The Chapter’s First Awards Class
The Volusia Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association held its inaugural ROSE Awards on 17 September 2026 at Daytona State College, in Cafe 101. More than 150 hospitality professionals and industry leaders attended, the association’s newsroom release records.
The ROSE Awards recognise frontline hospitality staff. The association counted nearly 50 nominees across 13 categories. More than a dozen team members received the ROSE Award pin and recognition from peers and chapter leadership. Six students from Daytona State College and Bethune-Cookman University received scholarships during the same event.
The Programme and the Price of a Seat
The chapter published the ceremony programme. Exhibits ran from 11:00 a.m. to noon, lunch at noon, and the awards at 12:30 p.m. Nominations closed on 2 September 2026.
The chapter sells tickets to the ceremony. Member tickets cost $55 per person and non-member tickets $75, with a member table of eight at $400. Sponsorship tiers run from Silver at $300 to Gold at $500, and the exclusive ROSE Sponsor tier costs $1,000 with podium recognition and a reserved table of eight. Vendor tables cost $150 for members and $250 for non-members. The nominating company buys the nominee’s ticket or table.
The Winners
Back of House Employee of the Year: Jaruse Williams, Renaissance Daytona Beach Resort. Bartender of the Year: Khalid “Ben” Benjaafar, Holiday Inn & Suites Daytona Beach on the Ocean. Chef of the Year: Mary Helen “Helen” Porter, Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Oceanfront. Banquet Employee of the Year: Daniel Burns, Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach. Valet Employee of the Year: David Chaimberlain, PMC Hard Rock.
Front Desk Employee of the Year: Michelle Jaillet, The Shores Resort and Spa. Housekeeping Employee of the Year: Donna Delucia, Holiday Inn & Suites Daytona Beach on the Ocean. Breakfast Attendant of the Year: Betty Shepherd, Hampton Inn & Suites Deland. Engineering Employee of the Year: Robert “Bobby” Rowley, Best Western Plus Daytona Inn Seabreeze. Restaurant Host of the Year: Jaedyn Kochanowski, Renaissance Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel.
Hospitality Employee of the Year: Heike Rampersad, Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. Hospitality Leader of the Year: Lynn Flanders, Ocean Center. Bob Davis Legacy Award: Domien Takx, Premier Resorts & Management.
The list reads across the county’s lodging stock: two oceanfront flags, a beach resort, a select-service property in Deland, an independent resort and spa, an oceanfront conference hotel, and the Ocean Center, the county’s publicly owned venue.
WFTV, the Cox Media Group station in Orlando, reported the ceremony and named Rampersad, Flanders and Takx in the three top categories.
The Award That Explains the Word Inaugural
The Bob Davis Legacy Award carries the chapter’s history. Bob Davis led the Lodging and Hospitality Association of Volusia County for 26 years, until his death in July 2025, EVOLVE reports. That association disbanded in November 2025.
The award recognises an individual whose dedication, leadership and service have made a lasting impact on the county’s hospitality community, in the association’s own description. Takx works at Premier Resorts & Management.
The Association Behind the Chapter
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association was founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant Association and merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel Association in 2006. It reports more than 10,000 members across independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, franchise groups, theme parks and suppliers.
Two figures for the state industry appear on the association’s own pages. The newsroom release states the industry is worth nearly $112 billion and represents two million employees. The leadership page states nearly $111 billion with approximately two million employees. The association runs the Safe Staff training programme and RCS Training, and its educational foundation operates high school hospitality programmes.
Carol Dover has served as president and chief executive officer since June 1995. She holds a degree in hotel and restaurant management from Florida State University and was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame in 2024. Destiny Neves is the Volusia Chapter regional director and organised the awards.
Dover said hospitality is built by people who show up every day with skill, commitment and a genuine desire to take care of others. Neves said the chapter looks forward to continuing the awards and honouring more hospitality staff in the years ahead.
A Programme Running in Nine Chapters
The association lists ROSE Awards for nine chapters: Broward, Hillsborough, Monroe, Northeast, Northwest, Pinellas, Space Coast, Suncoast and Volusia. The Northwest Chapter held its first ceremony on 16 September 2026 in Destin, one day before the Volusia chapter’s.