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.