[Jacksonville, Fla] Last night, 400+ people gathered at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine for the Northeast Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s (FRLA) 12th Annual ROSE Awards. The ROSE (Recognition of Service Excellence) Awards, which recognize front-line hospitality champions in the region, honored 26 individuals at this year’s event. Area hotels and restaurants nominated more than 100 workers from more than 37 different companies to acknowledge those making a difference in Northeast Florida’s hospitality community. Last night’s winners each received a trophy, gift cards from local businesses, and recognition from both industry peers and industry leadership.
“These incredible men and women represent just a small fraction of the outstanding hospitality employees in Northeast Florida,” said Nicole Chapman, Regional Director for FRLA and the event’s organizer. “Of more than 60,000 hospitality workers in our region, these nominees are true ambassadors to Northeast Florida and our community. We are thrilled to honor them and their hard work.”
The 2020 ROSE Award winners are:
President’s Award: Abdel Adili, Omni Jacksonville Hotel & Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
Hospitality Hero: Greg Savage, Omni Jacksonville Hotel
Administrative Assistant: Farrah Jones, Omni Jacksonville Hotel
Allied Member Spotlight: George ‘Jaime’ Stadtfeld, Walmart San Jose
Banquets: Sayed Alamy, Omni Jacksonville Hotel
Bartender / Mixologist: Danny Welsh, One Ocean Resort & Spa
Behind the Scenes: Andrews Asare, Omni Amelia Island Plantation
Culinary Service – Chef / Cook Hotel: Conchita Besarra-Spicer, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
Culinary Service – Chef/Cook Restaurant: Peter Zhang, House of Leaf & Bean
Customer Service – Concierge, Recreation, Spa: Amanda Clark, Omni Amelia Island Plantation
Customer Service – Event Services: Robert N. Kihara, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Customer Service – Tourism Ambassador: Robyn Jackson, Visit Jacksonville
Food & Beverage – Support: Todd Fuger, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
Guest Service – Front Desk, Full-Service Hotel: Nichole Storch, Renaissance Resort
Guest Service – Front Desk, Select Service Hotel: Jacqueline McGowan, Seaside Amelia Inn
Guest Service – Housekeeping, Full-Service Hotel: John Yongao, Omni Jacksonville Hotel
Guest Service – Housekeeping, Select Service Hotel: Derick Brown, Flagler Inn
Guest Service – Laundry: Sharon Books, DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront
Guest Service – Maintenance / Engineer: Mary Jane Blair, Casa Monica Resort & Spa
Guest Service – Security: Kathy Jeffers, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Guest Service – Valet / Bell Attendant: Brian Pepitone, DoubleTree Jacksonville Riverfront
Server – Restaurant, Casual Dining: Nina Britten, Sunset Grille
Server – Restaurant, Fine Dining: Scott Kellog, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Server – Restaurant, Hotel: Ethan Thomas and Rebecca Gardner, Courtyard by Marriott Mayo Clinic Campus/Beaches
Restaurant – Quick Service: Ruby Martell, Culver’s of Middleburg
Transportation – Airport, Ground & Water: Candace Van Kalleveen, East Coast Transportation & Limousine
For more information about the ROSE Awards, contact FRLA Northeast Chapter Regional Director Nicole Chapman at 904-574-2259 or nchapman@frla.org.