For the Reporter

Kentlake High School educator Cecilia Stec was presented with the 11th annual James H. Maynard Excellence in Education Award.

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and Golden Corral present the award, along with a $5,000 cash prize, to two ProStart educators every year for excelling in and out of the classroom.

Penny Reynolds of Carson High School (Nev.) was the other award recipient.

Stec, a culinary arts teacher, was selected from a group of 35 National ProStart Educator winners.

The Washington Restaurant Association Educational Foundation selected Stec, a culinary arts teacher, as Prostart Teacher of the Year earlier this year.

ProStart is the nation’s premier culinary arts and restaurant management program, utilized in more than 1,700 high schools in 48 states, Guam and on U.S. military bases and reaching nearly 100,000 secondary students annually.

“As an industry leader, Golden Corral is committed to education and training,” said Ted Fowler, president and CEO of Golden Corral. “It is our honor to recognize the dedication of ProStart educators like Penny and Cecilia, and the significant role they play in helping students realize opportunities that are available to them in the restaurant industry.”

The James H. Maynard Excellence in Education Award was established in 2002 in commemoration of Golden Corral’s 30th anniversary and as a tribute to Maynard, the company’s chairman and founder. Reynolds and Stec were selected from the group of 35 ProStart Educator Excellence Award winners for 2014.

The NRAEF’s ProStart Educator Excellence Awards recognize exceptional educators who utilize the ProStart program in their classrooms. Each participating state restaurant association nominates its leading educator who has demonstrated a strong commitment to his or her students and to the ProStart program.

Award recipients were honored at the NRAEF’s Educator Excellence Awards Dinner at the Warwick Allerton Hotel in Chicago on May 16.