ANFP President/CEO William St. John Announces Retirement

Longtime Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) President/CEO William St. John, CAE, has announced that he will be retiring on May 31, 2013. His announcement to members came at the Annual Meeting of the ANFP in San Diego.

St. John has served as chief executive for the association (formerly the Dietary Managers Association) since 1986. During his tenure, the organization has grown not only in numbers, but in visibility as well. The association’s CDM (certified dietary manager) credential has become a well-known and respected designation, and more than 13,600 of ANFP’s nearly 15,000 members have earned this certification.

A variety of dynamic programs and services have been launched at St. John’s direction. In 1991, he led the launch of a magazine (now called Nutrition & Foodservice Edge) to take the place of the association’s newsletter.

He has been active in cementing a strong legislative presence in Washington to tackle issues impacting nutrition and foodservice professionals, and to promote Safe Food for Seniors, a bill designed to ensure the integrity of meals served to long-term care residents.

In 2002, St. John took the lead in forming Healthcare Caterers International, a global alliance of membership associations representing caterers, hospitality professionals, and foodservice managers in health care to benefit the members of each participating association. The organization currently boasts 11 member organizations.

At St. John’s direction, ANFP formed the Nutrition & Foodservice Education Foundation, which provides scholarship funding to students entering the field of nutrition and food service, and for members attending educational events. During his tenure, an annual Leadership Institute program was developed, giving certified dietary managers an opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills.

St. John has been active in the launch of Regional Meetings, to give members a chance to enjoy the ANFP Annual Meeting experience closer to home.

Most recently, St. John was instrumental in leading the initiative to change the organization’s name from Dietary Managers Association to the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals, to more accurately describe the job responsibilities of its members.

St. John earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 1993, and served as chair of the Chicago Society of Association Executives (now Association Forum of Chicagoland) from 1998–1999, after five years on the board. He has received a variety of honors over the years, most notably the Samuel B. Shapiro Award for excellence in association leadership in 2010.

The ANFP Board of Directors has appointed a search committee to find a successor for St. John.