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FM On Demand: Caring for the caregivers

Toni Watkins on the importance of diversity in foodservice, righting wrongs and taking care of your employees.

Becky Schilling, Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

April 26, 2021

When I asked Toni Watkins for an interview, I thought we’d catch up on her big move six years ago from Texas to Virginia where she became the system food and nutrition services director for Riverside Health System. The move took Toni from a large acute-care hospital in Dallas to a health system with 16 facilities, including long-term and senior care.

I thought we’d focus on that transition and how she was doing through the COVID pandemic. But we didn’t. Even though the pandemic has rocked all of our world’s this past year, it wasn’t the only force impacting our worlds. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer and the ensuing racial justice movement affected foodservice at a time when they were already in the throes of COVID.

So when Toni joined me for a chat the morning after the verdict in the death of George Floyd, I was thrilled to hear she had a story to share about diversity in foodservice, righting wrongs and rallying around a foodservice worker. So often we talk about foodservice employees serving their customers, but this was truly a story about caring for each other—as people. Here’s her story.

About the Author

Becky Schilling

Becky Schilling

Group Content Director/Editor-in-chief

Becky Schilling is Food Management’s editor-in-chief, and the group content director for Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group, managing editorial for digital, print and events for Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, Food Management and Supermarket News media brands. Becky holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Before joining Food Management in 2014, Becky was with FoodService Director magazine for seven years, the last two as editor-in-chief. Becky is a history nerd and a sports fanatic, especially college football—Gig'em Ags—and tennis. A born and raised Texan, Becky currently resides in New York City.

Becky Schilling’s areas of expertise include the onsite foodservice industry (K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare and B&I), foodservice menus, operational best practices and innovation.

Becky Schilling is a frequent speaker at industry events including The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF), The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) and The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM).

Becky Schilling’s experience:

Group Content Director, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Feb. 2020-present)

Editor-in-chief Food Management (Nov. 2014-present)

Director of Content Strategy & Optimization, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (March 2019-Feb. 2020)

Editor-in-chief, Supermarket News (April 2019-March 2019)

Executive Editor, Supermarket News (July 2016-April 2017)

Editor-in-chief, FoodService Director magazine (March 2013-Oct. 2014)

Managing Editor (FoodService Director magazine (March 2012-March 2013)

Associate Editor (FoodService Director magazine (Nov. 2007-March 2012)

Contact Becky Schilling at:

[email protected]

@bschilling_FM

https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-schilling-39194ba/

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