Sunday, February 19, 2017

DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington-Minneapolis South

BLOOMINGTONDIAMOND SERVICE

AWARDS GALA

21st Annual

Tonight is a very special night for me, and I hope it proves to be just as memorable for you. I had the pleasure of emceeing our inaugural

Diamond Service Awards program 21 years ago and the evening was filled with spectacular celebration and well-deserved recognition of our hospitality profes-sionals. We carry on that tradition today with this year’s Diamond Service Awards, lifting up the amazing people who tirelessly work to make Bloomington’s hospitality and tourism industries what they are today—bustling, vibrant and service-oriented businesses that attract visitors from around the world.

This entire celebration is a tribute to you. Together we recognize your exemplary efforts in making this city a world-class travel destination. Like we have done throughout the history of the Diamond Service Awards program, we gather tonight to honor your many achievements in outstanding customer service that is unsurpassed in professionalism, helpfulness and friendliness. We applaud the great lengths to which you go to make every single one of your guests feel welcome and cared for. You truly set the standard for all aspiring service professionals.

Tonight you join a list of more than 15,000 individu-als who have led by serving others. You join the ranks of professionals who continue to place Bloomington on an international stage, securing major events such as Super Bowl LII, X Games and NCAA Men’s Final Four. These world-renowned organizations chose our corner of the world over countless other destinations for their events because, like us, they know what type of service you de-liver each and every day of the year—the absolute best.

Your passion for serving others is evident in all you do, and it is shared by our team at the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau. Equally devoted to honoring excellence are our business partners who have helped us bring this program to life over the years. In the following pages, look for their heartfelt commentary, sharing what being part of this program means to them both personally and professionally. On behalf of them and our BCVB team, we congratulate you and celebrate your success.

WELCOME PROGRAM4:30 P.M. RECEPTION

• Grand Foyer

5:30 P.M.PRESENTATION OF FINALISTS

• Bloomington Food Safety Awards• Hospitality Hall of Fame Awards• Spirit of Hospitality Award• Dinner• “Be Our Guest” Tribute to Nominees • Diamond Service Award Recipients

EMCEES

• Bonnie L. Carlson—President & CEO, Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Jim Cunningham—Actor, Playwright & Producer

THE PROCESSDiamond Service Award nominations are submitted by management personnel from the hospitality and retail businesses in Bloomington in 15 categories. All nominees are personally interviewed by a panel of four independent judges and rated on a point system to determine final scores. The accounting firm of Abdo, Eick & Meyers verifies all tabulations and results.

PREVIOUS INDUCTEES

John Dainty (2016) Ramada Bloomington Minneapolis Airport Mall

Marlene Kurtz (2016) Crowne Plaza Bloomington

Mary Jo Peterson (2016) Sheraton Bloomington Hotel

Mildret “Millie” Philipp (2016) Mall of America

Sohrab “Sammy” Sadeh (2016) Sheraton Bloomington Hotel

Ursula Chan (2015) Colette Bar and Bistro

Mike Gruebele (2015) Embassy Suites Bloomington

Sue Miller (2015) Woolley’s Restaurant

Terry Jagow (2014) DoubleTree by Hilton, Bloomington-Minneapolis South

Linda Fleming (2014) Quality Inn & Suites Airport

Mohammed Raki (2013) Sofitel Minneapolis

Joseph Skluzacek (2012) Ramada Mall of America

Peggy Gaughran Werdan (2011) Ramada Mall of America

Jackie PloenHuman Resources Manager • Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington • 37 years of service“Loyal” is the most common word others use to describe Jackie. She’s extremely loyal to her family, friends and job. Jackie is constantly involved in work-related activities and is always ready to support the hotel. Often times, Jackie is not just participating but leading the way when it comes to organizing internal events, employee meetings, community outreach efforts and much more.

Michele RobidouxBanquet Server • DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington Minneapolis South • 30+ years of serviceMichele serves all of her events with perfection, connecting individually with her guests and leaving them with lasting memories. She was so kind to share a fond story about the time she was a cocktail server for Bill Murray. She even shared how she attended the Ryder Cup to get an autograph of a picture they snapped together. To her surprise, he remembered her from all those years ago when he ordered a few fishbowl sized martini’s from the lovely blond server in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Carrie PoeppingRoom Cleaning Attendant • Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America • 22 years of serviceCarrie’s years of service in the hospitality industry expand beyond the 22 years that she has worked at Country Inn & Suites. Carrie has been a trusted new hire trainer and continues to help her fellow coworkers with tricks of the trade. Carrie has been a mentor and has also been instrumental in showcasing how one-on-one interpersonal engagement with our guests provides positive feedback.

Sai Rosser-IchisumiBartender • Crowne Plaza Bloomington MSP Airport/MOA • 30 years of serviceSai lives in Bloomington and is very knowledgeable about the area. She encourages guests to truly see Bloomington. She knows the fun and unusual locations like the Japanese Garden, nature center and trails and also knows so much about Mall of America. She always knows the best places to go and deals for whatever guests are looking for.

Bonnie L. CarlsonPresident and CEO, Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau

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2017 Hospitality Hall of FameThe Diamond Service Awards Committee is pleased to announce the 2017 inductions to the Hospitality Hall of Fame, which honors commitment and longevity in Bloomington’s tourism and hospitality industry.

“With an ever-expanding Mall of America, as well as the addition of multiple top-tier hotels, the future has never looked so bright as it does in Bloomington today. DSA shines a light on what makes this industry

an economic driver in Bloomington—its service professionals.”

—TIM MCVEAN, DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING, AVEX

Bloomington Food Safety Awards Finalists

Whether you dine on the run, enjoy a hearty meal at your own table, or pay a visit to one of the many restaurants in Bloomington, safe food handling and preparation are of the

utmost importance. Indeed, at the very heart of fine dining lay these practices. The City of Bloomington’s Advisory Board of Health is pleased to present the Food Safety

Awards to establishments in the area that have demonstrated excellence in safe food handling. Restaurants, hotels, grocers and other food providers are nominated by Bloomington health inspectors based on their 2016 inspection results. Then, Bloomington Food Collaborative industry volunteers interview and score the nominees, and the city’s Advisory Board of Health approves the award recipients. Congratulations to our finalists.

FULL SERVICE HOTEL

Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America

Radisson Blu Mall of America

Crowne Plaza Bloomington MSP Airport/MOA

Park Plaza Hotel

LARGE RESTAURANT

American Girl Bistro

TGI Friday’s, Normandale Boulevard

Bakers Square, West 98th Street Applebee’s, Southtown

Shopping Center

LIMITED SERVICE & PIZZA CARRY-OUT ESTABLISHMENT

Pizza Hut, Portland Avenue South

Home2 Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Bloomington

Domino’s Pizza, Lyndale Avenue South Cold Stone Creamery at Mall of America

FAST FOOD/CAFETERIA SERVICE

Hyland Hills Chalet Johnny Rockets at

Mall of America

Taco Bell, Lyndale Avenue South

Panda Express, Southtown Shopping Center

South Point Express

RETAIL GROCERY

Cub Foods, Lyndale Avenue South

Cub Foods, France Avenue South

Sam’s Club, West American Boulevard

2017 Spirit of Hospitality

Congratulations to the Bloomington Police Department, this year’s recipient of the Spirit of Hospitality Award. This honor is bestowed

upon an individual, company or organization that has made a significant, positive impact on the travel and hospitality industries in the City of Bloomington. The Spirit of Hospitality Award recognizes the Blooming-ton Police Department’s commitment to public safety and its untiring dedication to building lasting relationships with the community it serves.

What sets the Bloomington Police Department apart from other similar organizations is its passion for connecting with the residents of the city it serves. Whether it is the department’s patrolling officers, crime prevention unit, volunteer unit or the officers stationed around Mall of America, these men and women go to great lengths to ensure Blooming-ton’s safety and quality of life.

In addition to partnering closely with the city’s hotel managers and restaurant professionals to learn about crime trends and receive tips, the Bloomington Police Department is dedicated to truly being a member of the community, getting to know people on a personal level.

It is of the utmost importance to the force to make those connections with Bloomington’s more than 85,000 residents because, as Chief of Po-lice Jeffrey Potts explains, an individual’s interaction with police is often a high-stress situation.

“We believe in policing with our community,” Potts says. “The times when people need the police the most could be the worst days of their life. We want our officers to be understanding of that.”

Examples of the department’s outstanding commitment to the city can be seen in several community engagement programs it hosts. From Coffee with a Cop, which gives people a chance to meet with officers over coffee at a local restaurant, to hosting bingo games at Bloomington’s assisted living facilities, it is abundantly clear that the department takes the oath to protect and serve a giant leap forward. The department also serves Bloomington’s multicultural citizens by hosting meetings with representatives of different ethnic communities to discuss police prac-tices and answer any questions they may have.

The Bloomington Police Department is comprised of several de-partments containing about 120 sworn officers and 40 non-sworn, volunteer officers. When asked what it means to the men and women of the force to receive this year’s Spirit of Hospitality Award, Chief Potts’ response was simple:

“With all that is going on in our country regarding policing, I know that our officers are going to be very thankful to see that their work does make a difference.”

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

Rodney Wallace Thunderbird Hotel & Convention Center, 1997

Mayor James H. LindauCity of Bloomington, 1998

John PidgeonCity of Bloomington, 1999

Gary L. GandrudFaegre & Benson, 2000

Marilyn Carlson NelsonCarlson Companies, 2001

Governor Jesse VenturaState of Minnesota, 2002

Richard AndersonNorthwest Airlines, 2003

John EdmanMN Office of Tourism, 2004

Sam ThompsonmetroConnections, 2005

Bonnie L. CarlsonBloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2006

Sen. William H. BelangerMinnesota Legislature, 2007

Jeffrey HamielMetropolitan Airports Commissions, 2008

Jim M. RamstadU.S. House of Representatives, 2009

Minnesota Zoo, 2010

Mall of America, 2011

Steve FoxGreenspring Media, 2012

Bruce KarstadtThe American Swedish Institute, 2013

David Fong FamilyDavid Fong’s, 2014

Gene WinsteadMayor of Bloomington, 2015

Jim SaccomanEmbassy Suites Bloomington, 2016

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“The Diamond Service Awards have provided outstanding recognition of Bloomington’s dedicated hospitality team for two decades. It’s a one-of-a-kind program in the U.S. industry and a big reason

why Bloomington hotels, restaurants and related organizations are nationally known for leading customer service. This in turn brings more sales to Bloomington businesses. Mall of America has

been a proud partner of the Diamond Service Awards since its inception and looks forward to many more years of saluting Bloomington’s amazing hospitality team.”

—DOUG KILLIAN, SENIOR DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM, MOA

“We are incredibly honored to have designed materials for the Diamond Service Awards since its inception 21 years ago. This program means a great deal to everyone involved because it is truly

about honoring the often unsung heroes of the hospitality industry—those individuals on the front lines, who through extraordinary commitments to exceeding customer expectations, truly keep

people coming back to visit Bloomington time and again.”

—CATHLEEN OLSON, CMO, COLOURS MARKETING + DESIGN

Bloomington Police Department

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2017 Diamond Service Awards

BEST ENGINEER/MAINTENANCE PERSONNELSean Bowman Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America

Juan Pablo Campos Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Doug Matson Homewood Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America

An Nguyen Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Jorge Oscar Perez Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bloomington Minneapolis Airport Area West

BEST HOTEL GUEST SERVICES (LIMITED SERVICE)Gloria Garner AmericInn Hotel and Suites Bloomington West

Rhoda Randle Homewood Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America

Samantha Schirmers Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America

Michael Schrufer Home2 Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Bloomington

BEST HOTEL GUEST SERVICES (FULL SERVICE)Fiona Emma Doh Hyatt Regency Bloomington-Minneapolis

Hayley Grimmer Sheraton Bloomington Hotel

Abdi Ran Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America

Joe Torres JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America

Prescilla Xiong Hyatt Regency Bloomington-Minneapolis

BEST RESTAURANT PERSONNELRosa Abbett Dick’s Last Resort

Kaleb Greene TGI Friday’s-Normandale

Stacey Parenti Hard Rock Café

Jenna Smith Hard Rock Café

Bryce Tovsen Dick’s Last Resort

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT PERSONNELRoberta Collins FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar

Annette Cummings Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Nancy Gomez Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Carmelita Stanciel FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar

Megan Tesmer Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America

BEST BANQUET/CATERING PERSONNELCarlos Castellanos Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington

Maria Escobar Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America

Cindy Lambert Minneapolis Airport Marriott

Michele Robidoux Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington-Minneapolis South

Onur Turan Radisson Blu Mall of America

BEST RETAIL PERSONNELSosena Haile Nickelodeon Universe®

Jessica Koch American Girl®

Heather Nordby American Girl®

Claudia Ramirez Brighton Collectibles

Hanna Smith Hard Rock Café

BEST BARTENDERValeria Antonova Hard Rock Café

Jessica Balts FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar

Eden Caswell-Gapinski Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America

Matthew Peterson Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington

Jessica Thorn Hard Rock Café

BEST TRANSPORTATION PERSONNELJeff Eggert Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America

DuWayne Gunderson Best Western Plus Bloomington Hotel at Mall of America

Benito Hernandez Homewood Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America

Gary Klouda Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington-Minneapolis South

Douglas Sloan AmericInn Hotel and Suites Bloomington West

BEST FOOD PRODUCTION PERSONNELGabino Delgado Hard Rock Café

Jason Lamm Hilton Garden Inn Minneapolis/Bloomington

Devery Peterson Hilton Garden Inn Minneapolis Airport Mall of America

Jose Rojas Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Severiano Vasquez-Reyes Woolley’s Steakhouse

BEST BUS/DISHWASHERJeffrey Bakke Hyatt Regency Bloomington-Minneapolis

Teyi Melenoukpo Radisson Blu Mall of America

Abdurhmen Mhamed JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America

Jose Rodriguez Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

John Wright Courtyard Bloomington by Mall of America

BEST HOSPITALITY ADMINISTRATIONManuel Contreras Jr. Mall of America®

Jordan Hartman Radisson Blu Mall of America

Athena Lopez JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America

Ilyssa Perez Crayola® Experience

Megan Schmidt Crayola® Experience

BEST GUEST RELATIONS PERSONNELKamie Olson Radisson Blu Mall of America

Amanda Ruch Mall of America®

Timothy Rutherford Mall of America®

Steven Wendt FlyOver America

BEST HOUSEKEEPING PERSONNEL (FULL SERVICE)Ericka Galicia Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington

David Jenkins Embassy Suites by Hilton Bloomington

Viky Martinez Crowne Plaza Bloomington MSP Airport/MOA

William Pinos Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington

Maria Stickney Radisson Blu Mall of America

BEST HOUSEKEEPING PERSONNEL (LIMITED SERVICE)Brad Jackson Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America

Ignacia Martinez Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bloomington Minneapolis Airport Area West

Carrie Poepping Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America

Rohanie Sook Homewood Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Mall of America

Margarita Vergara Country Inn & Suites by Carlson®, Bloomington at Mall of America “The Doubletree by Hilton hotel has been a long term partner and

supporter of the BCVB and Diamond Service Awards. It is truly an honor to be a part of hosting our industry peers to recognize the achievements,

outstanding talent and stars amongst those that selflessly serve the thousands of travelers, meeting attendees and guests from around the

globe day in and day out 365 days a year.

—LINDA DRAGT, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, DOUBLETREE BY HILTON MINNEAPOLIS – BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

“This is one of our favorite events every year because we have the

opportunity to work with the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau so closely. It is truly fun to design a room that is inspirational

and creates such an impact for the ballroom. The nominees and

winners get to experience such an elaborate evening, and when they realize it is all for them, that is the

most rewarding.”

—NANCY JACOBS, OWNER, EDG PRODUCTIONS

“We have partnered with BCVB for a number of years, and they are a truly top-rate, first-class operation. We share their passion for and dedication to this essential program that they have built to highlight key positions and

key individuals who don’t necessarily get the recognition they deserve on a daily basis. It is because of these individuals—and the thousands of others that have been honored over the past two decades—that guests continue

wanting to come back year after year.”

—EIVIND HEIBERG, CEO, SONS OF NORWAY

Farmer Brothers Coffee • Opulent Vodka

BEVERAGE SPONSORS

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

THANK YOU for helping the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau bring this incredible program to life. Your commitment to exceptional customer service is as evident as those we honor tonight.

OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the

highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” —JOHN F. KENNEDY

PLATINUM SPONSORS

DIAMOND SPONSORS

A & M Group • AC Hotel Minneapolis Bloomington and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America • Best Western Hotels • Bix Produce • Delta Air Lines • Hilton Minneapolis St. Paul Airport Mall of America •

JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America • Karlsburger Foods • New French Bakery • Sheraton Bloomington Hotel • Sam’s Club

GALA SPONSORS

@BloomingtonCVB#InBloom

#BloomingtonMN

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