Celebrating Chris McDuffee’s National Food Service Manager award at the Bradford County Courthouse on Thursday are (from left) Kathy Thomas, CHR; Daryl Miller, Commissioner; Trish Pratt, BC Manor Director of Nursing; Doug McLinko, Commissioner; Chris McDuffee, BC Manor Dietary Manager; Diane Sindoni, BC Manor Adm/Marketing Coordinator; Ed Bustin, Commissioner; Carl Kelly, CHR Regional Vice President; Dave Malkemes, Manor Controller; and George Stauffer, Manor Interim Administrator.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Bradford County Manor dietary manager Chris McDuffee attended the May 25 Commissioners meeting knowing that the board intended to recognize him for winning a national award. He was genuinely surprised, however, when an entourage of fellow staff members and Complete Healthcare Resources (CHR) associates came into the room to help mark the occasion.
Katherine Thomas, Senior Nutrition Manager at CHR, nominated McDuffee for the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) Spotlight of the Month, a feature of Nutrition and Foodservice Edge Magazine, a national publication dedicated to foodservice management and food safety.
Noting that McDuffee has served as Dining Services Director at Bradford County Manor for 32 years while never taking a sick day, Thomas described him as dedicated, intelligent, caring and focused.
“Chris steps out of his comfort zone,” Thomas remarked. “Comfort zones are where your unrealized dreams are buried. They are enemies of achievement. Leadership begins when you step outside your comfort zone.”
Thomas credited McDuffee’s dedication for the respect he receives from his work team, who produce more than 153,000 meals per year. She noted that the Department of Health considers the Manor’s kitchen as exemplary in terms of what a dining services operation should look like.
“The equipment is always shining, the floors are clean, the production records and recipes are always open for the cooks, and the staff is focused on their duties,” Thomas related. “His rapport with equipment vendors and the director of plant operations has allowed all aspects of preventative maintenance to be done according to schedule. Thus, the lifetime of his equipment has gone longer than average.”
“What Chris does is Science,” said Commissioner Doug McLinko after the presentation of a plaque to a very humble McDuffee.
Commissioner Ed Bustin noted that McDuffee made sure that full meals went out of the kitchen over the course of three days recently when the Manor did not have power following a severe wind storm.
“I’ve walked into the Manor and seen Chris sitting at the reception desk,” added Commissioner Daryl Miller. “That’s the kind of guy he is. He’ll step up and do anything at any time.”