Lehigh Acres resident and McDonald’s manager wins prestigious national award
Fort Myers is home to one of the nation’s top managers at a McDonald’s restaurant. Steven Chappell, general manager at the McDonald’s restaurant at 11041 Colonial Blvd., recently received the Ray Kroc Award, an annual award that recognizes the top performing restaurant managers in the country.
Named after McDonald’s Corporation founder Ray Kroc, the award was established in 1999 to honor hardworking managers in both corporate owned and independently owned and operated restaurants – those who make Ray Kroc’s vision of excellence come to life in restaurants and for customers each day.
This year, an elite group of 142 McDonald’s managers were selected to receive the Ray Kroc Award. As a recipient, Mr. Chappell was presented with a cash prize, custom engraved award trophy, ring, pin and jacket. He was also honored at an awards luncheon at McDonald’s regional office in Tampa, hosted by regional general manager Karen Garcia and regional vice president Harry Thomas, were he was presented with a commemorative watch and certificate of honor. Last month, he also enjoyed a four-day trip to Chicago, to attend the Ray Kroc Awards Annual Gala, hosted by McDonald’s USA, LLC president Mike Andres.
Ray Kroc built the McDonald’s business on the belief that greatness can only be achieved through the dedication and support of a company’s people. The award was named after him based on his commitment to people and recognizing their contributions to the organization he helped establish. Each year, this prestigious award is given to the top 1 percent of general managers for the Ray Kroc Award.