Denise Simard
Program Coordinator

I'm Denise Simard, and I live and lurk in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland with my family and rakishly handsome dog. Born and raised in the Boston area, I've made my home in Berkeley and Oakland since the late 1990s. I've been an event planner, executive assistant, college instructor and bookseller: which means I understand people, and no request is too outlandish. I pride myself in knowing my audience: I'm not going to bring my dad to Chez Panisse: he's more of an In-N-Out guy. This extends to my clients, too: if you're not going to be happy, it's not worth the effort. So whether you're looking for a magician for a birthday party or a weekly housecleaner, my goal is to find you what you want, when you want it, and have it suit you perfectly, allowing you the luxury of living your life uninterrupted.

I launched Leave it to Dee because when I went back to work after the birth of my daughter, I was overwhelmed and increasingly stressed; errands seemed to suck up my evenings and weekends. Do I take my daughter to story time, then rush to the farmer's market before her nap and risk a breakdown? If I sorted the piles of outgrown baby clothes while she napped–instead of prepping for dinner– I could just send my husband to pick up some Chinese. Right?

I also realized some of the happiest work of my life has been spent satisfying the needs of others: introducing a student to an author I knew they'd identify with; pulling off an employee holiday party for 100 with limited funds; finding the perfect restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.

It's your event and I want to allow your personality to flow through it. My goal is to match your wants and needs with the local merchants, artists and food spots as best as I'm able.

I'm a voracious reader, eater, and admirer of the Berkeley and Oakland artisan scene. I love the handmade, the slow-churned, the quirky. I'm the sort of person who'll drive thirty miles to a breakfast joint because I've heard they make their pancakes with flour they mill themselves. The little things make the difference to me. Anyone can buy a gift for you; I want to buy the one that screams you.

And nobody has to know you left it to Dee.