ONEONTA _ McDonald's can boast of selling billions of burgers and of having a manager in Oneonta who is one of 139 super servers.
Terrance ``Terry'' Houck, manager at the Chestnut Street restaurant, recently received the Ray Kroc Award, an annual performance-based honor.
Named after McDonald's corporate founder, the award was established in 1999, and 139 managers from McDonald's 14,000 restaurants nationwide were selected for the 2008 recognition. Recipients attended a corporate celebration in Chicago earlier this month.
Houck said the honor was overwhelming and humbling, considering the number of managers at McDonald's.
``I work very hard and I try my best,'' Houck said. ``To be chosen out of thousands of deserving people proves that I can actually make a difference.
``I can say I did it _ I reached the top,'' Houck said in a prepared statement. ``Now, I will maintain the level of excellence expected of store operations by my customers and staff."
As manager at the McDonald's at 379 Chestnut St., Houck oversees operations and supervises three full-time and 27 part-time employees.
He said the award was based on sales, employee turnover rates, corporate inspections and results from ``mystery shoppers'' who visit unannounced. Tia Robinson, his supervisor, nominated him, he said.
A committee of representatives from McDonald's operations, training and human resources unit reviewed nominated managers and selected the top 1 percent for the Ray Kroc Award.
Houck, 40, started working on the McDonald's crew in 1987, and became manager at the Chestnut Street restaurant in November 1998.
``Terry's unwavering commitment to customer service and excellence shines through in the work that he does each and every day," Dean Colley, owner and operator of the Chestnut Street and five other area McDonald's Restaurants, said in a media release. "We are so proud to have Terry as part of our McDonald's family and commend him on this truly amazing honor."
Houck said a favorite part of his job is talking with customers, including regulars and travelers.
The Ray Kroc Award includes $2,500, a trophy and pin and attendance at the Chicago banquet, which was held at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers.
Houck graduated from Norwich High School in 1987 and from the State University College of Technology at Delhi, where he earned an associate's degree in automotive mechanics.
Houck lives in Mount Vision with his wife, Christy, and children, Skye, 13, Terissa, 8 and Joshua, 5.
On behalf of the Oneonta McDonald's, Houck has provided free sandwiches for volunteer staff involved with the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon for the past 11 years. In addition, Houck and the Oneonta McDonald's donate creamers, sugar, cups and napkins to the area's annual Friends of Christmas event.
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$2,500.
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