IFMA names 2015 Silver Plate Award winners

Julie Jones was named this year’s top operator in healthcare feeding and Mary Hill was honored as the best in school foodservice in the announcement today of the 2015 Silver Plate Award winners by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA).

Ed Sirhal, president of Restaurant Associates, won the Silver Plate award in the Business & Industry/Foodservice Management category, and Nona Golledge finished first in the Colleges & Universities competition.

They join Jones, direction of nutrition services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Hill, executive director of food services for Jackson Public Schools in Jackson, Miss., as contenders for the Gold Plate, IFMA’s award for the foodservice operator of the year.

Also competing for that honor are Silver Plate winners in three restaurant categories. John Miller, CEO of Denny’s Restaurants, won in the Chain Full Service/Multi-Concept classification; Kat Cole, group president of Focus presidents, in the Chain Limited Service group; and Michael C. Gibbons, CEO of Main Street Ventures, in the Independent Restaurants/Multi-Concept category.

The seven Silver Plate winners were selected by a jury consisting of past winners and editors from the foodservice media. Both Foodservice Director magazine’s Editor Paul King and Director of Digital Content Peter Romeo participated in the process.

The jury votes in a sealed ballot for the Gold Plate winner. The top vote-getter will be announced at the 61st Annual Gold & Silver Plate Celebration on Monday, May 18 during the National Restaurant Association’s annual conference in Chicago.