Newswise — St. Charles, IL – Longtime ANFP President and CEO William St. John, CAE announced he will be retiring May 31, 2013. His announcement to members came at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) in San Diego.
St. John has served as chief executive for the association (formerly Dietary Managers Association) since 1986. During his tenure, the organization has grown not only in numbers, but in visibility as well. The association’s CDM (certified dietary manager) credential has become a well-known and respected designation, and more than 13,600 of ANFP’s nearly 15,000 members have earned this certification.
A variety of dynamic programs and services have been launched at St. John’s direction. In 1991, he led the launch of a magazine (now called Nutrition & Foodservice Edge) to take the place of the association’s newsletter. He has been active in cementing a strong legislative presence in Washington, DC, to tackle issues impacting nutrition and foodservice professionals, and to promote Safe Food for Seniors -- a bill designed to ensure the integrity of meals served to long-term care residents.
In 2002, St. John took the lead in forming Healthcare Caterers International, a global alliance of membership associations representing caterers, hospitality professionals, and foodservice managers in health care to benefit the members of each participating association. The organization currently boasts 11 member organizations.
At St. John’s direction, ANFP formed the Nutrition & Foodservice Education Foundation, which provides scholarship funding to students entering the field of nutrition and food service, and for members attending educational events. During his tenure, an annual Leadership Institute program was developed, giving certified dietary managers an opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills. St. John has been active in the launch of Regional Meetings, to give members a chance to enjoy the ANFP Annual Meeting experience closer to home.
Most recently, St. John was instrumental in leading the initiative to change the organization’s name from Dietary Managers Association to the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals, to more accurately describe the job responsibilities of its members.
St. John earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 1993, and served as chair of the Chicago Society of Association Executives (now Association Forum of Chicagoland) from 1998–1999, after five years on the board. He has received a variety of honors over the years, most notably the Samuel B. Shapiro Award for excellence in association leadership in 2010. In May 2012, St. John was selected as one of FoodService Director magazine’s inaugural “Influential 20,” for his work and commitment to the non-commercial foodservice industry.
The ANFP Board of Directors has appointed a search committee to find a successor for St. John.
For more information, contact Kim Harden, ANFP Marketing Manager, at (800) 323-1908, ext. 126.
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