2022 FAME Award winners announced

The recipients of the 2022 FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence) Awards have been announced.

The Golden Foodservice Director Award, FAME’s most prestigious honor, was given to Roy Pistone, director of food and nutrition services at Citrus County Schools in Inverness, Fla. Pistone has spent over 27 years in school foodservice industry, and at Citrus County, he was able to renovate nearly every school kitchen in the district while keeping meal prices steady. He was also the 2020-2021 president of the Florida School Nutrition Association and has helped mentor new directors and improve their school nutrition programs.

Rita Denton, director of student nutrition at Mansfield Independent School District in Mansfield, Texas, was awarded the Silver Leadership Award for her work developing a new cafe concept at the district, which is now known throughout the community. Before the pandemic, Denton worked with her team to increase breakfast participation by 22%, and lunch by 18%. The team achieved this growth with only a 4% enrollment increase.

The 2022 FAME Silver Spirit Award was given to Danielle Saitta, project manager of marketing and communications for Fulton County School Nutrition in Atlanta. Saitta leads the marketing and communications efforts at all 97 schools in the district. She also helps Fulton County write grant proposals and secure funding for programs such as alternative breakfast services and mobile kiosks.

The FAME Rising Star award was given to Shannon Solomon, school foodservice director at Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colo. Over the past four years, Shannon has helped open three new schools in the district, managed two renovations for safety and efficiency, and has completely overhauled the district’s catering program. Shannon has also been featured on Food Network’s "Chopped" TV series.

The 33rd Annual FAME Awards ceremony will be held virtually during the School Nutrition Conference this January. A member of the FoodService Director editorial team was part of the selection committee.