Editorial Director Joe Carbonara is an easy person to talk to. Whether the topic is arcane business data related to equipment and supplies, evolving trends in the more general foodservice environment, or just about anything in between, Joe always has something interesting to say and usually a unique perspective that is worth listening to.

The one thing you’ll have a hard time getting Joe to talk about though, is Joe. He’s happy to tell you all about his family, but he will rarely say anything that comes across as self-serving or vain about himself. If you ask Joe, for instance, about the 2024 AHF Presidential Service Award that he just received from the Association for Healthcare Foodservice in August, he will probably tell you a dad joke and adroitly redirect the conversation. 

So, I’ll tell you about it on his behalf. As of this writing, the current president of AHF, Leisa Bryant, is scheduled to recognize Joe during the association’s annual conference with the 2024 AHF Presidential Service Award for what she calls his “…outstanding and long-time contributions to AHF and its members.” 

Here at FE&S we highly value this kind of recognition from associations related to the foodservice industry because the members of these associations are the readers we serve. To garner such a prestigious award from a group representing a segment of our readership is confirmation of the value of our mission to provide industry professionals with important fresh content that is worth consuming.

So, congratulations, Joe, for your well-deserved recognition.

On the topic of awards, it was my great pleasure to travel to Kodak, Tenn., last month to visit KaTom Restaurant Supply. A special thank you to Patricia, Charley, Paula and the entire team at KaTom for the warm reception. Also, a special note of appreciation to our own creative director Anne LoCascio for the beautiful photo shoot and Renee Pas for a wonderful story about Nick that begins on page 20. We hope that you enjoy the coverage in this issue of Nick Taylor, CFSP, the FE&S 2024 DSR of the Year.

All the best,

Maureen