Award DESCRIPTIONS
Director of Dining Services of the Year Award
This award recognizes a dining services director who has exhibited exceptional leadership and management proficiency and has enhanced their community’s dining program through a recent, noteworthy achievement.
Who can be nominated?
- Current SDA member in good standing
- Currently acts as Director or Chef/Director and is assigned to one community.
- Self nominations are not accepted!
Individuals may be nominated by peers, staff, colleagues, or supervisors for this award.
Executive Chef of the Year Award
This award recognizes an executive chef who has displayed passionate and dynamic leadership, exceptional management proficiency, and demonstrated successful planning and execution within their dining program at a community.
Who can be nominated?
- Current SDA member in good standing
- Currently acts as executive chef, chef, head cook and is assigned to one community.
- Self nominations are not accepted!
Individuals may be nominated by peers, staff, colleagues, or supervisors for this award.
The Chef Divakar Raju Memorial Award - Corporate Dining Executive of the Year Award
This award recognizes a corporate dining executive whose loyalty, dedication, and enthusiasm brought positive change to their organization’s dining program.
Who can be nominated?
- Current SDA member in good standing
- Currently acts as VP of Dining Service, Corporate/Regional Chef, Director or Dietitian and is assigned to multiple communities.
- Self nominations are not accepted!
Individuals may be nominated by peers, staff, colleagues, or supervisors for this award.
Senior Dining Dietitian of the Year Award
This award recognizes a community based or corporate dietitian who has successfully implemented an outstanding nutrition and wellness program and/or delivery methods to enhance the health and physical conditions of a community and their residents and guests.
Who can be nominated?
- Current SDA member in good standing
- Currently acts as VP of Dining Service, Corporate/Regional Chef, Director or Dietitian and is assigned to multiple communities.
- Self nominations are not accepted!
Individuals may be nominated by peers, staff, colleagues, or supervisors for this award.
Community Excellence in Operations Award
This award is granted to a community or organization that exhibits innovation and excellence in at least one of the following categories:
Communities and organizations may apply for multiple awards.
- Special Event / Experience: Submit your inspiring events that make you a stand out
- Sales Event / Experience: Dining plays such an important role in the community sales process and grand opening events.
- Best New Menu Concept: Showcase your culinary works of art.
- Modified Meal Program: Highlight your transformative, textured, modified food or finger foods.
- Innovation: Flaunt what makes you a unique trend-setter.
Humanitarian Award
The Humanitarian Award is given to an individual or staff who has given back to their greater community by addressing an existing or emergent need through their dining program. This award celebrates response to the needs of others for the betterment of something greater than themselves.
Rules & Eligibility
Award submissions are due by February 28, 2022.
1. Nominations are open to all SDA members in good standing. Entries must be designed and produced by the member/organization entering the contest. Self-nominations are not accepted for Director of Dining Services Award, Executive Chef of the Year Award, Senior Dining Dietitian Award, and Corporate Dining Executive of the Year Award.
2. Entries of organization-wide promotions/menus/concepts that are for use at multiple locations, must be submitted by the organization’s corporate office.
3. All applications must be received by February 28, 2022. Applications not received by the deadline will be disqualified and will not be judged.
4. Activities must have occurred between January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 to be considered. Entries for events outside of this period will not be judged.
5. The SDA staff will review all entries for accuracy. The SDA reserves the right to dismiss entries if deemed inappropriate.
6. All applications must be completed entirely before submitting. Partially completed applications will not be included in judging.
7. All copyrighted or trademarked materials must obtain written permission from owner to use in any awards application.
8. By submitting an award application, permission is given to the Senior Dining Association (SDA) to publish and/or use this material in promotions, marketing, or other ways as determined by the SDA.
Questions?
Please contact the SDA at 980-434-1114 or send an email to info@seniordining.org
2020 Director of Dining of the Year
SDA chose Lara Irwin, Director of Dining for the Center of Excellence, Commonwealth Senior Living (CSL), as Director of Dining of the Year. As her nominators, Bob Raymond, Vice President of Dining and Procurement Services, and Jennifer Vidovich, Procurement Specialist, explained, Commonwealth had a turnover rate of +75% prior to opening the Center of Excellence (COE) in 03/2018.
Lara was instrumental in the improvements needed to adapt all the COE guidelines, teachings and CSL standards into their flagship community. This resulted in reducing CSL’s organizational turnover from 75+% to below 13% annually. Lara's commitment to train, educate and be a leader among all Dining Services Directors (DSDs) at CSL has had a great impact on the residents, communities, and their organization.
“Lara goes above and beyond to ensure residents and staff are taken care of,” her nominator said. “She always does what’s right to ensure a positive dining experience for all.”
2020 Corporate Dining Executive of the Year
SDA chose the first-ever Canadian, Chef Divakar Raju, Corporate Manager of Culinary Services at Delmanor in Canada, as Corporate Dining Executive of the Year.
According to Chef Divakar’s nominator, Michelle White, General Manager at Delmanor Elgin Mills, his involvement in the Delmanor Community expands the walls of the 5 residences. “Chef D inspires everyone with his work to be a leader in the industry, mentor his staff, and pay it forward to meaningful charitable organizations,” Michelle said.
He and his team have worked to increase satisfaction scores of Delmanor residents in terms of meal presentation, dining room atmosphere, nutritional balance, timeliness, and variety.
“Through Chef D’s seamless ability to connect with a variety of people, he can bring everyone together, enabling them to reach goals,” Michelle said. “His energy, innovation, and ability to continuously find new ways to collaborate with his team, residents of the Delmanor communities, and the world around him truly set him apart.”
2020 Executive Chef of the Year
Chef Steven McCracken, Executive Chef for Edgewater at Boca Pointe, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, was named SDA’s Executive Chef of the Year.
“Whether it is education, food, or the latest equipment, Chef Steven is always there for his team,” his nominator, Jonathan Pinsker, Regional Director of Culinary and Nutritional Services, said. “He gives his staff the tools they need to be able to prepare 700 meals a day.”
Chef Steven makes the residents feel at home by changing up the café to offer many of the foods their residents like. “What separates Chef Steven is his commitment to the residents,” Jonathan added. “Not only does he make sure he is out in the dining room on a daily basis, but he spends time with the residents in assisted and skilled dining rooms to ensure the culinary department is delivering exactly what our residents expect.”
2020 Community Excellence in Operations Award – Innovation Category
SDA presented Henry Ford Village (located in Dearborn, Michigan) with the
Community Excellence in Operations Award (Innovations) for its Farm to Door Produce program. Originator Kamel Elkadri, Director of Dining Services, accepted the award on behalf of the community last week.
Through Farm to Door, residents can order and have fresh produce delivered directly to their door. This service was spun off from a Farmer’s Market (also kicked off last year) as a way to provide fresh produce to all residents, including those with limited mobility.
“Some residents have mobility restrictions and can’t easily drive to the grocery store,” Kamel said. “Residents who don’t like to get out and drive in the snow or ice can now have their orders delivered.”
The Farm to Door program has given their residents a sense of independence and immense gratefulness and joy because of the convenience.
2020 Community Excellence in Operations Award – Special Events Category
The Community Excellence in Operations Award (Special Events) was presented to Acts Retirement-Life Communities for its Pop-Up Restaurant Series. Jonathan Pinsker, Regional Director of Culinary and Nutritional Services, accepted the award on behalf of Acts last week.
The Pop-Up Restaurant Series was developed as a way to create variety, unique meal experiences, socialization, fun, and to make residents feel at home. “How can we expect our residents to eat at the same venue day after day?” Jonathan asked. “The Pop-Ups allows residents to dine in a separate venue offering a distinct menu.”
Concepts such as Ray’s Famous Pizza, Carnegie Deli, Asian Bowl, and Pastabilities have offered residents a sense of “like home” menu options and unique experiences with fellow residents. Reservation spots fill up quickly due to its popularity among residents.
“The Pop-Ups couldn’t have been possible without a team approach,” Jonathan said. “All staff helped to make the program such a success among our residents.”
