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32 www.ohiorestaurant.org Spring Issue

Nicholas “Nick” Zuk, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for White Castle System, Inc., recently addressed the Ohio Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors at its March 2011 board meeting at J. Liu’s in Worthington. Zuk was appointed by Governor John Kasich to serve as Chairman of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Board of Directors.

As all ORA members know quite well, workers’ compensation insurance is a signifcant cost of doing business for any foodservice operator. ORA President & CEO Geoff Hetrick noted the importance of Zuk’s appointment to the BWC’s board.

“He served the ORA well as our Chairman and will do an excellent job in his new role with the BWC,” Hetrick said. “The ORA team looks forward to working with Nick, the BWC board and Administrator Buehrer to make the system as efficient and cost-effective as possible.”

In the comments he shared with the board, Zuk touched on how he was looking forward to utilizing his foodservice experience to serve Ohio’s employers and injured workers. For nearly 20 years, he has overseen White Castle’s Risk Management Program, which comprises both states in which White Castle is self-insured, including Ohio, and also the

states where White Castle is not self-insured. Additionally, since 1992, he has been a trustee of White Castle’s pension plan and profit-sharing plan, responsible along with other trustees for investing and managing approximately $360 million in assets. Zuk has a long history of service to the people of the State

of Ohio in general and the restaurant industry in particular. He was the industry representative to the National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors; chaired the National Council of Chain Restaurants; and served from 2005 to 2006 as Chairman of the Ohio Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors.’

The Ohio ProStart® program, under the direction of the Ohio Restaurant Association Education Foundation (ORAEF), recently announced that Kathy Zay, CCE of Tolles Career & Technical Center in Plain City, was named the recipient of the 2011 Ohio ProStart Educator of Excellence Award. Zay was recently recognized for her achievement in Chicago at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) ProStart® Educator Excellence Awards.

“Ohio ProStart unites the industry and the classroom to create a unique and unparalleled experience for students,” said Sharon K.M. Fish, the ORAEF’s Executive Director. “Our dedicated ProStart educators work diligently to create that

vital bridge for their students. Kathy embodies all the talents that make ProStart educators successful and is very deserving of this honor.

With more than 30 years of experience in culinary arts, Zay has taught countless students the necessary skills to succeed in the foodservice industry. Zay’s career in foodservice began in 1979. Over the years, she’s honed her skills under the watchful eyes of culinary greats like John Phillip Souza, under whom she interned from 1990 – 2003 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Due to her many achievements, the ORAEF was honored to award her this year’s Educator Excellence Award.

News Bites

ORA Chairman Lynn Brown welcomed Ohio BWC Chairman Nickolas Zuk to the March 2011 meeting of the Ohio Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors. Pictured in this photo (left to right) are: Chairman Brown, Outback Steakhouse, Columbia Station; Chairman Zuk; ORA President & CEO Geoff Hetrick and Director of Government Affairs Richard Mason.

Kathy Zay, CCE of Tolles Career & Technical Center in Plain City, was named the recipient of the 2011 Ohio ProStart Educator of Excellence Award.