• ST. LOUIS
The Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) recognized eight canteens and their associates with the Canteen of the Year Award. Canteens and VCS associates were also awarded separately for excellence in catering, leadership, and contributions to team morale.
Canteen of the Year is an annual, results-driven award recognizing top-performing VCS canteens that exceeded standards in customer service, operating results, inventory management, and medical center survey scores.
WINNING CRITERIA
Canteens selected for this award represent the best of the best canteens in the nation, providing excellent experiences for veterans at the VA.
The Canteen of the Year competition involves an in-depth evaluation of a canteen’s operations, execution, and results.
Canteens selected for this award were rated on the following areas: placement in the top 30 percent for net operating income; food safety and sanitation; retail inventory accountability; compliance with operating standards; Medical Center Director Survey results; and overall presentation and marketing of the VCS brand.
WINNING CANTEENS
The awards for Canteen of the Year are divided into seven categories, based on the size and scope of operations throughout VCS.
This year’s winners, listed by category and including the VCS canteen number and canteen chief for each location, were:
Category 1 – Lake Nona, Fla. 675 – Liza Phipps
Category 2 – Bronx, N.Y. 526 – Diane Knoll-Hickman
Category 2 – New Orleans, La 629 – Brian Duhe (acting canteen chief)
Category 3 – Detroit, Mich. 553 – Jason Knake
Category 4 – Salt Lake City, Utah 660 – Sarah Carrington
Category 5 – Kernersville, N.C. 359 – Andrew Faenza
Category 6 – Harlingen, Texas 740 – Anna Marino
Category 7 – Ponce, P.R. 372 – Nilsa Santiago
Each awarded canteen will receive a team reception to celebrate their success, an honorary plaque for permanent display, and monetary awards for each member of the team.
The medical centers of the winning locations will also receive additional promotional funds to promote the canteen to veteran patrons.
CULINARY AWARD
VCS also named the winners of the Culinary Award, which recognizes excellence in catering, evaluating food quality, décor, and overall presentation.
This year, the canteens in Minneapolis, Minn.; Palo Alto, Calif.; Salisbury, N.C.; Huntington, W.Va.; and Poplar Bluff, Mo., earned the award.
OTHER AWARDS
Outstanding individuals also received awards.
The Central Office Servant Leadership Award recognizes each region director’s overall leadership in delivering the VCS mission of providing comfort, health, and well-being for veterans.
This year, the competition resulted in a tie between Liz Johnson, Region 1 director (Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) and Ty Wallace, Region 5 director (Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina).
The inaugural Central Office Vision Award winner was Korey Current, accounts payable manager in the VCS Finance Center.
Nominated by his peers, Current was recognized for his efforts in increasing team morale, encouraging collaboration, and contributing greatly to the organization.
Source: VCS
Edited by Larry Lapka
