Jerry Carlson
“I am fortunate that our communities have embraced me for over 25 years, and honored to still be a part of them.”
Founder and CEO since 1999
Jerry Carlson founded That Special Event in 1999 and has spent more than 25 years turning North Shore ideas into celebrations people still talk about. He leads the vision of the company and stays close to the work itself, from the first client consultation to the final guest departure. He also trains every new hire personally, which is why the team in the all black uniforms carries the same standard he set on day one. His goal for every hire is not that they meet expectations. It is that they exceed them.
Being part of people’s biggest milestones is what he calls his true calling. He finds his inspiration in the transformation itself, watching months of planning come together as guests arrive, clients finally relax, and the room becomes the thing they had been picturing all along.
Jerry's Involvement
Client consultations
Event planning
Vendor relationships
Staffing and event execution
Budget planning
On site event management
Team training and mentoring
How Jerry Works
He leads by example and stays calm under pressure. He is detail obsessed, creative, and quick to solve a problem in a way nobody at the table had thought of yet. He is also approachable, hands on, and reliably where he said he would be.
Jerry’s Favorite Part
The transformation. Watching months of planning come together as guests arrive, seeing clients relax and truly enjoy the experience they have been dreaming about. It is the moment when all the behind the scenes work becomes something unforgettable.
Areas of Specialty
Weddings
Luxury private events
Corporate events
Galas and fundraisers
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
Backyard celebrations
Event logistics and operations
Custom event design
“The very best staffing service and event planner in all of Chicagoland. The owner, Jerry, is passionate and outstanding, and makes every event feel like the most important one he has ever worked. The most professional staff in the business.”
Michael S., industry peer
The Planners, Operations, and Training
These are the people who build your event long before anyone walks through the door, from proposals, vendors, and budgets to floor plans and the timeline that holds the day together. Behind every smooth event is a team that knows how to plan it, schedule it, and prepare for what happens on site. This is that team.
Shoshy Mor
Event Planning Director
With That Special Event since May 2024
Shoshy leads the planning process from the first client consultation all the way through event execution. Proposals, vendor sourcing, planning meetings, contracts, budgets, timelines, and the coordination between clients, vendors, and event staff all run through her desk.
What she enjoys most is the relationship side of it. Building trust with clients, bringing their vision to life, and helping create memories that they and their guests will hold onto for years.
Specialties: Weddings · B’nei Mitzvah · Milestone celebrations · Corporate events · Vendor coordination · Event logistics · Creative design · Personalized guest experiences
Working style: “Get it done.”
Off the clock: She performs best in organized chaos, and she genuinely loves the job.
Kimberly Calderon
Event Planner
With That Special Event since 2025
Kimberly works the details that make an event feel effortless. Budgets, vendors, decor, rentals, and timelines all get her attention from the first planning call through the last item loaded out.
She handles day of coordination, rental coordination, and partial and full planning, managing the event start to finish so the client does not have to.
Specialties: Event planning · Day of coordination · Rental coordination · Partial and full service planning
Working style: Patient and detailed.
Off the clock: Outside of work, she is the person friends count on to bring an event to life.
Jack Carlson
Training Director, Event Captain
With That Special Event since day one
Jack has been with That Special Event since the beginning and runs training for the entire roster. He orchestrates orientations, trains every new hire, and develops the team both on and off the floor.
He also still works events himself as a captain, server, bartender, and day of coordinator, which is exactly how the standard stays where it belongs. What he enjoys most is maintaining a high level of professionalism and leading by example, and the fact that no two events are ever the same.
Specialties: Staff training and development · Orientation and onboarding · Client and staff relations · Business relationships · Event captaining
Working style: Hands on. He listens while he works.
Off the clock: He loves being a twin brother.
Jenezes Rodriguez
Operations Manager
With That Special Event since April 2025
Jenezes oversees three departments at That Special Event and coordinates day to day operations across all of them, making sure every team has the information, resources, and support it needs to do the job well.
She describes herself as the behind the scenes person who keeps the company organized, connected, and running smoothly. She solves the problems before they reach the client and is always looking for a better way to run the process.
Specialties: Keeping departments organized and connected · Process and workflow improvement · Problem solving · Consistent support for clients and staff
Working style: Organized, detail oriented, reliable, and calm under pressure.
Off the clock: She likes to point out that “stressed” spelled backward is “desserts,” a good reminder to stay positive and enjoy the sweet moments.
Customer Service Specialists and Accounting
When you call our office, one of these people picks up. They hold your date, build your staffing schedule, answer the question you did not want to bother anyone with, and keep the business running underneath all of it.
Terri Keifer
With That Special Event since January 2025
Terri answers client calls, coordinates event dates, and schedules staff. She is often the first person clients speak with, helping them feel informed from booking through the end of the event.
She loves seeing clients relax and enjoy their day, and says her team is what makes coming to work special.
Specialties: Customer service · Event scheduling · Staffing coordination · Smooth booking
Working style: Organized, dependable, and compassionate.
Off the clock: She is happiest when she is bringing people together and making them smile.
Johanna Haar
With That Special Event since 2024
Johanna handles client relations along with staffing orientation and onboarding, which puts her on both sides of the business at once: the clients being served and the people who serve them. She loves helping clients get to actually enjoy their own events, and she takes real satisfaction in staffing each one with the right fit rather than just the availability.
Specialties: Client relations ·
Staff orientation and onboarding · Event staffing coordination
Working style: She likes to keep busy.
Off the clock: More than 20 years in customer service, and she loves reconnecting with clients from past jobs.
Luis Angel Torres
With That Special Event since December 2025
Luis responds to client calls and emails, creates and modifies events, and works with staff on questions and scheduling so the right people are in the right place.
He keeps staff documents, event history, and office information organized, drawing on his field experience to understand what the team needs.
Specialties: Client calls and email · Event creation and updates · Staff scheduling support
Working style: Simple and direct. Find the clearest option.
Off the clock: He is glad to jump back into field work whenever it is needed.
Karen Bata
With That Special Event since 2023
Karen manages the company’s daily financial matters, including accounts payable and receivable, payroll processing, financial records, and reporting.
She keeps the numbers accurate and organized and provides the information that supports better decisions, which is what lets everyone else focus on the events.
Specialties: Accounts payable and receivable · Payroll processing · Financial reporting ·
Working style: Organized, dependable, and detail oriented.
Off the clock: She loves spending time with her grandchildren at her summer place in Wisconsin.
Named, and Remembered
“I cannot express how grateful I am to Jerry, Soshy, and the entire team for orchestrating the most beautiful Celebration of Life for my husband. From the first walkthrough, they brought expertise, genuine compassion, and thoughtful suggestions that made everything seamless.”
Diane
“Jerry and his staff have never let me down. Reliable, pleasant, and engaged in helping me and my guests.”
Peggy
And the Team in Your Room
On the day itself, you will meet a different group: captains, servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, and support staff, all trained by Jack and all wearing the same all black uniform that venues across the North Shore recognize on sight. Kosher conscious trained personnel are available for events that require them.
