The team at The Orchid House Winery looks forward to exceeding your expectations.
General Manager
Cristal Henninger
Kentucky native, Cristal Henninger relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to achieve her culinary degree in 2007. After completing the Le Cordon Bleu program, Cristal participated in an externship at Mountaineer Casino in West Virginia. Following her completion of the externship, she moved to Jacksonville, Florida where she worked at Taverna, Peles Woodfire. Although she was employed at Terra as an Executive Chef, her passion for food and people moved her to a front-of-the-house role. Cristal later found herself in Ohio, where she began work at Leo’s Italian Social. There, she worked as a front of the house manager and was quickly promoted to Bar Manager prior to joining the Sapphire Creek team.
Contact Cristal at Cristal.Henninger@orchidhousewinery.com
Assistant General Manager
Nikki Polacek
Nikki was born and raised in Solon, Ohio. Nikki has been involved in the service industry since the age of 15. After graduating from Orange High School, Nikki pursued her education at Cuyahoga Community College, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree. Following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, Nikki started bartending the month she turned 21 at Swirl Wine Bar in Solon. After bartending for two years at Sapphire Creek Winery, Nikki accepted the role of Assistant Manager at Orchid House Winery with a focus on its beverage program. With a background in the arts, Nikki brings creativity to the bar in complex and artistic cocktails.
Contact Nikki at Nikki.Polacek@orchidhousewinery.com.
Manager/Sales for Corporate & Private Events
Danielle Zupp
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Danielle has been in the service industry since she was 16. After graduating from high school, Danielle attended Gannon University where she completed her undergrad and Master’s program in Business Administration. During her graduate studies, she began her career in restaurant management and continued on that path until starting at Sapphire Creek. She worked as a server and event butler until accepting the role of Event Coordinator for both Sapphire Creek Winery & Gardens and The Orchid House Winery. Through her experience on both the service and management side of events, Danielle brings a unique perspective that makes any event one-of-a-kind
Contact Danielle at Danielle.Zupp@orchidhousewinery.com.
Wedding Event Manager
Grace Porco
Grace Porco is a graduate of John Carroll University, where she achieved her bachelor’s degree in Communication, with a concentration in Integrated Marketing Communication and minor in Italian Studies. During her time at John Carroll, Grace obtained an internship with the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) as a Data and Research intern. After applying for the Events Intern position and stepping into this role the following year, Grace found her passion for event planning. She moved on to Sapphire Creek Winery & Gardens and worked alongside the Event Manager as an Event Coordinator Intern. She worked over thirty weddings throughout the 2023 season and fell in love with the wedding event planning industry. Following the conclusion of her internship at Sapphire Creek, Grace was promoted to Wedding Manager at Orchid House. Grace’s attention to detail and dedication to working with others shines through in her role on the Orchid House Winery team.
Contact Grace at grace.porco@orchidhousewinery.com to schedule a tour of our exquisite venue for your dream wedding!
Finance Manager
Julianne Junglas
Julianne graduated from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in 2017 where she specialized in Operations Management. Julianne went on to accept a position at The Ohio State College of Optometry, where she analyzed statistics for a research study. After two years, she wanted more direct experience with patients and became an Optometric Technician where she acquired guest service, leadership skills and her close attention to detail. In 2019, Julianne married her husband Alexander and in 2021 they moved back home to Bainbridge.
Contact Julianne at Julianne.Junglas@orchidhousewinery.com.
General Manager
RICK BENNETT IV
Chef Rick is a Ravenna, Ohio native who began his culinary career at 14 years old when he started washing dishes at “Cipriano’s” at the Windmill Lakes Golf Course. He graduated from Ravenna High School a year early to join the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted man. After leaving the Marine Corps, he attended Kent State University for applied mathematics/probability and statistics before deciding to take a different path. He attended Northeast Ohio Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, he moved to Baltimore where he worked at Oceanaire Seafood Room training under Ben Erjavec. He returned to Ohio to work for Brandt Evans at Blue Canyon in Twinsburg. He then made the move to Cleveland where he worked at Lola Bistro under Michael Symon and Derek Clayton. He also credits his success to three-time James Beard Award semifinalist (pastry) Cory Barrett.
Contact Rick at Rick.Bennett@orchidhousewinery.com.
President/Owner
KATHLEEN BIRKEL DANGELO
Kathleen received her Bachelors of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, from The University of Akron and her Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude, from Cleveland State University, John Marshall School of Law. In addition to practicing law, Kathleen worked with her late husband, Andy, to develop The Ohio Valley Group, Inc. one of northeast Ohio’s premier landscape design/build companies. Kathleen was able to combine her legal and business acumen, developed from years of practicing law and managing The Ohio Valley Group, and her love of travel and architectural spaces to create The Orchid House Winery embodies modern aesthetics, coupled with a warm and inviting atmosphere, outstanding gardens and world class wine and food. Orchid House truly brings the Napa experience to northeast Ohio.
Contact Kathleen at Kathleen.Dangelo@orchidhousewinery.com.
Assistant General Manager
DAWN CORSO
Dawn brings over years of industry experience to The Orchid House Winery. Dawn has an extensive background in wine and brings this passion to her role at Orchid House. Dawn’s wide-ranging experience in all aspects of hospitality makes her uniquely suited to ensure Orchid House’s guests’ experience exceeds their expectations.
Contact Dawn at Dawn.Corso@orchidhousewinery.com.
General Manager
Jennifer Conley
Bio Coming Soon