Jerry Edson
Jerry grew up in Port Huron, graduating from Port Huron high school. He came back to Port Huron after college and law school and practiced law in the area until 1998, when he turned his practice over to his law partner and devoted full time to completing the restoration of the Raven building and the building of the Café, which opened December 2, 2002. In years past he was also very active in the Port Huron Civic Theatre. The Raven represents a kind of throw-back to his days in Ann Arbor while at U of M, where many a spirited conversation took place in the confines of a coffee-house or café or the basement of the Michigan Union. The Raven is an attempt to create an intellectual – cultural – artistic – musical atmosphere here where people so inclined can nourish the mind and spirit as well as the body – in an interesting and stimulating environment. “A little piece of Greenwich Village in the heart of Port Huron”
Brenda
Brenda both grew up and went to high school in Imlay City, graduating only to head off to SC4. She loves watching hockey, football and baseball, listening to music and going to concerts. Until recently she owned and operated her own flower shop (Wayne’s Flowers) in Fort Gratiot. Currently she is a barista at the Raven. ~September 2008
Amanda
Amanda has worked at the Raven as a server and barista since May of 2006 and also fills the position of bar manager on the weekends. Before that she had extensive expiriance at the HAC and Quay Street Brewery in Port Huron and attended CMU, concentrating in fashion design, apparel merchandising and marketing. She hopes to continue her education at F.I.T. in New York City. Amanda has always loved cutomer service and has great natural social ability, which so many Raven customers enjoy in their visits with her. She also has musical talent and sings with bands called "Tumblehome" and "Pixie Dix" when the group can get together. She lives in Port Huron with her partner with a wedding planned for the coming year and maintains a close relationship with her family who also live in the area. ~August, 2008
Justin
Justin Hill, formerly from Ann Arbor, Michigan has been working at the Raven Café since March of ‘2004. He started off his work at the Raven Café on the sandwich line; within one and a half years he worked his way into management of the kitchen. Justin has been ServSafe certified and he has been certified in business management/accounting and cost control.
Justin is currently attending school at AXIA College at the University of Phoenix (Online classes) for specialized degrees in web design, networking and internet/pc security. Between work and school, Justin enjoys spending time with his family. He enjoys meeting new people, cooking, information technology, friends, the occasional video game, learning new things and of course coffee.
You can see Justin every morning from 7:30 am – 3:00 pm, Please feel free to let him know what you thought of your meal and anything that he can do to improve your dining experience. Comments are more than welcome. ~September, 2008
Gail
Gail graduated from Port Huron High School and grew up in Port Huron. After high school, she took some college classes and has also taken accounting classes. She participates in her church as an Elder, a Youth Group Leader and choir member. She loves being outdoors and gardening. In the winter she likes bowling and also enjoys traveling. She has been married for 26 years and has three children. One son is married another is living at home and working. Her daughter is in the tenth grade. Gail is the Raven’s bookkeeper and office person. ~September, 2008
Nick
Nick grew up in Croswell and went to Croswell-Lexington high school after which he attended the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago for a year of culinary management and hopes to someday open his own restaurant. He played soccer in high school and currently enjoys learning how to play the guitar. ~September, 2008
Carol Mason
Carol has been a server at the Raven for the past year and a half. She brings a great diversity of work experience to the Raven in addition to a number of years in the restaurant business, including seven or eight years in retail management and a couple of years in real estate sales, and she completed several years at St. Clair County Community College in journalism and business courses. Married and a full time mom (Husband, Sean, and son, Devin, 12), she also spends time with the care of other family members, and waiting on her cat, "Bug." What she likes most about the Raven is its unique decor and "ambiance" and the very diverse customers she has the opportunity to serve. She loves to read when the time permits. ~September 2008
Mike "Digger" Martin
Mike went to Celina Senior High in Ohio. After high school he went into the army and he now hopes to be able to open a museum or craft shop. He participates in several activities including art, music, martial arts, collecting artifacts, hunting and gathering. He is especially interested in Native American artifacts and displays them at schools, colleges and museums. He teaches survival, native crafts and culture and sells Native American crafts. Mike is on the Raven kitchen staff. ~September, 2008
Alana
Alana Kai went to Port Huron High but was also home schooled during her high school years. She will be attending cosmetology school in the near future. She played the flute for seven years and is also interested in rollerblading, skateboarding and climbing any tree she can get at. Eventually she would like to become a personal trainer. Alana is a Raven server. ~September, 2008
Natalie C.
Natalie has primarily been a barista at the Raven for the past year and a half, but also acts as a server and is responsible for booking the live music at the Raven Wednesday through Saturdays (local musicians interested in playing Wednesdays or Thursdays-email Natalie at info@ravencafeph.com with some tracks). She has also worked since January at the Literarium Bookstore at the Range Road Outlet Mall. She graduated from Port Huron Northern last June, having also taken SC4 college classes and now has five semesters completed and will be transferring to Wayne State this fall. Natalie is a very active and talented woman of many interests, including drawing/painting, collage, writing, collecting and listening to all kinds of music, reading, films, recycling, watching "Lost" and being with her boyfriend, Nate. She envisions joining the Peace Corps after graduating from Wayne State and pursuing humanitarian work, artistic goals and travel. Natalie has come to find the Raven to be her "second home" and will greatly miss her customers and the Raven staff-and we will all miss her and wish her well as she ventures out in life. ~September, 2008
Mary
Mary grew up in Peck and went to Peck High School. She plans to attend Baker College in the fall and hopes to eventually become a high school teacher. In school, she participated in the National Honor Society and was the captain of the volleyball team, which she still enjoys playing. More recently, she has developed an interest in tennis. Mary is currently one of our servers. ~September, 2008
Louis
Louis grew up in Port Huron and went to Northern where he was on the track team as a runner and high jumper. He then spent two years attending community college (one year at SC4, one at OCC in Royal Oak) and now plans to continue working with the public and trying to live each day as if it were his last. He also enjoys playing Texas Hold ‘em. Louis is our front-of-the-house manager. ~December, 2008
Sadaat
The Distinguished Sadaat Hussain, Esq. grew up in Port Huron and attended Port Huron High. He went on to get a bachelor’s degree in sound engineering/music technology at Wayne State and is currently working on his master’s in computer science. He has been interested in music since high school and played in Port Huron High’s jazz band as well as rock bands. Currently he plays the electric guitar in the band Pixie Dixx and moonlights as a solo pianist/lounge singer under the name “Yukon Cornelius.” He also has an extensive background in the culinary arts and restaurant operations, having worked as a chef and in other capacities in several Detroit eateries. Sadaat is working as a server and bartender at the Raven and plans on “conquering the world as soon as the laundry gets starched and folded”
