The main entrance to Traditions at Scott. Credit: Lantern file photo
Zia Ahmed, senior director of University Dining Services, realized his love for the food service industry as a student employee at the University of Akron.
It was in one of his computer science classes where he said the light bulb went off in his head to switch majors to business so that he could continue his work in the field he admires most.
After graduating from Akron, he said he became the director of Dining Services there before taking on his role at Ohio State in 2010.
“From the time that I knew I was going to make a career out of college university food service, I knew that Ohio State was going to be my dream job,” Ahmed said.
Not only has he fulfilled his dream, but he’s made an impact while doing it — Ahmed and University Dining Services became recipients of the 2020 Silver Plate Award presented by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Nov. 2.
The Gold and Silver Plate Awards are food service’s most prestigious awards, and winners are chosen based on operator achievements and industry excellence, according to the IFMA website.
The awards are not just for college and university dining services but any food service company in the industry, such as health care and senior living facilities, Ahmed said.
The judges who nominate individuals for the award include people from different sectors within the food service industry, including food manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, food service media and the previous year’s winners of the award, Ahmed said.
He said he had heard of past winners and the high regard of the award but had otherwise never given it much thought.
“Most professionals are not thinking about awards,” Ahmed said. “They are going about their life, doing what they need to do.”
Ahmed said there is no monetary value assigned to the award but rather recognition by the committee during the annual award ceremony, which was held virtually this year.
Lesa Holford, corporate executive chef for University Dining Services, said the Silver Plate is one of the industry’s most prestigious awards, and winning recognizes Ahmed’s commitment to dining services and student development.
“The department is proud to work under such an inclusive and dynamic leader,” Holford said.
Holford said that although she is proud to have played a part in receiving the award, their team is what makes them successful.
“[Ahmed] has created a culture that focuses on supporting each other as a whole, and I am grateful for his recognition,” Holford said. “Zia would say, ‘A vision is nothing without a team.’”
Ahmed said he owes this award to the dining service department’s desire for innovation and affordability.
In 2014, University Dining Services was on the cover of “Food Management” magazine as the Innovator of the Year award winner, Ahmed said.
“That was the biggest thing that we seemed like we take the lead on — doing new things to make dining a better experience for our students,” Ahmed said.
When Ahmed and Dining Services began mobile ordering in 2016, he said they became the No. 1 mobile-ordering campus in the nation, and that has helped since the pandemic began.
“It is because of the groundwork that we have done and working with the mobile ordering technology provider and all the [research and development] we have done,” Ahmed said. “It put the rest of the industry in a better place due to COVID.”
Ahmed was also a leader amongst other Big Ten schools when it came to creating and collaborating on a game plan for the unprecedented semester.
“From day one we had a plan in place in terms of if and when we were going to open,” Ahmed said. “We feel really good about serving the students that we are serving in a safe way.”
Ahmed said the largest change in innovation in his last 10 years of working at Ohio State was making sure diversity and inclusion were at the forefront of their operation. He said the department has made a commitment to assist those with special dietary needs.
“I feel very proud of where we were when I first joined Ohio State University and where we are at now,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said it is always a point of pride to be recognized and awarded for hard work.
“While it is also physically and emotionally demanding work, at the same time it is a very rewarding work for people like me who love doing the work that they do, because I cannot think of another profession other than serving that can be more noble,” Ahmed said.
Holford said after knowing Ahmed for many years, he still challenges her everyday.
“He empowers employees, and he certainly challenges me as a chef to be creative with my menu engineering,” Holford said.
Ahmed said he feels humbled by receiving the Silver Plate Award, especially given the talent and experience of past winners.
“Most importantly, I am more humbled because of all the people who have helped me along the way,” Ahmed said. “That’s the best part about this award — you have a lot of people who have their contribution in it.”
