Volunteer of the Month: Remembering Michael Pierce

March 26, 2026

Foodwise depends on the generosity of volunteers to support our mission in so many ways. Recently, we lost a longtime volunteer and beloved member of our community, Michael Pierce.

Starting in 2010, Mike served on our Events Committee, as a core contributor in the planning of annual fundraising events like our Summer Bash and Sunday Supper. Overseeing the wine pairings, he leveraged his connections to source local, sustainable vintages to complement the farmers market driven menu. And he was always there on the big night to pour wines himself, charming guests and keeping spirits high. 

“I’m a wine and food pairing freak of nature. I can’t eat anything without contemplating what wine would go with it,” he said in an interview about Sunday Supper in 2012. His deep knowledge of wine combined with a genuine passion for people made him an invaluable part of our team and the Bay Area hospitality community.

Mike’s life was tragically cut short on February 21, 2026, leaving behind his wife and two daughters, and many friends. We are so grateful for all the ways he shared his gifts with Foodwise, and we want to share a few reflections with you about what we loved about working with Mike.

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Volunteers at Foodwise are not just bodies to fill a task. They are a vital part of our community, who bring so much experience and care to our team and our work. 

Mike Pierce joined our Events Committee to help source and pair the wines for our Sunday Supper gala back in 2010, when the restaurant he co-owned, Maverick, was preparing one of the dishes. He stayed with us in that key volunteer position, no matter where he worked and what was happening in his life, for 15 years. He died at age 52 in a skiing accident in February, and we have been reflecting on all that he gave us. 

Mike would arrive at the Foodwise office, with a longboard tucked under his arm, wearing a very brightly patterned button-down, short-sleeve shirt, loudly coloured pants, and mischievous twinkle in his eye, and he would proceed to say something irreverent or sarcastic right off the bat. 

He always held a game-day attitude that reflected a rare combination in a volunteer: We were about to put on the most amazing dinner with the city’s top chefs, but we shouldn’t take it too seriously. We should have fun while meeting our guests’ needs. We should be prepared to share knowledge about the dishes and wine, but always remember that teasing and flirting with patrons is part of what makes it a great night.

As someone who helped produce fundraisers for almost two decades, this insistent reminder that we were really there to create joy was needed. My stress would ease when I’d see Mike, and I would know our planning team and the guests were in good hands with him there.

He made the events more professional, yes. But mostly make them hell of a lot more fun. His gut knowledge of how to pair wines with the very diverse menus was unparalleled. His institutional memory is impossible to replace. But his friendship and care, and his unwillingness to be superficial, are the parts that I’m going to miss the most.

—Christine Farren, Executive Director, Foodwise

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Mike was always there, and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s gone. He had such a great, dry sense of humor, and I could always count on him for a bit of sarcastic commentary and a laugh, especially when we were fixing hairy situations on the fly. He moved fast, and you never had to worry that he’d make things happen. He was someone you could count on. He always took my call, no matter if he was busy with work or on vacation with his family. He made the time for people. 

I first met him at the restaurant he opened with Chef Scott Youkilis, Maverick, where I celebrated so many special occasions. I was so happy to continue our relationship by working with him on the events committee. He was a real presence in the community: funny, grounded, completely himself, and always steady when it mattered.

He meant so much to all of us, and he will be deeply missed.

—Sarah Henkin, Events Curation & Logistics, Foodwise

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Mike and I worked together for several years before opening Maverick in 2005. We were business partners until the tragic kitchen fire in 2013, and close friends long after, up until his fatal accident. 

When I think back on our time together, what stands out most are the moments when we were at our best, creating experiences. Southern Fried Night, New Year’s Eve dinners, one-off events where everything clicked. We loved building menus, hosting people, and creating something that felt bigger than just a meal.

Wine pairing was Mike’s domain, and like everything he touched, he took it further than anyone else. Tasting wine with Mike was nothing like what people expect. No quiet rooms or hushed tones. It was loud, indie rock, hip-hop, reggae, whatever matched the mood, turned all the way up. He was always in motion, tasting, jumping up to answer the phone, talking to the staff, cracking inappropriate jokes, sometimes even chatting with people out on the street. It was chaos, but somehow, in the middle of all of it, his ability to identify varietals and lock in perfect pairings was unreal. Mike didn’t just approach wine differently, he approached everything that way. He truly lived up to the name Maverick.

He had this rare ability to make people feel like regulars, even on their first visit. He remembered names, what you ordered last time, what you liked to drink. His energy in the dining room was chaotic and magnetic at the same time. It wasn’t polished, it was real, and people loved him for it.

In the years after Maverick closed, Mike continued to bring that same energy to Foodwise events, especially Sunday Supper. Where others might have struggled coordinating chefs and wineries, Mike made it feel effortless. He didn’t just present pairings, he told stories. About the wine, the people behind it, and why it mattered. Guests didn’t just taste the experience, they understood it.

He always looked the part too. Patterned shirt, colorful tie, wool jacket. Completely and unmistakably Mike.

Mike will be missed. But more than that, he changed how people experienced wine, and how they experienced each other around a table.

—Scott Youkilis, Chef and Restaurateur

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Every time we arrived at Summer Bash or Sunday Supper, we started our search for one of our favorite people… Mike! He always gave Todd and me a bear hug and then gave us the inside scoop on the wine.

Mike always came over to Todd and me during Sunday Supper to get our feedback on the wine pairings. I recall one Sunday Supper when he poured Todd a glass of wine, and Todd privately told me he thought the wine was corked, but he wasn’t sure if he should tell Mike. Twenty minutes later, Mike came flying back to the table, looked at Todd, and said “Why didn’t you tell me the wine was corked?!” Apparently another table complained about the bottle! Todd sheepishly admitted that he knew it was corked. It became a running joke at future Sunday Suppers.

—Marie Trimble Holvick, Foodwise Board of Directors

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It was an honor to get to work with Mike on events for so many years. He had such a wry wit and unique sense of humor, and he never failed to make me laugh, even in stressful moments. Event days are long and exhausting work, but Mike didn’t make it feel that way. It’s hard to even imagine doing the Sunday Supper this year without him, but I know he would want us to carry on, and I hope we all can remember to channel his spirit and his ability to roll with the punches this year and for many more to come. Mike Pierce was one of a kind and he will be truly missed.

—Lulu Meyer, Director of Operations, Foodwise

Topics: Volunteers and Interns