About
the Author
Maggie
Marshall's careers are closely intertwined, always pointing
in the direction of helping people stay connected to one another.
Lecturing and teaching take her on journeys throughout the
United States, Australia, England and Russia.
Called
a "lifestyle expert" by Keisha Grant on the NBC-TV
30 morning show in Hartford, she is in demand to teach classes
from coast to coast (i.e., Entertaining with Greater Ease;
Staying Connected as we Age - But Just Don't Call it Dinner;
Kids in the Kitchen - Ours and Theirs; The Out of Towners:
How to Get Your Guests to Feel "Mi Casa Es Su Casa").
She has been interviewed on TV and radio and has written for
magazines and newspapers. One of her favorite articles was
in Today's Caregiver magazine, "Celebrating and Caregiving:
Do They Go Together?" And you know the answer to that
question: "You bet they do!" She recently completed
her book, Food is the Frosting - Company is the Cake: You Can Entertain Easier At Any Age
Maggie started her own catering company, Catering By Maggie,
which she successfully ran for many years with her late husband.
She was lucky to be raised in a home where she learned valuable
secrets to having guests over, before moving on to her professional
career. This included planning parties and events with her
clients and hiring some of the best chefs. She learned the
behind-the-scenes, tried-and-true tricks of the trade, as
well as activities that make parties truly successful. Catering
By Maggie planned events and catered for over fifty departments
at Yale University; was awarded the Special Olympics World
Games reception in New Haven, Connecticut; the World Trade
Center (sadly noted today); weddings; corporate events; home
parties of all kinds; and other gatherings for up to a thousand
guests.
Maggie
returned to her hometown of San Diego to direct the Caregiver-to-Caregiver
Network for the Southern Caregiver Resource Center, an extraordinary
statewide non-profit program supporting family caregivers.
She started the first program of its kind in the nation on
the shoreline of Connecticut for the local Visiting Nurses
Association, and with its tremendous success was asked to
bring this innovative program to the west coast. The goal
of the network is to match former rested family caregivers
with a current caregiver in the one-to-one buddy program,
or have them join in one of the three walk-and-talk support
groups. In addition, artists volunteer to participate in the
Space of Beauty journaling program. As a part of this program,
Maggie teaches Steer With Your Pencil through the OASIS adult
education national program. She continues to write training
manuals, journal articles and newsletters.
Before
entering the hospitality and caregiving world, she was the
Regional Director of Resource Services for the Connecticut
Department of Mental Retardation, managing community services,
family support, and advocacy. She designed systems of support
so that people with disabilities could participate fully in
community life. Helping people connect to others is the strong
thread that runs through her personal life and her professional
background.
Maggie
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, a Master's
degree in Education, and a teaching certificate. She was also
a student at Hartford Seminary and completed a course of study
to become a Stephen Minister. This program equips laypersons
to provide one-on-one support to those who are experiencing
critical life changes.
In
her free time, Maggie enjoys the exhilaration of rollerblading.