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National Awards Program

2026 National Award Winners

We are thrilled and honored to announce our 2026 National Award Winners. Learn more about them below under the description of each award in the dropdowns. 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

Dr. Veronica McLymont
Retired

Making a Difference Award

John Herzog
Director of Business Development | DM&A 

Exemplary Leadership Award

Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND
System Vice President, Food & Nutrition Services | CommonSpirit Health

Impact & Innovation Award

Danelle Osborne, MBA
Operations Manager, Foodservice | Geisinger Health

Future Horizon Award

Haley Linders, MS, RD, LMNT
Director of Nutrition Services & Wellness| Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center

Partnership in Leadership

Terri Hill
Central Region Director of Food & Nutrition Services| CommonSpirit Health 

Tim Bricker
President, Central Region| CommonSpirit Health

Presidential Service Awards

Regina Feasby
Director, Food and Nutritional Services
Adams Health Network

Jeff Dover
President| fsSTRATEGY

Michael Salvatore, CEC
Senior Director, Consulting and Customer Engagement| Ruck-Shockey Associates

Special Awards
Primary Awards
Scoring Process
Retired Awards

About AHF's National Awards

AHF’s National Awards program identifies and highlights members of the AHF community and self-operated foodservice industry for their achievements. It is a prestigious honor to receive an award. AHF currently offers four primary awards, two special/discretionary awards, and limited Service Awards awarded by the AHF President to members of the larger AHF community. The criteria, winners, and details for each award are outlined below. These awards are issued by the AHF Awards Committee through a detailed scoring and review process.

  • Primary Awards: Exemplary Leadership Award, Future Horizons Award, Partnership in Leadership Award, and the Impact & Innovation Award
  • Special Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award and the Making a Difference Award

We encourage everyone to submit their great work for national recognition. This is your chance to showcase your team, your work, and your organization. You’ll never know if you will win if you don’t submit. Award winners receive free conference registration as well as a travel stipend to cover part of their travel to attend the National Conference and receive their awards. For the Partnership & Leadership Award both award winners receive support.

2026 submissions and scoring have closed. 2027 award submissions will open in January 2027.

Selection

Once you have submitted the award nomination, the awards committee will review all the submissions and select finalists using scoring criteria for each award. Members of the AHF Award Committee will then interview finalists for each award to gather additional information prior to determining the winner for each category. A finalist will then be selected for each award. You will be given an opportunity to further support what you have included in the form submission. If you have any questions about the application process or supporting documentation, please contact AHF Staff.

Recognition

Winning an AHF National Award is a high honor providing wide-scale recognition for the amazing work of our members, their organizations, and the self-operated industry. It is also a fantastic way to gain internal recognition from your administrators and facility for your department’s contributions.

  • Awards winners will be publically announced by AHF in the spring or summer each year in advance of the National Conference. Award winners are encouraged to promote their win and notify their PR departments
  • AHF will send a letter to your administrator and PR/Marketing department notifying them of your award.
    • We will offer your administrator free conference registration to attend and watch you receive your recognition.
  • Award winners will receive national recognition for themselves and their organizations.
  • AHF will produce a short video detailing the award and project and highlighting the winner.
  • AHF will release press release(s) of our awards and their winners which can be shared
  • Award winners will receive free conference registration, a travel stipend, and be awarded on the AHF mainstage. 
  • Award winners will be featured in SO Connected and may be asked to participate in educational opportunities related to their award/project. 
 
Refer A Friend!

If you know of someone doing amazing work, but don’t know all of the details to submit a full awards nomination, use our “refer a friend” form to recommend them for an award and we will reach out to them.

Questions? Contact Sarah Bennett  – sbennett@healthcarefoodservice.org

Refer A Friend

AHF Special Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is the Association’s highest honor, recognizing individuals who have made significant and enduring contributions to the field of self-operated healthcare foodservice, demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to the core values of AHF. It recognizes operator members who best exemplify the leadership and spirit of Jacques Bloch and Angelo Gagliano the founders of our legacy organizations. Those who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to AHF, the healthcare foodservice profession, their employers, the community, and the embodiment of AHF’s values.

Basic Submission Criteria

  • All entries must be submitted in a single Word document that does not exceed 4 pages.
  • Nominees must be an AHF member in good standing.
  • Only one nominee per submission is allowed. Group nominations will not be considered.
  • Nominees must have at least 20 years of documented accomplishments in the field of healthcare foodservice who have had a significant impact on numerous individuals and organizations.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Demonstrated exceptional leadership and contributions to AHF, including legacy associations.
  • Significant contributions to the advancement of healthcare foodservice practices, standards, and education.
  • Measurable impact on improving patient care, nutrition, and satisfaction through their contributions to self-operated healthcare foodservice.
  • Active involvement in community organizations, charitable endeavors, or civic initiatives.
  • Consistent embodiment of AHF’s core values: integrity, professionalism, innovation, collaboration, and dedication to excellence.
Dr. Veronica McLymont
Memorial Sloan Kettering, Retired

Dr. Veronica McLymont was awarded the 2026 AHF Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of over three decades of groundbreaking leadership, clinical innovation, and civic service. While serving as the Clinical Nutrition Manager and later Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), she spearheaded a revolutionary room-service meal delivery program built around her “3Es” philosophy (Excellent Food, Exceptional Service, Enhanced Nutrition). Her bedside research showing poor entree consumption among cancer patients led to a customized, Disney-inspired hospitality service complete with afternoon tea and pillow-speaker room service ordering. This propelled MSK’s patient meal satisfaction from the 13th percentile to a record-breaking 99th percentile. Beyond patient dining, Veronica expanded dietetic and culinary internship programs to train nearly 200 future professionals, co-founded outpatient food pantries (FOOD) for food-insecure cancer patients, was among the first to pilot the national Nutrition Care Process (NCP) model and introduced cafeteria hydroponic gardens. Outside the healthcare setting, she actively fights community hunger with Riverdale Neighborhood House and God’s Love We Deliver, and she successfully led local civic efforts to secure a replacement supermarket for her neighborhood.

Throughout her career, Veronica has maintained a deep, highly active commitment to AHF and its local chapters. She has been a core member of the AHF New York Chapter (AHF-NY), serving as its President from 2016 to 2018 and continuing her dedicated leadership as a current Board Member. On the national level, she has contributed to AHF on multiple committee’s, regularly authors articles for S.O. Connected, served as a National Conference speaker, served as a webinar speaker, and so much more. She has been recognized by AHF over the years with honors such as AHF’s Exemplary Leadership Award in 2016.  

Her work was recognized when she was named one of the 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business, Network Journal 2011; Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice and Hospitality, Total Foodservice Magazine, 2018; Gold Star, NYCDOH, 2014; Circle of Excellence, Practice Green Health for Top 10 Nation-wide Performance, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2020; Isabelle A. Hallahan Award for Excellence in Foodservice Management, New York State Dietetic Association, 2013; Excellence in Management Practice, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,2025; Exemplary Leadership, AHF, 2016; The Healing Power of Foodservice, Who’s Who, Hospitality News Magazine, 2022.

Making A Difference Award

The Making a Difference Award is given annually to an AHF Business Partner member or Media member and given in honor of John Cabot and is the association’s top award for both business partners and media, and it is presented to someone who has made significant contributions to AHF in the tradition of selfless industry leadership. This award is coordinated by the IAB Chair in partnership with the AHF President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, and Executive Director, it is not a part of the Award Committee’s work. 

  • The Making a Difference Award is chosen and selected by the IAB Chair. 
  • The winner must be a member in good standing who is actively supporting the Association.
  • The IAB Chair, with the support of other AHF leadership and key staff, will select a deserving individual based on:
    • Contributions to AHF
    • Contributions to the healthcare foodservice industry
    • Contributions to the senior dining industry
    • Contributions to the wider stakeholder community
John Herzog
DM&A

AHF is proud to honor John with the Making a Difference Award, our highest recognition for an AHF business partner. This prestigious award celebrates an individual whose outstanding dedication goes far beyond standard partnership, fundamentally shaping the strength, resources, and future of our association. For nearly a decade, John has been an absolute pillar of support for the self-operated community, freely lending his immense knowledge and expert advice to ensure the success of others. Whether directly helping to build vital AHF tools, publications, and training materials, or acting as an exceptional industry ambassador by recommending new members and promoting our value to clients, John is always there whenever help is needed.

John’s profound impact is rooted in his extensive leadership and committee service over the years. He has been a driving force on the Self-Operated Project Committee for AHF serving on the committee since 2019. He has served as chair of the committee, and is always available to lend an operator in need support. He has served on AHF’s Industry Advisory Board (IAB) since 2022. He has contributed his talents to both the Conference Planning and Culinary Committees. John is a fierce advocate for self-operation. His strategic vision has helped our members succeed and impress.  

Beyond his formal board and committee roles, John’s true legacy is his generosity to his friends, colleagues, and clients. He has a selfless willingness to answer the call, mentor others, and lift up the entire AHF family with his knowledge and support. John Herzog is uniquely deserving of this year’s Making a Difference Award for all this, and so much more. 

AHF Primary Awards

Exemplary Leadership Award

This award will be bestowed upon the operator member who best reflects the commitment to operational excellence that Don Marsh brought to healthcare foodservice. Don Marsh, former president of the American Society for Healthcare Food Service Administrators (ASHFSA), was a longtime supporter of programs to raise professionalism of operators in the healthcare foodservice industry and was known to contribute generously in these areas. The award recognizes exemplary member contributions in their operations as well as to regional, local chapters or networking meetings.

Basic Submission Criteria

  • Nominees must be an AHF member in good standing
  • All entries must be submitted in a single Word document that does not exceed 4 pages
  • Nominees must be an AHF member in good standing

Evaluation Criteria

  • Demonstrate scope and complexity of contributions
  • Initiative and resourcefulness demonstrated
    • Obstacles overcome and AHF tools utilized
  • Results achieved, contribution to AHF, to the employer and to the community
  • Leadership skills role modeled including timeliness and applicability for others to follow
  • Professional self-development and other professional contributions
Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND
CommonSpirit Health

Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND, is an exemplary leader in the CommonSpirit National FNS Leadership, overseeing 140 hospitals across 24 states. She spearheaded the monumental CommonSpirit Health National Food Program, successfully transitioning the organization to a 100 percent self-operated model by strategically insourcing operations and ending third-party vendor contracts. Through her visionary leadership, she standardized clinical protocols, job descriptions, and training, establishing national Registered Dietitian and Culinary committees. Amanda also launched proprietary retail brands, Graceful Grounds and Graceful Table, and developed comprehensive patient menus to elevate the dining experience. Her strategic oversight resulted in $23.2 million in cost savings over 2.5 years, a 14.4% revenue increase to $89.4 million, and top-tier employee engagement scores. Beyond her daily role, she leads by example and actively contributes to the industry, serving on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and volunteering extensively within her community.

Impact & Innovation Award

Launched in 2025, this award recognizes exceptional operators who push boundaries and drive industry progress, showcasing the transformative power of innovation in self-operated healthcare foodservice. This may include sustainability and environmental initiatives, technology advancements, driving positive local impact, exemplary data utilization, creative ideas, groundbreaking projects, and an unwavering dedication to promoting self-operated foodservice excellence. In the event multiple strong nominations are submitted, the AHF Awards Committee (having selected one winner) may recognize additional deserving applicants with Honorable Mentions for specific categories, including sustainability, benchmarking, or chapter/local work. These individuals will receive a conference scholarship to attend and network, the opportunity to convert their project into a bonus webinar topic the following year but will not be formally presented with an award on stage.

Basic Submission Criteria

  • Nominees must be an AHF member in good standing
  • Project/work should have been completed (or will have been completed) between the first of the previous year and May of the Awards year, ex. For the 2026 Awards, 1/1/2025 and 5/1/2026

Evaluation Criteria

  • Nominee has implemented revolutionary ideas that demonstrably improve outcomes, efficiency, or patient experience.
  • Nominee demonstrates exemplary leadership, inspiring and empowering others to embrace innovation and push boundaries.
  • Nominee delivers tangible results from their innovation, proving its effectiveness and driving industry progress.
  • Nominee actively collaborates with others to amplify the impact of their innovation and foster knowledge sharing.
  • Nominee demonstrates a clear vision for the future of self-operated foodservice, driven by continued innovation and progress.
Danelle Osborne
Geisinger Health

Danelle Osborne, serving at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, is a visionary leader in healthcare foodservice nominated for the 2026 AHF Impact & Innovation Award. She revolutionized her department by implementing a structured, patient-centered hospitality model that transformed how staff interact with patients. Her hallmark initiative is the “Patient Interaction Simulation Lab,” a safe training space that replicates real healthcare scenarios. By utilizing actual patient feedback, this lab successfully teaches frontline staff crucial communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Danelle fosters a “one team” mindset, actively collaborating with nursing and patient experience offices through weekly huddles to align overall care goals. To boost morale and accountability, she introduced a transparent Press Ganey data board and a highly visible “Wall of Praise”. Her hands-on coaching yielded remarkable, tangible results: the hospital’s Press Ganey scores for “Courtesy of the person serving your food” surged from the 48th percentile in January 2025 to an exceptional 99th percentile by August 2025. Through her dedication, Danelle proves that self-operated foodservice can be a powerful, experience-driven partner in patient care.

Partnership in Leadership Award

This award recognizes an operator and an administrator (non-foodservice) (2 total awardees) who have demonstrated a strong commitment to nutritional food service by self-operation and currently support the foodservice director or foodservice administrative director. This award celebrates the power of collaboration and the impact that can be achieved when two individuals work together to improve patient care and outcomes. For the Partnership in Leadership award, the relationship should be current, and the award will be judged on a project and not only the relationship.

Basic Submission Criteria

  • All entries must be submitted in a single Word document that does not exceed 4 pages
  • Nominees must be an AHF member in good standing

Evaluation Criteria

  • Demonstrate the project’s primary objective and overall results
  • Highlight the scope and complexity of the director/administrator relationship
  • Explain obstacles encountered and resolutions achieved by working together
  • Administrator support and advocacy of AHF and its members
  • Applicability to AHF membership and the healthcare industry
Terri Hill & Tim Bricker 
CommonSpirit Health

Terri Hill, Central Region Director of Food and Nutrition Services, and Tim Bricker, Central Region President, showcase an exceptional collaborative relationship at CommonSpirit Health. They spearheaded a $14 million project to replace an outdated 1970s kitchen designed for 350 patients that strained to produce over 2,800 daily meals. Seeking modernization and community enrichment, they partnered with the Omaha Economic Development Corporation to build a Central Kitchen and Community Innovation Campus in North Omaha.

Their partnership thrived on resilience, leading a vital educational campaign to secure complex funding over a decade. The resulting facility consolidates statewide resources, proving healthcare systems can remain self-operated while balancing cost savings with quality patient care. The campus features a Test Kitchen serving as a training hub for 140 hospitals, supporting local growers, and advancing culinary education. Through their unified leadership, Terri and Tim modernized infrastructure while creating an economic engine that provides long-term community employment.

Future Horizon Award

This award recognizes self-operator members with 1-5 years of management experience who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and the ability to implement strategic plans that positively impact their hospital and community.

Basic Submission Criteria

  • All entries must be submitted in a single Word document that does not exceed 4 pages.
  • Nominee must be an AHF member in good standing.
  • Nominee must be new to management, with less than five (5) years in their role.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Professional self-development, work and academic experience
    • Education and training, professional certifications and licenses, career progression
  • Contributions to employer and area of responsibility
    • Team leadership and mentoring, process improvement and innovation, financial performance
  • Contributions to AHF and the healthcare profession
    • Involvement in AHF committees and activities, presentations and publications, advocacy for self-operated healthcare foodservice
  • Contributions to community and academia
    • Volunteerism and board service, teaching and mentoring, support for research and education
  • Contributions as leadership role models for AHF values
    • Integrity, professionalism, innovation, collaboration, dedication to excellence
Haley Linders, MS, RD, LMNT
Beatrice Community Hospital 

Haley Linders, MS, RD, LMNT, Director of Nutritional Services and Wellness at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, is a standout recipient of the 2026 AHF Future Horizon Award. Stepping into her management role in February 2023, Haley quickly demonstrated extraordinary leadership by transforming a department burdened by a 35% turnover rate. Applying a sophisticated approach focused on psychological safety, open communication, and structured accountability, she achieved a remarkable operational milestone: zero employee turnover since August 2024. Her culture-first strategy dramatically boosted employee confidence in navigating crucial workplace conversations from 31% to 88%.

Haley’s leadership directly drove impressive financial and quality enhancements, securing a 17% increase in café revenue, an 11% rise in transactions, and significant jumps in customer satisfaction regarding service and food quality. A lifelong learner holding a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Haley is currently pursuing an MBA in healthcare management. Her long-term potential is boundless, and she is actively redefining essential hospital support services into strategic corporate assets.

Presidential Service Awards

The President Special Service Award is given at the discretion of the AHF President to individuals who have provided exemplary service to AHF during their time as volunteer leaders of the association. It is provided to leaders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their service to AHF.

  • The Presidential Service Award Winners are chosen and selected by the AHF President.
  • The winner must be a member in good standing who is actively supporting the Association.
  • The President, with the support of other AHF leadership and key staff, will select deserving individuals who have given significant time, energy, and expertise to the Association as volunteer leaders. 
Jeff Dover
fsSTRATEGY

Jeff Dover is recognized with the AHF Presidential Service Award for his significant contributions to the knowledge, tools, and education available to our members. Jeff has spent years researching and authoring numerous insightful articles for AHF and it’s members. His extensive volunteer legacy includes continuous, impactful service on the Editorial Advisory Board from 2020 through 2026, as well as the Education Committee. A consistent presence at the National Conference, Jeff’s dedication and industry expertise have made a lasting impact on AHF and it’s tools and resources, all for the benefit of AHF’s operator members. 

Regina Feasby
Adams Health Network

Regina Feasby is awarded the AHF Presidential Service Award for her exceptional, multi-year dedication and highly proactive engagement across both national and local stages. Serving continuously on vital committees without a single year off since 2019, including Membership, Education, the Chapter Advisory Board, and the State of the Industry Report Committee, Regina is always present and ready to contribute. A past Hoosier-Buckeye board member who recently co-led the Midwest chapter joint meeting, she is a champion for the critical access sector. Her support extends to other AHF activities, such as hosting webinars and contributing to documents, reports, and more. 

Michael Salvatore, CEC
Ruck-Shockey Associates

Chef Mike Salvatore is honored with the AHF Presidential Service Award for his dedicated, long-term support of the Association, its chapters, it’s members, and his industry colleagues. Mike has endless energy which he channels into taking personal time to mentor members and lift up local chapters. Mike’s extensive committee service spans years on the Culinary Competition Committee, the Editorial Advisory Board, and more. This year alone, he dedicated countless hours as Co-Chair to build the inaugural Culinary Leadership Academy (CLA) from the ground up. 

About AHF’s Awards Committee & Selection Process

The AHF Awards Committee consists of a diverse set of AHF members including both business partners, operators, retired members, educators, and members of the media. This ensures a fair process and a diversity of awardees. The committee will always includes at least one previous winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The committee is tasked by the Board to champion diversity across multiple categories while highlighting innovation and advancement within each award category.  

Each year the awards committee seeks submissions for all its categories. The committee reviews all applications selecting finalists for each award category. Once finalists are identified for each award, the committee interviews the finalists. Following these interviews the award submissions are confidentially scored by the committee and tabulated by AHF Staff to determine winners for each awards category. Once the final award winners are determined, they will be ratified by the Board of Directors. 

Retired Award Categories

This award recognized operator members who had enhanced operations through new ideas and industry trends. This may include implementing new technologies, program development, innovative ideas, projects or initiatives that promote sustainability, community impact initiatives, mergers/acquisitions, and/or creative use of managing finances.  As of 2025, awards that would have fallen under the Spotlight category are recognized through the Impact and Innovation Award.

  • 2024 Winner: Nazim Khan, Bryan Health
  • 2023 Winner: Caroline Parcel, Hunterdon Health
  • 2022 Winner:Joe Ninnemann, Advocate Aurora Health | Campbellsport, WI
  • 2021 Winner: Erica Block, Rush University Medical Center |
  • 2020 Winner: Kevin Vos, Spectrum Health | Grand Rapids, MI
  • 2019 Winner: Seth Grant, Eskenazi Health | Indianapolis, IN
  • 2018 Winner: Margaret Kipe, Kristen Brudereck, Rachael Wehn, Reading Hospital | West Reading, PA
  • 2017 Winner: Jennifer Larson and Sara Ashbeck, Gundersen Health System | La Crosse, WI |&| Mark Dunn and Kas Logan, Providence Health and Services | Portland, OR
  • 2016 Winner: Becky Amt and Evelyn Sexton, IU Health Bloomington Hospital | Bloomington, IN
  • 2015 Winner: Michael Atanasio, Overlook Medical Center | Springfield, NJ |&| Ami Bhow, UCSF Medical Center | San Francisco, CA
  • 2014 Winner: Crystal McVey, Huntsville Hospital | Huntsville, AL |&| Lisa Poggas and Daniel Skay, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital | Castle Rock, CO
  • 2013 Winner: Dan Henroid, University of California – San Francisco Medical Center | San Francisco, CA |&| Angelo Mojica, UNC Hospitals | Chapel Hill, NC
  • 2012 Winner: Steve Howell, Lexington Medical Center | West Columbia, SC |&| Tom Thaman, Wishard Health Services | Indianapolis, IN
  • 2011 Winner: Amy Miller, Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinic | Prairie du Sac, WI
    2010 Winner: Dan Henroid, University of California San Francisco Medical Center | San Francisco, CA |&| Khaleed Khan, Alberta Health Services | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |&| Annemarie Price, VA Medical Center | Martinsburg, WV

This award recognizes a healthcare facility that has used AHF Benchmarking Express™ consistently showed improvement in KPI’s and utilized data to improve their operations. As of 2025, awards that would have fallen under the Spotlight category are recognized through the Impact and Innovation Award.

  • 2023 Winner: Julie Meddles, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
  • 2022 Winner: Wren Roberts, Centra Health | Lynchburg, VA
  • 2021 Winner: Heather Duffy, JFK Medical Center | Edison, NJ
  • 2020 Winner: Not Awarded
  • 2019 Winner: Mary Houston, Mercy Joplin | Joplin, MO
  • 2018 Winner: Randall Sparrow and the ProHealth Care Team, ProHealth Care | Waukesha, WI
  • 2017 Winner: Steve Cerullo, Geisinger Medical Center | Wilkes Barre, PA
  • 2016 Winner: Jeanine Drake, Flagstaff Medical Center | Flagstaff, AZ
  • 2015 Winner: Marge Kipe, Reading Hospital | Reading, PA (Inaugural Year)

This award recognizes an operator member who demonstrates exceptional leadership in waste reduction, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Winners have implemented and expanded innovative and creative programs focused on reduction of single use disposables, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, locally sourced food (such as the Good Food Purchasing Program), energy conservation, food donation programs, food waste reduction, composting and recycling, water conservation, educating consumers, and more. As of 2025, awards that would have fallen under the Spotlight category are recognized through the Impact and Innovation Award.

  • 2024 Winner: Darren Renz, Ohio Health
  • 2023 Winner: Lisa Yeung, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
  • 2022 Winner: Not Awarded
  • 2021 Winner: Gina Sadowski, Seattle Children’s Hospital | Seattle, WA
  • 2020 Winner: Rochelle Drexler, Aspirus Wausau Hospital | Wausau, WI
  • 2019 Winner: Dawn Cascio, The Valley Hospital | Ridgewood, NJ (Inaugural year)

This award recognizes an AHF Local Chapter that demonstrates exceptional commitment to the Association’s mission of providing a professional network, resources, and tools to promote self-operated foodservice and hospitality in healthcare, senior dining, and related industries. As of 2025, awards that would have fallen under the Spotlight category are recognized through the Impact and Innovation Award.

  • 2024 Winner: AHF NJ Chapter
  • 2023 Winner: New York Chapter
  • 2022 Winner: Philadelphia South Jersey Chapter
  • 2021 Winner: New Jersey Chapter
  • 2020 Winner: Philadelphia South Jersey Chapter
  • 2019 Winner: Wisconsin Chapter
  • 2018 Winner: New York Chapter
  • 2017 Winner: New Jersey Chapter (Inaugural year)