Sharon Coulson, food service director at the University of California, Davis, received the 2014 Theodore W. Minah Distinguished Service Award during the Minah Dinner and Reception on Wednesday, July 9, at the National Association of College and University Food Services National Conference (NACUFS), in Baltimore. Coulson is the 47th recipient of the award.
Past association president and Director of Dining Services at Villanova University, in Pennsylvania, Tim Dietzler, presented Coulson with the award, summarizing her impact on the association and its members. In addition to her “passion for all things NACUFS,” according to Dietzler, some of Coulson’s accomplishments include establishment of the NACUFS nutrition committee and marketing institute, leadership and mentorship of students and young professionals and volunteering in multiple leadership positions throughout her 29 years of involvement with the organization.
“Tonight I feel so grateful for what I was able to gain from NACUFS,” Coulson said in her acceptance speech. “And so proud of what I was able to give back.”
The highest honor that the organization bestows, The Theodore W. Minah Distinguished Service Award was established in 1967. Chosen by the association board of directors and past presidents, the honor is given to an individual based upon contributions both to NACUFS and the foodservice industry, including length of service, development of innovative food facilities, and contributions to formal educational programs and the advancement of college/university foodservice.