Employee Profile: Sandee Munroe

Sandee Munroe is Vice President of Operations and Director of Special Events for Checkers Catering and Special Events. She loves the catering and event industry and is fond of trying out new ideas and traveling to the business tradeshows throughout the US, meeting new friends and staying in touch with old ones. "I love handling the decor, textiles, floral and sound on an event. I especially love the smells!" She says.

Sandee was born and raised in Tracy, California with her two brothers, Greg and Randy. In the fourth grade she won a purple ribbon (highest honor) for her banana bread at the State Fair, and was hooked on the hospitality industry. At age thirteen Sandee worked for family friends at the Mission Bakery, and later worked as a waitress at the busy Vernalis Orchard Restaurant.

In 1980 Sandee's career path veered in a new direction and she went to work in the personnel department at the California Youth Authority in Stockton. Then in 1987 she helped Denise, the President of Checkers and also her sister-in-law, open the Cactus Cafe in Concord. But by 1990 law enforcement beckoned once more and Sandee went to work for the California Department of Corrections as the Warden's secretary. Three years later she became a Correctional Officer for the department.

In the late 90's Sandee's affinity for party planning and the hospitality industry led her back to Checkers where she started out as a driver delivering and setting up catering orders as well as doing customer service, marketing and sales. She soon worked her way into management and began managing daily operations. Sandee's passion has always been the creative side of the business and was a key player in expanding the special events department to what it is today, executing full-service events such as Proms, Weddings, Large Barbecues, Holiday Parties, Customer Appreciation Events, Builder's Open Homes, and smaller parties.

Sandee is married and has two children, but she did not fulfill her childhood dream of being a farmer's wife, raising children and horses on a ranch (A good thing for us.) Instead, when she's not at Checkers, she enjoys decorating, skiing, horseback riding and camping with her family. Her favorite movies are Open Range with Kevin Costner and The Notebook. You can also find Sandee in any Thai Restaurant eating her favorite dish, Red Curry with Prawns.