Born in West Hartford, Conn., Wendy's career began with early childhood shopping excursions led by her visually astute mother, Selma. Their modus operandi was to scour each clothing department, selecting outfits based on color, texture and, of course, style. Then it was off to the shoe department for matching Capezios.In addition to developing Wendy's shopping strategies, Selma unwittingly prepped her daughter for success in the "anything is possible" world of New York television production. On days when the downtown Hartford shopping garage was full, Wendy was always ordered to move the fifty pound yellow barricade marked, "Sorry, we're full".
Wendy's father, a bacteriologist, also inspired her with early art training. For grade school Show and Tell, he would grow her name in a petri dish in his lab, using a different colored bacteria for each letter. He drove her to school with the project in his favorite 1931 Model-A Deluxe Ford, teaching her that antiques can be functional, and that presentation is everything.
Wendy received a B.A. degree from Case Western Reserve University. During her junior year abroad in Spain she had a revelation: The world was a veritable palette of delicious, fresh and seasoned foods presented with elegance. On Sunday morning forays to Madrid's Rastro Flea Market, she began exploring the decorative arts. Back in Cleveland for her senior year, she pursued her passion by cycling to any nearby estate sale.
After graduation, Wendy moved to New York, where she entered the world of commercial film and television production first as a prop stylist for commercials and then as a producer. Among her favorite accounts were Estee Lauder and Clairol.
In 1993, she got a frantic call to decorate the sets for the first Food Network tapings. She accomplished the task, and then officially joined the Food Network in 1994 as the Design Director for Taste, the first Food Network cooking show. Her first challenge was a show about monkfish. When she discovered that New York fish mongers did not sell monkfish with the heads attached, as needed, she tracked down a dock owner in New Bedford, Mass., and cajoled him into asking a fisherman to haul in two fresh monkfish and to Fed-Ex them, on ice, to the studio.
Working with producers, executives, and set designers, Wendy has helped brand many Food Network shows through set decoration and tabletop displays. Her work can be seen on several popular In the Kitchen shows including 30 Minute Meals,/i>, Good Food Fast/i>, Essence of Emeril, Emeril Live, Sara's Secrets, Passion for Dessert with Jacques Torres, Molto Mario, How to Boil Water and Sweet Dreams.
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