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Restaurant industry veteran Ted Balestreri, Chairman and CEO of the Cannery Row Company and co-owner of the Sardine Factory restaurant in Monterey, Calif., is the first recipient of the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Legends Award. He was presented the award at this year's International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) Gold & Silver Plate Dinner on May 20^th in Chicago.

The NRA Legends Award, which will be bestowed annually, is a collaboration with IFMA and honors an individual whose lifelong contributions to the foodservice and hospitality industry have been extraordinary. Achieving career leadership in the Association, serving as a role model within the industry, and giving the highest level of service throughout their career, are also considering factors, along with the individual's impact on their community. The honoree is selected by the NRA Board of Governance Committee, in recognition of their dedication to the advancement, protection and development of the hospitality industry. Balestreri was selected from 14 million employees in the U.S. restaurant industry, the largest retail employer in the country with one million restaurants.

Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the NRA presented the award to Balestreri. "Ted Balestreri is a giant in our industry," Sweeney said. "He has changed the landscape of restaurants and hospitality, and personally and professionally shaped our industry's history in America. He is a business genius, and industry advocate, an irrepressible role model, and a leader who truly inspires. We are thrilled to bestow this inaugural honor."

In 1985 Balestreri was chairman of the NRA and has served on the board for more than 40 years. He hosts the annual Ted J. Balestreri Leadership Classic, which just completed its 25^th year, and also serves on the board of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

Tirelessly dedicated to the development of the hospitality industry both on the Monterey Peninsula and throughout the United States, Ted has served as President of the California Restaurant Association and Monterey County Hospitality Association. He was Chairman of the U.S. Culinary Team Foundation and Chairman of Distinguished Restaurants of North America.

Ted was appointed as a Commissioner of the California Travel and Tourism Commission and served through 2007, the longest-seated Tourism Commissioner in the State's history. He sits on the Board of the World Travel & Tourism Council. In 2016 he was appointed to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which reports to the Secretary of Commerce.

Balestreri's contributions to the foodservice industry have resulted in many awards including the IFMA Gold Plate Award, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and induction into the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Hall of Fame. He received Restaurant Hospitality magazine's Hall of Fame Award and the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement, a non-profit group dedicated to the education and inspiration of youth across the country. He was also voted one of the "50 Power Players in America" in the foodservice industry by top trade publication Nations Restaurant News.

His awards and achievements in the hospitality, business, and tourism industries are extensive, and include the prestigious Hall of Leaders Award given by the Travel Industry Association of America, as well as various humanitarian awards.