CHICAGO —Five restaurant industry leaders will be recognized for their career contributions during the 22nd annual Salute to Excellence gala presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on May 16 at the Hilton Chicago.
Being inducted into the NRAEF’s 2009 College of Diplomates are Bert Cutino, chief operating officer and co-founder of the Sardine Factory in Monterey, Calif.; Julie Flick, who with her husband, Rudi, founded FLIK International, a foodservice management company that was acquired in 1995 by Compass Group, North America; and Jon Luther, chairman and chief executive of Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands. —Five restaurant industry leaders will be recognized for their career contributions during the 22nd annual Salute to Excellence gala presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on May 16 at the Hilton Chicago.
Donald Smith, a retired professor at Washington State University, will receive the Michael E. Hurst Lifetime of Achievement in Education Award. Smith had been a Chicago restaurant owner before his academic career. He currently serves on the faculty of the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hospitality. —Five restaurant industry leaders will be recognized for their career contributions during the 22nd annual Salute to Excellence gala presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on May 16 at the Hilton Chicago.
Robert E. Rich Jr., chairman of Rich Products Corp. in Buffalo, N.Y., will be honored with the 2009 Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality award. The ambassador award, which is the NRAEF’s highest honor, is bestowed on an individual who is a member of the NRAEF’s College of Diplomates and is recognized as an outstanding leader in the industry. —Five restaurant industry leaders will be recognized for their career contributions during the 22nd annual Salute to Excellence gala presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on May 16 at the Hilton Chicago.
The College of Diplomates includes educators, journalists, restaurant association executives, authors, chefs, TV personalities and others who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement and enhancement of the industry’s image. —Five restaurant industry leaders will be recognized for their career contributions during the 22nd annual Salute to Excellence gala presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on May 16 at the Hilton Chicago.