In San Diego’s thriving visitor industry, the best and the brightest tend to gravitate to the San Diego Convention Center. Four years ago Lisa C. DaSilva landed the job as catering sales manager with Volume Services America, the center’s exclusive food service provider.

Flash forward four years and DaSilva, 38, gets a serious promotion to director of catering, just in time for the opening of an expanded center that has doubled in size. In her new position, she supervises two senior catering sales managers, three catering coordinators and two administrative assistants.

When not at work, DaSilva is a volunteer who helps grant wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She also sits on the board of the Lupus Foundation of San Diego/Imperial County, an organization that raises awareness and money toward a cure for the autoimmune disease. DaSilva was diagnosed with Lupus four years ago, and through a combination of traditional and nontraditional treatments now is in remission. “I help plan the foundation’s fund-raising events, which I’m very passionate about,” she says.

A native of Point Loma, DaSilva’s children, Michael, 15, and Leah, 13, go to the same schools she did. “They’re great children; I spend the majority of my free time with them.”

Knowing a client was behind the 40 Under Forty nomination has great meaning to DaSilva, a perfectionist who holds high expectations for herself and her staff. “I was so honored to be nominated by a client and have her feel the quality of my work was worthy of this award,” DaSilva says. “To actually receive the award was phenomenal for me.”

— Lora Watters