Jim Bucko
Managing Partner
I was born and raised in Merrillville, Indiana and moved my family to Haddam Connecticut in 2006 to join my 3 partners to create and develop Riverhouse Properties LLC and The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station Inc. I am the managing partner for the business operations for The Riverhouse, The Society Room of Hartford and Riverhouse Catering.
For the past 27 years I have been involved in food service and hospitality. I am a graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in restaurant, hospitality and institutional management.
I started in the foodservice business at age 15 cooking breakfast at Ma’s Diner before school. I have always had a passion for the hospitality business especially catering and specifically weddings!
My experience has been gathered from several positions in the hospitality business such as General Manager of Sails Cafe restaurant on the shore of Lake Michigan and one of Indiana’s oldest private Country Clubs, Innsbrook Country Club but the majority of my experience coming from my time with White Lodging Services. I held different positions such as Banquet Manager, Director of Catering, Director of Food and Beverage, Hotel General Manager and Director of Engineering. It is also important to note that I have also worked in nearly every food service position there is, dishwasher, line cook, busboy, waiter, bartender. This was extremely important as it taught me the inner workings of the business.
During my tenure with While Lodging Service I spent the majority of my time at a 347 room Presidential Star award winning Radisson Hotel which has 35,000 square feet of banquet space and an attached 3200 seat performance Theatre, The Star Plaza. I enjoyed catering to the performers…..Don Henley, BB King, Ted Nugent, Jerry Sienfeld, Christina Aguilera to name a few. We also hosted The Miss USA pageant where our catering operations were responsible for 90% of the events for the pageant and the contestants over the course of 2 weeks. I was fortunate enough to learn how to provide service to clients with extremely high expectations. I am able to use that knowledge and provide it to our clients in our company.
I feel my greatest talent is finding exceptional people to work with. The management staff in our company, I feel, is the finest in New England. We hold ourselves to extremely high standards and it shows…….just ask our clients!
Linda Thifault
Wedding Sales Manager
Linda is thrilled to be doing her dream job helping couples plan their one-of-a-kind weddings here at The Society Room.
A native of Columbia, Maryland, Linda grew up loving to eat, cook, dance, and dress up as a bride. After graduating from Boston University, Linda worked in the arts industry in New York City for Gerald Peters Gallery and The Jewish Museum before going to culinary school and pursuing her dream of working events from all sides. She holds a certificate of culinary arts and culinary arts management from The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), which has served her well over the years working as a catering chef in NYC, and as a private chef in Kentucky, Western Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard.
She is proud to work for The Society Room, where we strive to give couples unforgettable weddings, and she can’t wait to work with you!
Chris Burns
Corporate Sales Manager
Chris is a fifth-generation hospitality professional, stemming back to his Great, Great Grandfathers bar room in the north end of Boston. His experience in the industry started at his mother’s knee, following her around the restaurant she managed, learning at a young age the rewarding passionate nature of the industry. Chris went to Windham Tech for culinary arts and since then has held positions ranging from dishwasher, line cook, waiter, kitchen supervisor to Maître D and Manager. His broad work experience paired with his social disposition brings yet another unique skillset to the already highly talented family that makes up The Society Room, providing guests at our venue with a truly incomparable experience.
Marcy Noiseux
Corporate Sales Manager
Marcy’s career in hospitality began in a catering kitchen in 2005 doing part-time prep work. From day one she fell in love with the fast pace and the dynamics of working in a busy commercial kitchen and creating food that would grace the tables at weddings and other events.
Her experience in the catering industry led to many opportunities including a position with Bon Appetit Management Company where she managed a large culinary team at Wesleyan University and Hampshire College.
In 2011, Marcy joined the Riverhouse Hospitality team in the catering division where she worked as Admin Manager. She was later promoted to Director of Operations for Riverhouse Catering. In 2017 Marcy took a break from hospitality to focus on her family. Then in 2024, she happily returned and joined the management team at The Society Room of Hartford, first in wedding sales and now in corporate and social events.
Marcy is passionate about building strong client relationships and delivering exceptional service. Her diverse experience equips her to understand the intricacies of event planning, making her a valuable asset to our team.
Judi Ann Lausier
Director of Operations
Judi Ann has been a member of the Riverhouse family since 2011, starting as a server with our Belle Terrace property in Avon. With an impressive hospitality background in New Haven County, Judi Ann moved into a captain’s role for Riverhouse Catering in 2015, coordinating staff and functions at off-site venues.
“I love executing events, meeting with clients or a bride and groom and hearing how they envision their dream day. Then it’s our job to bring it all together and deliver a truly memorable day. The Society Room has so much character and the guests are mesmerized by its architecture as a former bank from the turn of the century.”
Included in her 40+ years in the hospitality industry, Judi Ann has taken some culinary classes and participated in “front of the house” training programs. She has even had her own event planning company, Creative Concierge, and has been employed as a marketing and event coordinator for a health insurance company.
Additionally, she has worked with several non-profit agencies including the United Way of West Central CT and the Michael Bolton Charity, helping to raise funds and awareness for various causes.
Judi Ann continues to be active in her community by serving as President of the Bristol Rotary Club, an ambassador for the Central CT Chamber of Commerce and is a Commissioner for the Burlington Economic Development Council.
With all Judi Ann’s years in the industry, she brings along a large network of business associates and friends. We are confident she will be a familiar face to many of our clients.
Tim Benzing
Executive Chef
I was born and raised in Centerville Ohio and as a young child, I learned to appreciate quality fresh foods, cooking and eating the produce grown in our family garden. With many family vacations to the coast of New England, my love of fresh seafood was born ultimately landing me at New England Culinary Institute where I studied culinary arts.
My culinary Journey took me to New Orleans to work with Chef Roland Huet who is considered one of the great chefs of New Orleans. Foraging mushrooms, making homemade vinegars and smoking soft shell crabs were just a few of the skills that he passed onto me. I next moved to Boston to work under Chef Frank McClelland at L’espalier where I was exposed to the highest quality ingredients I had ever seen or worked with. I continued to move around the country working for exceptional chefs, refining my skills before landing in Vermont where I took my first position as executive chef at Tucker Hill in the small ski town of Fayston. I used the skills I learned to create fresh and exciting menus using local Vermont and New England farm to table ingredients before it was trendy.
I came full circle and returned to New England Culinary Institute to become a chef instructor where I remained for twelve years helping to train and instruct future chefs before taking a position with Reel Hospitality as the corporate chef.
I am very excited to bring my experience and passion for culinary arts to the Society Room where I hope to create many wonderful meals and memorable experiences for years to come.
Daniel Mallory
Sous Chef
My career in the culinary industry began in my teens. While attending college in New Haven I had the opportunity to experience a wide variety of cuisines representing diverse cultural backgrounds. Having been raised in Southeastern Connecticut, I became familiar with the common New England fare. It wasn’t until college that I felt compelled to dive into the culinary world, after experiencing the wide variety of foods available in the city.
The first job I acquired was at a Lebanese restaurant, learning about fresh Mediterranean cuisine straight from the source. From small Italian pizza joints, to large fine dining institutions, my career has taken me many places. Travelling the country has also helped me become more rounded as a chef. From Texas Barbeque to Louisiana Cajun, venturing around the states has introduced me to some spectacular regional cuisines. I try to represent these culinary experiences in the variety of foods I create.
My most recent employment was as the culinary supervisor at the award winning River restaurant in Wethersfield, working closely with Chef Paul Krawic, ranked in the top 50 best chefs in America by the peer reviewed BCA.
It is my sincerest hope that our food reflects the love that our culinary team puts in to prepare it.
Jake Streaman
Banquet Manager
I began my career in the food service industry at just 12 years old, working as a busboy in my family’s restaurant. What started as a job quickly became a passion. The restaurant felt like a second home, and over time I took on greater responsibilities, including inventory management and bar backing, developing a deep appreciation for the pace, teamwork, and attention to detail the industry demands.
At 18, I joined Riverhouse Hospitality at The Society Room as a server, where I discovered my passion for events. Working alongside exceptional managers, I developed a strong foundation in executing memorable experiences and learned the importance of precision—ensuring every detail is thoughtfully considered.
I later moved to the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station as Assistant Banquet Manager, where I began working directly with clients, including brides and grooms. This role allowed me to deepen my understanding of event planning and execution, with a focus on bringing each client’s vision to life.
From there, I transitioned to Belle Terrace at Avon Old Farms as Director of Operations, collaborating closely with the off-premise catering team, Riverhouse Catering. I ultimately stepped into the role of Director of Events, overseeing the planning and production of events from concept to completion. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by some of the industry’s most creative and dedicated professionals, and I take pride in upholding the high standards instilled in me from the very beginning at The Society Room.