Lance Trenary, President & CEO of Golden Corral was named the 2022 Gold Plate Award recipient by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) during their 68th Annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration. Trenary was nominated in the “Chain Full Service” category by Ecolab and Nestlé Professional and selected from the impressive slate of this year’s Silver Plate winners.
The Gold & Silver Plate Awards is the longest-running and most respected awards program in foodservice. Each year, a distinguished jury of industry experts weighs the merits of candidates who represent the best in the industry. Winners receive the Silver Plate Award and one of these is then chosen by secret ballot to receive the Gold Plate Award for overall industry excellence.
Past Gold Plate winners include Joseph K. Fassler (1996), Danny Meyer (2000), Van Eure (2004), Charlie Trotter (2008), Timothy J. Dietzler (2010), Wolfgang Puck (2017), Regynald G. Washington (2019), Phil Hickey (2020), and Antionette Watkins (2021).
“I work with the most phenomenal team in the industry,” said Trenary when accepting the Gold Plate. “And this award is for them.” He went on, “The last two years have been so difficult. To have enjoyed the turnaround that we have had has been everything.”
Trenary has been the President and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation since 2015. Golden Corral is a nearly two-billion-dollar organization comprised of 35,000 employees and 500 restaurants across 42 states. Trenary has been a part of Golden Corral for 35 years and has held virtually every leadership role within the company in that time.
In addition to Trenary, 2022 Silver Plate recipients and the companies that nominated them are:
- Frances Allen, President & CEO, Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants. Category: Chain Limited Service. Nominated by Coca-Cola.
- Sammy Gianopoulos, Co-Owner & Executive Chef, Crisp Hospitality Group. Category: Independent Restaurant / Multi-Concept. Nominated by Ecolab.
- Andre Mallie, Assistant Vice President, University of San Diego. Category: Colleges & Universities. Nominated by Sysco.
- Paco Rodriguez & Tina Rodriguez, Founders, SAGE Dining Services, Inc. Category: Business & Industry/Foodservice Management. Nominated by Wayne Farms.
- Cheryl Shimmin, Executive Director of Culinary and Nutrition Care, Kettering Health. Category: Healthcare. Nominated by PepsiCo.
- Alyssia Wright, Executive Director of School Nutrition, Fulton County Schools. Category: Elementary & Secondary Schools. Nominated by General Mills.
“The 2022 IFMA Gold & Silver Plate class is composed of individuals that embody the resilience, creativity, and commitment to service found across the industry,” said Phil Kafarakis, IFMA President & CEO. “These eight leaders with their diverse backgrounds and remarkable life stories have contributed in countless ways to foodservice, their respective teams, customers, and the larger community. Spending time with them over our Gold & Silver Plate weekend has been an honor.”
IFMA hosted a black-tie celebration for the 2022 Silver Plate Class and presented the Gold Plate Award at the historic Chicago Cultural Center on Saturday, May 21. The event was emceed by past award winners, John C. Metz, Jr. (2013 Gold Plate recipient), CEO, Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Sterling Hospitality; and Mary Molt (2012 Gold Plate recipient), Director of Housing & Dining Services and Assistant Professor at Kansas State University.
About IFMA
The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) is a trade association that has served its industry for 70 years. IFMA’s mission is to equip foodservice manufacturers with the tools needed to navigate the future with confidence. By providing insights, fostering best practices, and developing networking and educational opportunities through events, IFMA enlightens its members and motivates change that improves both individual member organizations and the foodservice industry at large. For more information, visit IFMAworld.com. Follow IFMA on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
