NFEF is honored to recognize its corporate sponsors who help support the mission to engage in innovative research and education that promote the Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional through annual donations.

NFEF’s first major corporate support came in 2014 from Sysco, Direct Supply and Reinhart Foodservice – identified as ‘Founding Partners.’ These corporate sponsors supported the Foundation with monetary donations and service on advisory committees to help further identify Foundation research initiatives and educational programs.

Originally founded in 1994 as the Dietary Managers Association (DMA) Foundation, the Foundation was rebranded and restructured as the Nutrition & Foodservice Education Foundation (NFEF) in 2012. The Founding Partners were instrumental in this effort and continue their support of the Foundation to this day.

As the sole continuous Pinnacle Sponsor, Sysco continues to support NFEF at the highest sponsor level and also has representation on the Board of Trustees to help guide and direct NFEF programs and services.

Sysco is the world’s global foodservice leader, supporting customers in 90 different countries around the world, and lives at the heart of food and service. Their customer base includes a variety of areas including restaurants, healthcare and senior living, foodservice management, and much more.

With a wide assortment of products and technology, customers, including foodservice directors, are empowered to make decisions quickly and easily. Sysco brings an extraordinary range of capabilities and valuable services to acute and senior dining operations - from food and beverages to supplies, equipment, and systems.

Direct Supply is also a Founding Partner and continues to support NFEF at the Visionary level. Shellee Roloff, Sr. Category Manager, Foodservice & Furnishings of Direct Supply serves as the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Roloff shares, “in addition to serving on the Foundation Board for the past five years, I had the opportunity to sit on the Grants & Awards committee and can attest to the fact that the grants go to very deserving individuals. Reading through the applications was both heartbreaking and inspiring. So many applicants were working to overcome serious life challenges. Despite hardships, they express a passion and dedication to the profession, which is a huge inspiration.”

With more than 30 years of experience serving senior living, Direct Supply’s team is dedicated to deliver tailored solutions and to help support the important work its customers do every day. With Direct Supply, you can find wellness solutions that your residents rely on and caregivers trust with products and equipment to meet the lifestyle demands of unique seniors.

Reinhart Foodservice is the third Founding Partner for NFEF and remains a Visionary level supporter. Rather than giving general sponsorship dollars to NFEF as it did in the early rebranding stages, Reinhart Foodservice has a keen interest in helping constituents become CDM, CFPPs. As such, they have directed their support dollars towards the Reinhart CDM Exam Preparation and the Certification Exam Grant programs.

Reinhart is a family-owned enterprise and is one of the largest foodservice distributors in the country, serving independent restaurants, delis, sporting venues, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, the military, and regional and national chain restaurants. Reinhart is committed to the highest level of customer service, safety, and sustainability, and deliver timely and innovative solutions to customers – including menu planning assistance, trends & industry insights, nutrition services support, kitchen management software and training, and more. With 26 distribution centers, Reinhart offers thousands of products that will suit every operator’s need.

NFEF continues to support its mission thanks to its founding partners. View all NFEF supporters here.