Meet our Board of Directors

Neal Bodenheimer, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors

Neal Bodenheimer is the Managing Partner of CureCo., the acclaimed group behind Cure, Cane & Table, and VALS in New Orleans; Partner of Dauphine’s in Washington, DC; runs beverage operations at Peychaud’s at The Celestine; and is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.

The New Orleans native opened his first bar, Cure, in 2009, which quickly gained national recognition as a pioneer of the city’s craft cocktail movement. Among other accolades, Cure has received the James Beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Bar Program,” and was featured on both The World’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars lists.

In 2012, CureCo. introduced Cane & Table to the historic French Quarter. The bar garnered significant critical acclaim, including being named among the “Five Best New Cocktail Bars in America” by Bon Appétit, one of the “Best Bars in America” by Food & Wine, and one of the best restaurants in New Orleans by The New York Times. In 2020, the group introduced VALS to Freret Street in New Orleans, a neighborhood gem offering traditional and regional Mexican-inspired cuisine and an agave-focused menu.

The following year, Bodenheimer partnered with Long Shot Hospitality to open Dauphine’s in Washington, D.C. The Michelin-rated restaurant’s beverage menu is built around the playful spirits and iconic cuisine of New Orleans. Later in 2021, Bodenheimer brought Peychaud’s to the French Quarter with a focus on perfecting classic drinks such as the Sazerac, French 75, and Vieux Carré.

In 2022, he debuted his first cocktail book, Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em. The book received an IACP award and was a finalist for a James Beard Media Award, both in 2023. Later in 2023, Bodenheimer was recognized as “Drinks Professional of the Year” by the VinePair Next Wave Awards.

John Gakuru, Board Member

John Gakuru, born in Kenya, raised in England, and now residing in Los Angeles, is a man who has known many continents and pursued many roles in the spirits industry. Gakuru got his first taste of the liquor business behind the bar, where he was responsible for managing Lab Bar, a renowned destination for drinks in London’s posh Soho District. While pursuing this role in the earliest days of the classic cocktail renaissance, he was sought out by the Brazilian-based brand, Sagatiba Cachaça, where he joined the team as their Global Brand Ambassador, later carving out a seven-year position that took the spirit label from a small, South American production, to a recognizable name on six continents.

He then moved on to spend six years with Think Spirits in Australia as their On-Premise Manager and Trade Marketing Manager. In this role, he was instrumental in the company by becoming a Top 10 distributor in the nation where he oversaw the trade communications, brand activity, and events of some thirty-five premium spirit brands in the Think Spirits’ portfolio. Gakuru joined Sweet&Chilli Australia in late 2016, before emigrating to the USA in April 2017, where he is currently their Director of Sales & Marketing. In this current role, Gakuru brings an incredible two decades of experience both behind the bar and on the world stage, in distribution and brand growth. In his most recent role, Gakuru, working with business partner Emily Wheldon, created Coruscent Co. The vision and mission of the brand are to leave the people, places, and products in better shape than they were found. Coruscent Co. is truly the nascent result of all his years of hard work and is capable of a wide range of expertise, including crafting and executing world-class events; helping other brands gain the traction they need with consumers and the trade; as well as forging lasting client relationships and international relations. When he’s not at work, you’ll usually find Gakuru planning his next scuba diving holiday or sipping a Negroni, Espresso Martini, or glass of red wine in one of LA’s great bars. While the world has provided a playground for him to learn and grow in his own industry, these days he’s ultimately excited to be behind the scenes of some of America’s most illustrious parties, brands, and brand experiences.

Sandrae Lawrence, Board Member

Tess Posthumus, Board Member

Tess Posthumus is a bartender, bar owner, and freelance hospitality professional. She travels around the globe and owns three bars in Amsterdam: Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Dutch Courage, and Belly of the Beast, where she and her team mix the most delicious cocktails, while focusing on building a true cocktail culture in the Netherlands.

Posthumus studied Media & Culture at the University of Amsterdam and completed her Sociology Masters in 2014. During her studies, Posthumus worked in the hospitality industry where she fell in love with the wonderful world of mixology. For eight years she worked at one of the best bars in the world: Door 74 in Amsterdam. Her talent hasn’t gone unnoticed, as Posthumus won several national and international competitions. She turned the side job into a professional career and travels around the world as a freelance hospitality professional.

In 2017 Posthumus opened her own cocktail bar together with Timo Janse, called Flying Dutchmen Cocktails. Here she and her team have built a true cocktail culture in The Netherlands by focusing on neo-classic cocktails while running an extensive education program for guests and the Dutch hospitality industry. In August 2020, her second bar opened its doors, Dutch Courage on the Zeedijk in Amsterdam focusing on Dutch spirits and their heritage, focusing on genever in particular. Her third bar, Belly of the Beast opened in December 2023 under Flying Dutchman, and is inspired by maritime history.

When she’s not running her bars, Posthumus is an in-demand hospitality consultant, and co-owner of Perfect Serve Barshow Amsterdam, and Amsterdam Cocktail Week. She wrote three books: “Cocktails with Tess” (2016), “Masterclass: Cocktails”(2019), and “Cocktail Bible” (2023). Tess also writes a monthly column for Drinks International magazine and owns her own set of “The Collection” bar tools.

Perry Sholes, Board Member

Perry Sholes is President of Progressive HR Strategies Inc., New Orleans-based HR Consulting firm with success in creating economic value through Human Resource leadership. He has helped to drive profitability at complex global organizations that include private equity portfolio companies, large public companies, and privately-owned businesses. Sholes has a unique background in Human Resource Management and Operations, starting as an Hourly Employee and General Manager at Mc Donald’s Corporation in New Orleans, District Manager at Taco Bell Corporation, and Regional Foodservice Manager at Target Stores Corporation, all roles with P&L, operations, training, and people development responsibilities.

His Human Resources skills were developed in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry at Nabisco Foods Company Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc.; he was responsible for various corporate functions in both domestic and Latin America. Sholes has held roles leading the HR function and guiding company culture: Raising Cane’s team as VP Crew Resources, VP HR at Thomas and King Inc., a privately-owned operator of Applebee’s brands, and SVP HR at Last Call Operating Company. These roles have enhanced his ability to lead through course changes; operate within slim margins; grow the organization’s talent development infrastructure; and build highly capable and service-oriented HR teams.

Sholes has held board positions with multiple associations including Women Foodservice Forum, Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, and Girl Scouts Louisiana-East. He has been a leader within Society Human Resource Management (SHRM) Kentucky and Louisiana, most recently as President New Orleans SHRM Chapter in 2020 and Diversity Director Louisiana State SHRM Council 2022. He has led within business and industry organizations as the Founding Member and President of the Kraft Foods Alumni Network and CPG Professional Networks since 2006.

After returning home to New Orleans, Sholes committed to being a community leader and paying forward his blessings. He is an alum of New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) Class 2019 and Urban League’s ULead Program. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber 2022-23, and Director on Success @Thurgood Marshall School Board. In Spring of 2019, he founded Corporate Internship Leadership Institute (CILI), a Louisiana-based 501c3 focused on developing BIPOC college students for career success in metro New Orleans and Louisiana.

Sholes received an Executive MBA from the University of South Florida and a B.S. in Marketing from Tampa College. He is a certified HR professional (SPHR and SCP), Myers-Briggs Practitioner, and Talent Optimization Consultant. He is blessed to have a career that started in New Orleans, with opportunities to live in six other states and eleven different cities.

Gary Solomon Jr., Co-Chair of the Board of Directors

A native of New Orleans, Gary Solomon, Jr. has led the development and production of several of the country’s most popular events and attractions. He serves as the Consulting Producer for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in New Orleans, and was responsible for striking the deal to feature the nationally televised broadcast’s first-ever Central Time Zone countdown. Solomon Jr. also co-developed the historic Civic Theatre in New Orleans, transforming the city’s oldest theater into a modern, flexible, high-tech event venue.

As President and Co-Founder of Solomon Group, he has served as Executive Producer for major events that include the College Football Playoff, ESSENCE Festival, and Katrina 10. Under his leadership, the entertainment design, production, and management firm has been listed on the Inc. 5000 as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies for the past four years. Solomon Group creates eye-catching audience experiences for sports leagues and global brands including the NFL (Super Bowl, Draft), NBA (All-Star Weekend), NCAA (Men’s Final Four), NHL (upcoming All-Star Weekend), SXSW, and more.

He has also overseen the creation of jaw-dropping exhibits and interactive environments for George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The National WWII Museum, and the Sazerac House. Solomon Jr. was named to Inc. Magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30: World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs” list, and has been featured in The Atlantic, SUCCESS Magazine, Forbes, and USA Today. Solomon Jr. currently serves on the board of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and is the past-Chair of The NOCCA Institute. Since 2011, Solomon Jr. and Solomon Group have been a part of Tales of the Cocktail, providing production services for the Spirited Awards as well as major brand activations for the world’s premier cocktail festival. In 2018, The Solomon Family, alongside Board of Directors Co-Chair Neal Bodenheimer, took over Tales of the Cocktail and turned the foundation into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to educate, support, and advance the industry.