Meet the Catering Team

Desiree Tapping

DIRECTOR OF CATERING

Desiree was born and raised right here in Conroe, Texas. After high school, Desiree moved to the big city of Houston to attend the University of Houston College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Conrad N. Hilton College, where she received a bachelors degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Desiree then went on to have a successful career with Omni Hotels for 13 years, where she specialized in Marketing, PR and Catering Sales. She had always dreamed of returning to her hometown one day, and hoped the right hospitality job would come along with it. Desiree always believed that the lake is what truly makes Conroe so special, so when the opportunity came along to become the Director of Catering at the very first Margaritaville Resort in Texas on Lake Conroe, she was beyond excited and thrilled. It has truly been this little girl’s dream come true to be back in her hometown, on beautiful Lake Conroe!

Caitlin Bracewell

CATERING SALES MANAGER

A true Texan, Caitlin joins the Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe team with a breadth of event and hospitality experience from catering to coordinating. Upon graduating with a Bachelors in Business and Marketing from Sam Houston State University, Caitlin pursued a career in some of Texas’ most acclaimed hotels, including the beautiful Hotel Contessa on the San Antonio River Walk.

Caitlin is dedicated to serving her clients with true Southern Hospitality and considers her “North Star” the Texas State Motto: “friendliness”. Her goal is to leave each person with a happy heart, warm smile, and an AMAZING meal!

Samantha Smullen

CATERING SALES MANAGER

Samantha Smullen was born and raised in New Braunfels, Texas—proud home of the New Braunfels Unicorns. She began her career in hospitality on the events teams of the two largest restaurants in the state of Texas before moving to Conroe in 2023. Samantha joined the Margaritaville Lake Resort family as an intern and, through her dedication and hard work, has since earned four promotions. “Sam,” graduated from Texas State University in 2024 and now serves as Catering Sales Manager, specializing in weddings and corporate events. 
Outside of work, Samantha enjoys being on the water, whether it’s the river or the beach, and loves spending time with her two fur babies, Benny and Blitz. She is also newly married to her high school sweetheart of seven years.