20 Most Influential: Dick Hynes, Hobart Corp.

Dick Hynes
Director, Consultant Services,
Hobart Corp.

At Hobart, Dick Hynes might be listed as a consultant, but when it comes to his involvement in the foodservice industry, he does more than consult. He advises, he mentors, he leads, he guides and he champions.

His presence is most strongly felt in the military market, one of the most stigmatized segments of the foodservice industry. He has long supported military foodservice award programs such as the Hennessy Awards, which honor the best in Air Force foodservice. In 2010, he represented the Society for Foodservice Management as a Hennessy Traveler, visiting Air National Guard facilities to help choose the best in that category.

Through his efforts, Hobart sponsors the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence, staged by the Hennessy Travelers Association Education Foundation, each fall at the CIA’s Greystone campus. For one week 30 chefs from the Air Force and Marine Corps gather for a variety of classes covering everything from knife skills and using leftovers to cooking healthy, making use of seasonal produce and baking.

Hynes will talk forever on the value of programs like the Hennessy Awards and the Armed Forces Forum. But if you ask him what’s in it for him, Hynes simply responds, “It’s a labor of love.” And perhaps it is. After all, he and his wife, Judy, met while serving during the Vietnam War—he as a medic and she as a nurse—and one of their grandsons currently serves in the U.S. Army.

Related:FSD's 20 Most Influential

But military foodservice isn’t the only professional passion for Hynes. He also has been very instrumental in promoting Hobart’s sustainability initiatives and currently serves on its Sustainability Committee. Hynes has helped lead the company’s efforts to work with the US Green Building Council and is promoting the LEED accreditation program within the company.

“It’s very hard to find another person who is as giving as Dick Hynes,” says Tony Butler, executive director of SFM. “He never says no, and he is the kind of guy who will move mountains to make something happen. He is a pillar of our industry.” 

Foodservice Director has undertaken a bold initiative by identifying people who we believe are having the biggest impact on non-commercial foodservice. Our list may surprise you and should certainly intrigue you. Our honorees have backgrounds as varied as their personalities. They range from the father of the modern-day food truck to the wife of a sitting president. They include operators and suppliers, chefs and consultants, CEOs and civil servants. There are traditionalists and there are mavericks. Well-known names share space with hot newcomers. In all, 17 people, two groups of individuals and one institution compose the list. It’s time to meet FSD’s 20 Most Influential.