The National Association of Concessionaires has named Shelley Feldman as its 2010 Bert Nathan Memorial Award honoree. The award presentation will be made on March 17 at a breakfast sponsored by Nestle during the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.

Feldman is the director of education for NAC, a past president of the association, and has 60 years of experience in the foodservice industry. “We are very pleased to honor Shelley for his decades of leadership, his dedication to the concessions industry, and his service and support to NAC,” stated NAC president Ron Krueger II of Southern Theatres.

Feldman began his career in 1950 as a district manager for ABC Consolidated, which would later be purchased by foodservice contractor Ogden Foods. By 1957, he was owner and president of a chain of snack-bar concession stands in nine states. He then held positions with foodservice equipment companies before rejoining Ogden Foods in 1967 as VP of the company’s Western region.

By 1971, he had gone out on his own and became owner of four restaurants. Selling the restaurants for more family time, he served as VP of sales and marketing and then executive VP for the Alco Foodservice Equipment Group, responsible for nine operating divisions and 11 manufacturing facilities.

In 1979, he took the position of president of the Foodservice Equipment group of McGraw-Edison Corp., which was later purchased by International Foodservice Equipment Systems, of which he also served as president. After leaving that position, he owned a company which did equipment consulting. He then formed Shelley Feldman Associates, a foodservice consulting firm.

In addition to his consulting business, Feldman also worked for 11 years in the Florida Attorney General’s Office with a program entitled “Senior vs. Crime.” He was the executive director for the program for eight years and became a nationally known crime-prevention expert who was featured on CNN, and in Time, Modern Maturity, Money and Newsweek magazines. The program used volunteer “Senior Sleuths” to uncover fraud, scams and other deceptive practices in Florida.

Feldman joined the association early in his career, and served as 1973 NAC convention program co-chair. He served on the NAC board of directors as a VP, president and chairman of the board in the 1980s. In 1990, he was named director of education for the NAC, responsible for teaching the relatively new Concession Manager Certification program. Over the last 20 years, he has taught over 800 students in all types of facilities, around the country and in four countries.

“Through his work on behalf of NAC, Shelley has been a part of the careers and successes of thousands of concession professionals,” stated NAC executive director Chuck Winans. “The fact that he knew and worked with Bert Nathan makes the award that much more meaningful.”

In 2002, Feldman was the first recipient of the NAC Mickey Warner Award for accomplishments and contributions to the development, education quality and professionalism of the concessions industry in non-theatre concessions.

Feldman has three sons and resides in Lake Worth, Florida, with his wife Elinor. Previous winners of the Bert Nathan Memorial Award are Maria Angles, Norman Chesler, Charlie Cretors, Gina Troutman DiSanto, Larry Etter, J.C. Evans, John Evans, Jr., Evan Gordon, Wally Helton, Dan Kroeger, Ron Krueger II, Jack Leonard, Peter Leyh, Frank Liberto, Libby Mauro, Mike Mosher, Bruce Proctor, Bill Rector, Krista Schulte, Robert Scribner, Skip Stefansen, Bruce Taffet, Anita Watts and the late Bill Chaplain, Len Marsh and Bert Nathan.

The award is named for the late Bert Nathan, a past president, leader and great supporter of NAC and the concessions industry. The award is given annually based on nominations from NAC members and a vote of past award recipients. Criteria for the award include involvement in NAC, providing positive leadership direction; significant contributions to the development and professionalism of the concessions industry; and current involvement at the executive level.

The National Association of Concessionaires, founded in 1944, is a trade association representing the recreation and leisure-time food and beverage concessions industry. NAC is comprised of owners and operators of all types of public-assembly facilities including movie theatres, stadiums and arenas, colleges and universities, amusement parks, park and recreation departments, ice and roller rinks, and other leisure-time foodservice operations, as well as the companies that provide products and services to these facilities.