Employees & Staff

Tasia Fisher | Director of Events

Tasia Fisher has worked in the restaurant industry since age 14 and has worked in weddings & private events for 15 years. She has been the Director of Events at Imperia Lake Union for the last 10 years. She grew up in Seattle and has lived in Hawaii and California but came back to the PNW for college and to raise her daughter. She enjoys cooking, volunteering, and reading as well as spending time with close friends.

Tasia has always loved working with people and being creative. This is why she excels in client and vendor relationships, creating original and fun parties, and thinking outside of the box. She has been in a managerial role for many years and has meaningful relationships with the staff which in return work hard to make every event a success.

As part of working for Imperia, Tasia has worked hard to maintain a positive reputation for the company and will never forget a face.

Ian Hoyt | Executive Chef

Ian Hoyt is the Executive Chef of Imperia Lake Union, and has worked in the industry for over 35 years. The private venue has been his home for 23 years, including under its previous brand.

Ian loves working closely with the dedicated team at Imperia, and is honored to be part of peoples' special occasions. He has always strived to provide great, fresh food that exceeds a client's expectations during their once-in-a-lifetime experience. Ian grew up in Hawaii and has resided in Seattle since 1987. He is an avid bicyclist, and spends his days off being the best dad - and cat dad - ever.

Jennifer (JJ) Jones | Event Manager

Jennifer “JJ” Jones Is the Sales and Floral Manager with Imperia Lake Union and has worked in the wedding and event industry for going on 20 years. JJ provides tiers of service for her clients, including day-of coordination during events, providing stunning floral and decorative arrangements, and is a key contact for tours and pre-event client support.

JJ is an avid vinyl collector and is always playing music wherever she is, at work and at home. As part of Imperia, JJ brings a love of weddings and a positive, enthusiastic approach to all events.

Sarah Jo Hochstrasser | Operations Manager

Sarah Jo Hochstrasser, better known as SJ, is the Operations and Bar Manager at Imperia Lake Union, a private event venue in Seattle. SJ has over 28 years' experience working in the food and beverage industry. Her first job was working in her family-owned business, The Sunflour Bakery and Cafe, where she learned both front and the back of the house positions from top to bottom. Since then, she has worked in many local neighborhood bars and restaurants while simultaneously working 13 years in a small family dental practice.

SJ's experience working in small businesses has allowed her to work with all walks of life, paying special attention to individual needs, details and nuances. She likes to build a close rapport with clientele and vendors in order to curate and help execute an experience that feels like a second living room. Her position at Imperia LU, and helping deliver the clientele's personality and vision for their event, is much the same.

SJ loves a good laugh; you may hear her before you see her. She's a proud mother of a 23-year-old son. Outside of work she loves outdoor adventures with her English Mastiff, a good crime show or book, cooking, live music and dancing and last but not least, continuing to discover her artistic side and creating.

Eli Kenney | Sous Chef

Eli Kenney brings over 20 years of hospitality, cook, and private catering experience to his role of Sous Chef at Imperia.

Eli loves how food brings friends and families together - everyone in the kitchen helping, laughing, and even sharing stresses always makes the food taste that much better. Someday Eli hopes to launch his own spot as a popup, food truck, or other culinary adventure.

On his days off, Eli loves to try new and interesting recipes at home while hanging out with his cats.

Nicole Paniagua | Floral & Design Manager

Nicole Paniagua initially fell in love with flowers as an organic flower farmer. She combines her seasonal grower’s knowledge together with an artistic approach and 7 years of design experience – bringing joy, color, and texture to all spaces. She finds fulfillment in connecting with someone else’s vision and bringing it to life with unforgettable florals.

Nicole stays on top of industry trends in addition to improving upon her own unique style by studying other modalities of art like interior design, architecture, film, fashion, paintings and sculptures. She recently moved to Seattle from Portland with her partner and four-year-old daughter. She's also a mom to a very large cat with a dog personality, and a very small dog with a cat personality.

She enjoys exploring the local food scene, dancing, reading, and watching old films and anime in her spare time.

Oscar Nery | Banquet Captain

Oscar has worked in the food & beverage industry for going on 16 years and started at Imperia as a dishwasher as a teenager working his way up. He is the Banquet Captain of Imperia Lake Union private event venue in Seattle and has overseen the team of staff making sure every event goes off without a hitch. As part of the Imperia team, Oscar has worked hard to execute every event with professionalism and an eye for detail. He resides in Seattle with his two beautiful children and wife who he married at Imperia!