Board Chair Marc Sarrazin, Augie recipients Elizabeth Blau, Ann Cooper '79, and Brandon Chrostowski '06, and CIA President Michiel Bakker, at the 18th annual CIA Leadership Awards, Monday, May 5, 2025, at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom.
Gold & Silver Plate winners were out in force at the Culinary Institute of America’s 18th Annual Leadership Awards, a celebration of what the “Harvard of Foodservice” calls the industry’s tastemakers.
Among the five veterans recognized for their influence on the business was Silver Plate winner Elizabeth Blau (Hotels & Lodging category, 2006), whose work at Steve Wynn’s Bellagio casino-hotel helped turn Las Vegas into a fine-dining destination.
Sharing the limelight was Silver Plater Pano Karatassos (Independent Restaurant/Multiconcept Group, 1993), who set the bar for Atlanta fine dining through his Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. Its restaurants have included such milestone operations as Pano’s & Paul’s and Buckhead Diner.
Karatassos and his sons are still enticing Atlantans with current-day standouts like Kyma, Chops Lobster Bar and Bistro Niko.
Presiding over the gala celebration in New York City last month was Michiel Bakker, CEO of the Culinary Institute and a past Silver Plate winner himself (Business and Industry/Foodservice Management, 2018). Bakker spent 12 years within Google’s foodservice operations before becoming the CIA’s dean.
Also attending the posh event: Silver Plate winner William Anton (Specialty Foodservices, 2000) and Gold Plate recipient Ralph Brennan (Independent Restaurants, 1997).
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Several other Society members have also recently been in the news. Kevin D’Onofrio, Executive Director of State University of New York at Cobleskill, has been named an evaluator for the Hennessy Awards, the top honor for U.S. Air Force foodservice operations. The role involves flying around the globe to sample the operations of the service’s far-flung bases. D’Onofrio won a Silver Plate (Specialty Foodservices, 2014) for his management of the foodservices at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
In one of the industry’s most-watched transitions, Silver Plater Charlie Morrison (Chain Limited Service, 2016) is succeeding fellow winner Peter Cancro (same category, 2019) as CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers co-founder and Silver Plate winner Scott Redler (Chain Limited Service, 2020) was applauded by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for pioneering a new program aimed at helping young people pursue restaurant careers. Called the JumpStart Grant, it's meant to complement the association’s ProStart educational program for high school juniors and seniors interested in entering the food-away-from-home business.
Have you made a career change or been in the news? Let us know so we can inform fellow members of the Society. Email us at promeo@ifmaworld.com.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.