With the holiday season fast approaching, it is time for many companies to start planning their holiday parties. What would you do if you were told that it is your job to handle it this year?

After they revived me, I would call Donna Nicoletti of Scott Howard, 500 Jackson St. (at Montgomery), San Francisco, 415-956-7040, www.scotthowardsf.com. Donna has been one of the premier restaurant event planners in San Francisco for the last 16 years. She started her career at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon, where she had her personal career highlight. As a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, it was an honor for her to be chosen to plan Jerry Garcia’s wedding reception. As a true sign of her professionalism, she was able to keep this a secret, even to her closest Deadhead friends.

Since then she has worked for Spectrum foods, which manages Macarthur Park, Prego, and Guaymas, and she helped to open the Acme Chophouse at the ballpark. Currently, she is on her third stint at the Jackson Street location: first as the Cypress Club, then as 500 Jackson, and now as Scott Howard – they say the third time is the charm. Donna was one of the founding members of the San Francisco Private Dining Venues Group. Founded in 1995, the group was created as a venue referral system so Donna and others could still take care of their customers when their respective venues were booked.

The group’s chefs also supply food at charity and other events such as the Mill Valley Film Festival, and the upcoming Gourmet Wine Cellar on November 16 at the Ferry Building.