The Owner
One day, as she did daily, Jodi was riding her bike through the town of Kyle observing the architecture of old homes and the natural settings along the river when she stumbled upon a property with overgrown grass and chipped white paint. She realized that this was the exact place where she would have loved to get married--minus the much needed paint job and untailored grounds (little did she know there was a whole heck of a lot more that needed to be done, however, her heart was focused on bringing the property back to life!).
The rest is history. There has been a lot of sweat and tears in the rebirth of the property (which had been vacant for almost 10 years at that point), but rest assured, every single little detail was thought out thoroughly, together in great passion for life and in sharing of this most precious property with others. Jodi's hope is that you will have the opportunity to explore and experience the property that has become a part of who she is and what she genuinely wants to share with others.
April our Coordinator
I first came to The Winfield 4 ½ years ago to interview for an internship position. As soon as I walked the grounds and met Jodi I knew that I wanted to be here. I was asked what I wanted to learned and I simply said “what ever you want to teach me” and I never knew just how much that would turn out to be.
I spent 4 months interning here while still in college and quickly learned that this was what I wanted to do for my profession. Every weekend I met such wonderful people and got to witness the true magic that goes on during weddings. I also had the pleasure of seeing first hand all that Tom and Jodi do for The Winfield and their guest. Their whole heart was in the venue and every weekend they went to such great lengths to make the day as perfect as it could be.
After my internship was over they hired me as the assistant coordinator until I graduated from Texas State with a degree in recreational Administration. I then spent 5 months at The Omni Hotel in Broomfield, CO where I learned the ups and downs about hotel sales, and social and corporate catering. While I enjoyed my stay there and soaked in so much good information I knew that my place was here at The Winfield. I started full time in March 2006 and have been the head coordinator ever since.
A lot of times I tell people what I do for my profession and they ask me if I am crazy and then they ask me if Jennifer Lopez is my role model. The answer is no and no! (Although I do have my moments and I do own that movie) The truth is, when I think about the job I have all I can say is “blessed”. To be apart of such a special day is a true honor and privilege. Yes, it is long hours and lots of hard work but at the end it is 110% worth it. Like Tom and Jodi and the rest of the staff here, I do this job simply because I care about every person who walks through this door. To get to witness my couples happiness and joy after they say I Do and the bubbles and rose petals are thrown….well that is priceless.
My plans for the future are to simply let the road lead the way. I want to continue to learn about all aspects of this industry so I can further my assistance to my clients. We are constantly asking the question “what else can I do to make this an even better experience” and we will probably never stop.
Kristini, Winfield Inn Intern
As an intern at the Winfield we assisted with the setting up the ceremony/reception area, occasionally contacting vendors, and helping guests with anything they needed. My biggest goal when I started the Internship was trying not to mess anything up. Assisting people on the most of important day their lives is very rewarding but at times nerve wrecking, I was just scared I’d knock over a cake or something irreplaceable. My favorite part of the internship was seeing how happy the guests and the families of the bride and groom were throughout there stay at The Winfield. Every guest, bride/groom and their families loved The Winfield and the staff and hearing a bride say “This wouldn't have been such a perfect day without the help of The Winfield staff” was probably the most rewarding part of the internship. I majored in Communication Studies and minored in Business Administration. I currently work at a Software Company in the Sales department. I would’ve liked to stayed in the event coordinating field but job searching is always an ongoing process for me : )
Robyn, Coordinator II
I transferred to Texas State University not knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I talked to a professor many times about how much I love weddings and he kept insisting that I meet a past student (April) who is the coordinator at some gorgeous B&B in Kyle. When it came time to start applying for internships, this was my first stop. When I finally met April and saw the grounds, I understood why he was so persistent about The Winfield Inn and I fell in love. Throughout my internship in the fall of 2008 I grew to love the inn and everything it had to offer more and more and began to wonder if I even wanted to leave.
One day when talking with April I asked if they were still looking for someone to work under her starting in January and she said with a smirk, “Why? Would you be interested?” I replied with a, “maybe…” and here I am! I love the wedding industry, the inn, and the staff and am so thrilled to have the opportunity to stay!
Like April, I am often asked if Jennifer Lopez is my idol, and I too simply say no, but I do like the movie. The truth is that I realized how much I love weddings when my sister asked me to be Maid of Honor in her wedding a few years ago. After seeing how everything comes together and the time and effort that is put into it, I knew it was my calling. I am also asked, “Isn’t it hard to work on weekends?” But for me, it isn’t because it never feels like work. Nothing makes me happier than watching the couple during their first dances… it’s a guaranteed happy ending.
Patty our Sous Chef
After raising 3 children and a 25 year career in the Employee Benefits field, Patty decided to pursue a life-long dream to travel, so she began a new career. Her strong customer service & business background allowed her to work in seasonal positions in hotels, resorts and guest ranches in New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana. For the past 10 years, she has lived and worked in some of the most beautiful places in the country. At one time or another, Patty has held every imaginable position on a lodging property - from housekeeping (for guests and livestock) to property manager - she’s done it all. She experienced blizzards, avalanches, mudslides and earthquakes; she was adopted by a grizzly cub, chased by a mad elk and trapped in her cabin for a day by a stubborn buffalo - amazing wildlife encounters and the challenges of nature in remote areas made her travels in the West more exciting than she had ever imagined they could be.
In 2005, Patty received an offer for a new adventure that she couldn’t refuse: to rehabilitate an ailing 1896, 8-room Victorian bed and breakfast inn in the historic district of St. Augustine, FL, so that it could be sold. She accepted the challenge and spent almost 2 years, using all of the skills she had acquired in both careers, remodeling the Inn and rebuilding the business. It was the hardest job she had ever undertaken, but it turned out to be one of her proudest achievements. The Inn was successfully sold at the end of 2006.
Patty’s kitchen experience includes cooking for a 30-seat restaurant at a guest ranch outside of Yellowstone National Park, managing the restaurant/kitchen and bar of a resort property in Grand Teton National Park, catering for various-sized group events at several smaller lodges and cooking for her B&B guests in Florida. Her skills were challenged and expanded during her travels to include cooking on open campfires during trail rides and chuck wagon suppers, preparing impromptu holiday dinners for the Secret Service in her tiny apartment in Jackson Hole and feeding large groups of firefighters & pilots at their base camp during two Yellowstone fire seasons.
Patty has 3 married children and 2 grandchildren in the Kyle area, so she has returned home to Texas to spend time with her family. But, everyone knows that there is still an Alaskan adventure in her future, so until then, she happily works with us at the Winfield Inn…...
Our Chef, Matt Weaver
Chef Matt Weaver attended the esteemed New England Culinary Institute at the age of twenty under personal tutelage from Master Chef Michel LeBorgne. From there he interned at famed Nuevo-Mex hotspot Jeffrey’s in Austin. For three years he learned from renowned chefs David Garrido and Alma Alcocer-Thomas.
His next years in Austin included many Asian-fusion restaurants and eventually Vespaio.
At this eclectic Italian establishment he was given the chance by chef and owner Alan Lazarus to become a pastry chef. Matt then honed his pastry skills for many years. After a short but entertaining career as an Internet chef Matt has come back to the fold.
Pulling all of his epicurean knowledge together, Chef Matt now executes the forward thinking dishes of the
Winfield Inn to perfection.
