is married to an electrician and has a daughter who graduated from University of Arizona and was part of the Alpha Phi Sorority.
Fun Fact – Marie has always had a love of animals and a bit of a competitive spirit. In her youth she competed in Hunter Jumper Equestrian competitions and currently she competes with her Doberman in Obedience Trials. If you have questions about dogs or flowers she is happy to chat about her two favorite things.
Site Selection Specialist
Jessica has lived in Sonoma County since childhood and loves everything about living in wine country, including the nearby beaches, the dining options and of course the beautiful vineyards!
She entered into the wine industry in 2007 and worked for several years at Jackson Family Wines, overseeing the distribution of nearly 6 million cases a year worldwide. Jessica took a hiatus from working to have her two young children and is excited to now be on the events side of the industry working directly with clients and making their events a success.
In her free time Jessica enjoys spending time exploring nature with her kids, taking fitness classes or enjoying a glass of wine with friends.
Milestone Estate Kitchen Manager
Raised in the heart of wine country, Kristine started her hospitality career over ten years ago. She has worked throughout West County in the local’s favorite spots. Kristine spent numerous years learning about the food service industry, fine dining, catering, and bartending, working directly with clients, and managing teams.
After graduating from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, Kristine continued her education but has since leaned on her industry experience and local knowledge to propel her into the event industry.
In her free time, you’ll find Kristine raising her 2 dogs, Sam & Diesel, and planning her own wedding! When she isn’t planning, she’s enjoying the outdoors, everything from floating down the Russian River to backpacking through the Grand Canyon. Kristine enjoys essential oils, thrifting, UFC, and anything that warrants a road trip. Her friends describe her as funny, dependable, honest, and easy-going.
Kristine has acted as the lead catering contact of six Milestone Estate Kitchen caterers on over 44 events while working with Milestone Events Group.
Milestone Estate Kitchen Support
Brodie was born and raised in Southern California. She studied Public Relations at Brigham Young University-Idaho. It was while attending college and volunteering for student activities that she discovered her passion for events.
Brodie has had six years of event experience in tradeshows, weddings, corporate parties, birthday parties, conventions and more. She has also had the opportunity to be trained in floral design. Brodie’s favorite thing about an event is seeing the guests have a good time.
When she isn’t working Brodie enjoys kayaking, arts and crafts and exploring new cities with her husband.
Site Coordinator
Paige was born and raised in the small Northern California town of Mt. Shasta. She graduated from CSU, Chico with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Her passion for working with clients began with her creative design projects in college. She used her communication skills to work with people to help their creative visions and dreams come to life.
Paige has over seven years of experience in the hospitality industry, working her way up to management positions in front-of-house restaurant services. She discovered her desire to work in the event coordination industry through her experience as a program coordinator managing non-profit recreational events and program operations.
In her free time, Paige loves to travel, spend time making homemade raviolis with family, listen to podcasts, hit all the best sushi spots in town, and explore the outdoors.
Paige has managed/produced more than 30 weddings and events while working with Milestone Events Group.
Event Coordinator
Liliana discovered her passion in the event industry in early 2019, when she met a talented woman who inspired her to participate in events as Brand Ambassador. Liliana started working at various events in San Francisco to get her foot in the door. Still, she soon realized that finding the place where she could learn more was what was needed. She landed a job in a venue in Novato, CA, where she started as a server and rapidly moved up as a Banquet Captain, Coordinator and Operations Manager. Liliana joined the Milestone Events Group team with nearly three years of experience working in conferences, corporate parties, trade shows, birthday parties and weddings.
Liliana was born and raised in Sonoma County, CA. On her free time, she loves to go rollerblading, hiking, take spontaneous trips to South Lake Tahoe and catch up on the latest shows on Hulu.
Liliana has produced/managed more than 35 events while working at Milestone Events Group.
Event Coordinator
Arianna grew up in a small town in the Central Valley and knew
early in her youth that she was anxious to explore what the world had to offer beyond her hometown. As a result, she attended Sonoma State University and completed degrees in chemistry and psychology. During her time at Sonoma State, Arianna realized she had a desire and skill for working with people from all walks of life and helping them accomplish their goals, whatever they may be. Previously,
she worked as a residential counselor connecting clients with community resources, coordinating their care, and providing emotional support whenever needed. She also worked intimately with physicians and cancer patients, aiding in their scheduling of treatments and future doctor appointments and scheduling specialty referrals, lab draws, and imaging studies. From these experiences, Arianna
has attained the tools needed to efficiently handle high-stress situations, relay important time-sensitive information, and easily manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
In her free time, Arianna enjoys skiing during the winter months,
frequent trips to Bodega Bay year-round, taking nature walks/hikes, and trying new cuisines.
event coordinator
Marissa has been in the hospitality industry for several years. She has a broad range of experience, including service, bartending, and coordinating. Marissa’s previous company, Becker & The Co., is located in the hub of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. While there, she enjoyed working on several high-profile events, including the Oscars, Paris Hilton’s wedding, and Julie Andrews’ Lifetime Achievement Awards Ceremony. These experiences have given Marissa a significant events foundation and a proven track record of success, which will be invaluable as part of the Milestone team.
Marissa’s specialty is weddings and birthdays, having
assisted in the coordination and execution of parties ranging from 150-1,000 guests with budgets up to $1M. She is committed to creating unforgettable experiences for her clients. With her keen eye for detail, ability to spot trending designs, and expertise in event planning, Marissa can help to make the perfect day for our Milestone clients.
When she’s not at work, you can find Marissa hiking, biking, and exploring the outdoors with her Border Collie, Zoey!
site tour host
Matt is a Sonoma County native. He has worked on the production side of events for over two decades. From bartending, to catering to event planning, Matt has done it all. He co-owned one of Marin County’s premier catering and event planning companies for many years. Matt is passionate about sharing our beautiful wine country and helping to create exceptionally memorable events. When he is not working you can find him mountain biking at Annadel State Park or Skiing in Tahoe, or maybe relaxing at a brewpub after a good trail run. Cheers!
Event Assistant
Lindsey was born and raised in Sonoma County. She found her passion early on, assisting at events while in high school. Carrying out the couple’s design is Lindsey favorite part of her work since she’s very creative and detail-oriented. She is now a student studying psychology at the University of San Diego and works seasonally. In her spare time, Lindsey enjoys going to the beach and playing with her dog.
Event assistant
Brooke comes to Milestone with a love of weddings, mainly fostered by movies and glimpses of the local weddings. She continues her hospitality experience, having previously been a hostess at a local breakfast and lunch restaurant. As a Sonoma County native, having graduated from Cardinal Newman High School, she just completed her second year at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.
She does philanthropic work during the school year including Walks to End Alzheimer’s and fundraising with Alzheimer’s Association. She is a proud Sigma Kappa Active Member under the Kappa Eta chapter at TCU.
In her free time, she enjoys driving to the beach in her Jeep, fondly named Phoebe after a character from Friends, and shopping at Trader Joe’s to create charcuterie boards with her friends.
Event Assistant
Hi, my name is Abby, and I was born and raised in Sonoma County. I am currently studying Kinesiology at California State University San Marcos. I highly enjoy working in event planning and learning so many amazing skills from great mentors. In my free time, I enjoy going on runs and hikes with my dog.
