Susan LaczMs. Susan Lacz is CEO and principal of Washington's famed Ridgewells Caterers. Ridgewells is a 78 year old catering company to Washington's social and political elite and to the Districts Power Brokers. Ridgewells is famed for catering Inaugurations dating back to the Kennedy era.
Susan Lacz's passion for her profession can be traced to her glorious memories of family and tradition embraced by her Polish family. The lessons learned from her parents and grandparents and the love of family heritage and food played an integral part molding her into the person she is. Ms. Lacz's family has been closely involved with the Kosciuszko Foundation for three generations. Her mother, Diana, was a debutante in 1953 and was honored with being Patroness in 1991. Ms. Lacz made her debut in 1979 and has returned to the Waldorf to enjoy her cousin s debut carrying on the Polish tradition.
Ms. Lacz was raised in Wyckoff, N.J., the youngest child (of three) of John and Diana Lacz. Her mother retired as an educator and her father as founder of Lan Associates, an engineering firm. She is the granddaughter of Attorney and Mrs. John S. Lacz of Patterson, New Jersey and Clemens and Zenia Marks (Markiewicz), whose family gatherings instilled in her mind an elaborate sense of Polishness.
In her capacity as Principal/Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Lacz has brought her signature passion and fervent respect for detail to every niche of the Ridgewells Operations. Among her many achievements in the past 20 years was the creation of Ridgewells Major Event Division to develop business with high profile sporting events. She has been at the helm of eleven US Men's Open Golf Championships hosted at prestigious golf clubs across the country as well as the Super Bowl Corporate Hospitality Village for the NFL on numerous Super Bowl Sundays.
Ms. Lacz and Ridgewells have received a number of industry and professional awards, including the International Special Events Society (ISES) Award 1999, 2002-2005 for Best Cuisine; Special Events Magazine Spotlight Awards 1998 for Best-Off Premises Caterer and in 1999 Caterer of the Year by Event Solutions Magazine. She is also a leader in the business community and was awarded by the Washington Business Journal in 2004 Women Who Mean Business.
Ms. Lacz currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Fidelity & Trust Bank, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC), Cancer Council at Washington Hospital Center and Women's Advisory Board for the GSCNC. She is a member of the International Women s Forum and is a regular at Camp CEO for the Girl Scouts.
She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her sons Nathan, 15, and Ayden, 4, whom she has raised with the same traditions that she was brought up with and full respect of their Polish heritage.
From: Resume (2006)