John D. Crisafulli, President,
Behind The Scenes, Inc.
John began his career working with a small catering company in San Diego at the age of 15. He learned his craft initially as a server at special events and eventually as a prep chef working in the back of the house at various functions. This taste of the hospitality industry tempted the palate of this young man.
After attending Boston University, and then graduating from San Diego State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree, concentrated in Finance, he immediately began working as an assistant to the Vice President of University Relations at SDSU. His responsibilities included planning and logistics for all campus-wide special events, maintenance of University donor groups, and various roles within the Alumni Association.
In 1992, while working with the SDSU University Relations office, John and his sister, Teresa Villa, bought the hospitality company he originally worked for during his high school years. The company was renamed Behind the Scenes Catering and Event Management (BTS). The company specialized in backstage catering for concerts in the San Diego area. The company took wings and grew to include venues and events in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside.
In 1995, BTS catered for the International Broadcast Compound at the America’s Cup Sailing regatta. This sporting event opened up many doors for the company, including the responsibility of catering for all of the major broadcast and cable networks at the 1996 Republican National Convention.
Since that time, under John’s direction, BTS has become a worldwide catering and events company. The company is based in San Diego but serves major events worldwide. BTS has catered events including the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia; the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the ESPN X Games; The ESPN Great Outdoor Games; the Democratic and Republican National Conventions; and many other events. BTS continues to be in great demand by corporate clients and major event organizers throughout San Diego and the world.
Global sucess for BTS most recently came as John returned from Torino, Italy after caterting at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, which came on the heels of his work at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece. John is now preparing the logistics for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China,
In addition to the day-to-day management of BTS, John participates in many community events and charity organizations. After the passing of his sister Teresa from breast cancer, John remains a steadfast supporter of City of Hope Cancer Center. In addition, BTS lends its support to local AIDS charities and many community based children’s charities. To this day, John still maintains his culinary passion - you will often find him in the kitchen perfecting every detail of his clients events.
John lives in La Mesa, just outside San Diego, California with his wife, Jennifer, and is the proud father of twin girls, Jacqueline and Sheridan. In his free time, between traveling around the globe to event sites, he enjoys snow skiing, sailing, cooking, and leisure traveling.