The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has announced that Kevin Jenkins and Sharon Montgomery are the recipients of the 2023 Golden Candy Dish and Silver Candy Dish Awards, respectively.
The Candy Dish Awards are presented every year by the association’s broke community to recognise one broker and one manufacturer who have demonstrated “outstanding leadership” in the areas of confectionery sales, marketing and management. Both recipients were selected based on the candidate’s leadership skills, ability to build relationships and cultivate new business opportunities, and versatility and perseverance through the challenging business environment.
Kevin Jenkins, President of Kahler-Senders Group, has received the 2023 Golden Candy Dish, honouring him as a broke industry member who has “performed above and beyond the call of business” to promote and grow the confectionery industry. While Sharon Montgomery, Director of Sales and Marketing at Adams & Brooks, is being honoured with the 2023 Silver Candy Dish, to recognise her as a leader in confectionery manufacturing and who has made significant contributions towards growing the industry.
“Growing and expanding the chocolate and candy market is vital to the success of our industry, and that is where Kevin and Sharon excel, making both incredibly deserving of these distinctions,” explained John Downs, President and CEO of NCA. “The manufacturer-broker relationship is very special, and this year’s honorees understand that implicitly. Each exemplifies the requisites of their awards because of their leadership and dedication to pushing the confectionery industry toward the future.”
For over 25 years, Jenkins has demonstrated his dedication to the confectionery industry and worked to ensure its future. As an active participant on NCA’s Broker Advisory Council, he also volunteers for several industry groups, serving on various boards including the National Confectionery Sales Association and CandyRific. He is an engaged member of the Western Association of Food Chains and the Consolidated Sales Network.
Montgomery has 14 years of experience of working in confectionery, known for advancing industry objectives and goals by developing strategies and products to fit the needs of brokers and customers. As an active member of NCA’s Young Professionals Network since its inception, she was also named one of five Future Leaders in 2017. She is also involved with NCA’s Women Leadership Group.
This will be the first time that both of these Awards will be presented at the State of the Industry Conference, where previous award winners were honoured at the Sweets & Snacks Expo. The ceremony will be taking place on 5 March.
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