Meet the Goen South DMC Team!

Whether you’re planning an event or conference for 20 or 20,000, the Goen South DMC team has your back. Our team of skilled event professionals and DMCPs will be there for you every step of the way, from the first phone call to long after the last guest has left. With years of event planning experience, our team us made up of expert problem-solvers who are prepared for anything. We've seen it all, and we take our jobs seriously, not ourselves! (As you can see in our blooper reel) With team members located in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston, the Goen South DMC team is ready to show you the best that Texas has to offer.

The Goen South Team at Work & Play!

The GS Team

GS Paintball

Antonian Awards

Terry Goen | Founder & Owner

Terry, along with her husband Morris, founded Goen South over 20 years ago. Terry is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, and has her MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Though she has been involved in Goen South’s growth since the start, Terry left her position as Head of Microbiology for the State Hospital in San Antonio in 2001 to focus on Goen South full time. With two young children, the challenges of owning and operating a small business were tough, but entirely worth it.

Now, in addition to being the co-founder and co-owner of the company, Terry is also the Chief Financial Officer of Goen South. Along with her financial duties, Terry handles event staffing and logistics for all corporate and social events. With her knowledge, experience, and expertise, Terry takes on the duty of orienting and training new employees.

When she isn’t working, Terry loves spending time with her family. She also enjoys occasionally indulging in champagne, chocolate, and a good meal, but never misses a workout in the gym!

Morris Goen, DMCP | Founder & Owner

Morris Goen has been in the events industry for over 20 years. Born in Houston, he grew up on an isolated cattle ranch in east Texas and moved to the big city to attend the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism, Morris relocated to San Antonio for a staff photographer position with the San Antonio Express-News. He photographed presidents, popes, the Queen of England, and countless San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys games. Morris began shooting weddings for family and friends in the early 90’s, and he quickly realized that there was no one in San Antonio documenting weddings with the eye of a photojournalist.

In 1992, Morris realized there was not a company under one name that could provide all the services needed to produce a wedding, so he grew his staff by adding consultants and florists. As the business grew, so did the team. Goen South employs full-time wedding and DMC professionals, with a DMC business that has grown exponentially in the past three years.

Today, Morris is a certified DMCP and works with corporate and social clients, but he sometimes hearkens back to his early days as an event photographer and shoots some events. In his off time, Morris likes to spend time with his kids and travel with his family.

Carlos Araiza | Vice President of Creative Design

As Creative Director, Carlos utilizes his knack for design and knowledge of logistics to bring all aspects of an event to life. Carlos excels at planning the details of his events, from exquisite floral and one of a kind décor to unique entertainment and stunning lighting designs. His goal is to always understand clients’ vision and goals to produce an event that is truly their own—with an enjoyable experience along the way. Carlos’ designs have been awarded on national levels and continue to impress.

Raised here in San Antonio Texas, Carlos attended the University of Texas at San Antonio where he studied Business Management and Public Relations. To date he has over 9 years of experience in the industry. Before joining the Goen South team in 2012, Carlos worked with the Walt Disney Corporation and as the Events/Catering Director for an exclusive country club in the Hill Country.

On his time off Carlos can be found enjoying all that San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country has to offer, from kayaking the Guadalupe River with his two huskies to wining and dining at his favorite restaurant, Paesanos.

Tanya Schilling | Director of Operations

Tanya is the Event Operations Director for Goen South, focusing on the administrative coordination between the Sales staff and the Event Staff for all events. Her efforts make the transition from planning to event execution seamless for our clients. A newly retired Army officer, she discovered her love of event planning in the course of her duties which included planning training seminars and international relationship building events. Tanya loves working with people to create beautiful events. Though the Army brought her here, she has adopted Texas as her home state and takes every opportunity to explore the natural beauty with her husband, son, and two Australian Shepherds.

Erik Leifur | Director of Field Operations

Erik started working for Goen South his senior year of high school. He spent three years working for the company before deciding to join the military. After serving our country in the First Infantry Division of the Army for three years, Erik rejoined Goen as the Director of Field Operations. His organizational skills and vast experience in logistics help ensure that events are set-up on time, every time. In his free time, Erik enjoys fishing, kayaking and traveling. He also loves cheering on the five-time NBA Championship San Antonio Spurs.

Allison Park | Sales Manager

While becoming a part of the dynamic Goen South team in 2017, Allison's passion has led the way on a life long journey in food and culture. This includes a distinguished education at Texas Tech University in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management. Shared values in working hard and doing the right thing helps her enact creative thinking and commitment in business every day. The most rewarding part of Event Service Management to Allison is going through the entire experience with the client, step by step, to see the celebration and satisfaction come to fruition and last a lifetime. Outside of the office Allison leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit of the next adventure. This San Antonio native has spent much of her life visiting and living in diverse communities around the globe, but always brings them back home adding a Texas flare.