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Healthcare On Demand: Toni Watkins on winning the IFMA Gold Plate

Antoinette “Toni” Watkins, system director of food & nutrition services at Riverside Health System, and recently announced winner of the 2021 IFMA Gold Plate Award, talks about what the honor means for her, her program and healthcare foodservice.

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

September 28, 2021

FM On Demand and Healthcare On Demand are video interviews with onsite dining professionals who talk about creative and interesting initiatives they have developed or undertaken.

Antoinette “Toni” Watkins, MS, RDN, system director of food & nutrition services at Riverside Health System in Virginia, was recently named the 2021 Gold Plate Award recipient by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) during its 67th Annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration. She represented the Health Care category in this year list of Silver Plate Award recipients.

Watkins is only the second director from the healthcare segment to win a Gold Plate, following Jacques Bloch, then director of food services at Montefiore Medical Center, who won the award back in 1982. She joined Riverside Health in 2015 after 15 years as foodservice director in several healthcare centers in Texas.

In this FM On Demand interview, Watkins talks about winning the Gold Plate award and about some recent initiatives she’s undertaken to manage dining at Riverside in the current environment.

About the Author

Mike Buzalka

Mike Buzalka

Executive Features Editor, Food Management

Mike Buzalka is executive features editor for Food Management and contributing editor to Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News. On Food Management, Mike has lead responsibility for compiling the annual Top 50 Contract Management Companies as well as the K-12, College, Hospital and Senior Dining Power Players listings. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from John Carroll University. Before joining Food Management in 1998, he served as for eight years as assistant editor and then editor of Foodservice Distributor magazine. Mike’s personal interests range from local sports such as the Cleveland Indians and Browns to classic and modern literature, history and politics.

Mike Buzalka’s areas of expertise include operations, innovation and technology topics in onsite foodservice industry markets like K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Healthcare and Business & Industry.

Mike Buzalka’s experience:

Executive Features Editor, Food Management magazine (2010-present)

Contributing Editor, Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News (2016-present)

Associate Editor, Food Management magazine (1998-2010)

Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1997-1998)

Assistant Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1989-1997)

See more from Mike Buzalka