The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers presented the 2023 William W. Carpenter Award posthumously to Mike Carpenter, CFSP and the Louise O’Sullivan Award of Excellence to Buffy Schechter Levy, The NAFEM Show director.

NAFEM’s highest honor, the William W. Carpenter Award recognizes an industry professional who has continually contributed to NAFEM’s success and to the enrichment of the industry. Mike Carpenter rose from committee member and chair, to show chair and through the officer ranks. He was NAFEM president from 2002-2003.

“When I started my involvement with NAFEM, Mike became my teacher, mentor, coach and friend, taking me under his wing as fellow smallwares manufacturers,” said Rich Packer, CFSP, president and COO, American Metalcraft, Inc., and NAFEM president. “For all the time I have been engaged with NAFEM, Mike has been with me, sometimes, at the other end of the table voicing an opinion, sometimes at the other end of the phone offering counsel or advice, sometimes at the helm of the board table directing strategic actions to better NAFEM as an association, and sometimes going out on a limb and commanding industry’s attention by defining how and with whom we partner to serve our ultimate customer, the end user.

“I am the last current board member/officer to have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with this year’s recipient, former NAFEM president Mike Carpenter,” Packer added. “As many of you know, we lost Mike, our industry colleague and friend, in 2011 but not before he left an indelible mark on us all.”

The Louise O’Sullivan Award of Excellence recognizes a long-time NAFEM volunteer for their tireless work on behalf of the association who is not a board member or officer at the time of the award. Schechter Levy is The NAFEM Show director, and a 20-year veteran of NAFEM’s show management partner, Smithbucklin. During her tenure, Levy implemented innovations and process improvements for The NAFEM show, per a release from the association.