Our Story
Question
Our Story
Answer
Jeff’s journey at Cornell University began during his freshman year, where he met Sam Strang in the Donlon dorms. The two quickly became friends, and during Freshman Parents Weekend, Jeff’s parents, Gail and Pete, unknowingly crossed paths with Sam’s parents, Dave and Marilee. Although Sam and Jeff joined different fraternities, their friendship remained, and they stayed connected. A year later, Josie arrived at Cornell, known simply as Sam’s younger sister. Despite being part of Delta Gamma, a sorority that frequently mixed with Jeff’s fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, Josie and Jeff didn’t truly cross paths. Though they found themselves in similar social circles and sharing one Real Estate Finance course in the Hotel School, fate had other plans. It wasn’t until Josie took a job at Davidson Hospitality Group in Atlanta, Georgia—where Jeff had been working for a year—that their paths aligned. With Josie’s desk conveniently located in front of Jeff’s, the two naturally struck up a friendship. So much so, in fact, that their colleagues suspected there might be a secret romance before anything had even happened. A year and a half later, Jeff finally decided to take the hint. He invited Josie to a colleague’s wedding in Charleston, marking their first official date at The Darling Oyster Bar on a Friday night in October 2019. Upon their return to work, they kept their budding relationship quiet; and over the next three years, they continued to date discreetly. In fact, Plamondon family photos always included two versions—one with Josie and one without—so Gail could share updates on Facebook.
Question
...
Answer
In 2023, Jeff took a position with Plamondon Hospitality Partners, and Josie followed him to Washington DC, where she now works remotely for Davidson (with plenty of travel in between). The "secret" relationship was finally revealed! On April 19, 2024, Jeff decided to pop the question and ask Josie to marry him. Although he could not pull Josie away from her desk on a Friday evening, she reluctantly went to meet friends for a drink. When they detoured to the Jefferson Memorial, Jeff had a photographer waiting to capture the special moment when he got down on one knee. Afterwards, the two walked to Josie's favorite DC restaurant Officina at The Wharf, where Jeff and Josie's families were waiting to celebrate. Jeff and Josie now live together in Adams Morgan with their yellow lab, Rocky. Next summer, they’ll be tying the knot back in Josie's childhood backyard in Cleveland. Once they get tired of city life, they will eventually be making the move to the suburbs of Maryland, ready for their next chapter together.
