Rob Lehman Named 2021 Bert Nathan Award Honoree

The National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) has announced that Rob Lehman, Chief Operating Officer, Santikos Entertainment, has been selected as the 2021 Bert Nathan Memorial Award Honoree. Presented by NAC each year to recognize leadership and significant accomplishment in the Theatre Concessions Industry, the award honors the late Bert Nathan, a past president of the Association and industry leader. The presentation will take place on October 27, 2021 at the Awards Luncheon during the 2021 Concession & Hospitality Expo at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. The recipient is chosen by vote of the majority of previous Bert Nathan Award recipients.

Rob Lehman has been the Chief Operating Officer of Santikos Entertainment since 2017. In his role as COO, Lehman is responsible for the daily theater operations, training, marketing and is running the Food and Beverage department. Santikos currently has 11 locations all in the San Antonio, Texas market.

Lehman has over 25 years of experience in the film exhibition industry, with a prior tenure at Kerasotes Theaters where he started as a manager in training and then took over the Food and Beverage department in 1999 through 2010. After consulting for Rave Motion Pictures for a year and then working at Continental Concession Supplies, he went to work at Carmike Cinemas in 2013 as Vice President of Food and Beverage.

Santikos Theaters was the first exhibitor to reopen after the pandemic shut-down, and Lehman led NAC Reopening Conference Calls sharing the challenges he faced during reopening, and detailing how Santikos was able to help lead the industry toward a safe and successful reopening. One industry colleague recalled, “He was honest, open, and forthright in outlining the problems he had to overcome from all sides and shared his successes, failures, and pivots during the process.”

Lehman, who has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Illinois State University, served as Chairman of the NAC Golf Committee for two years. In 2020, he was asked to be on the National Association of Theaters Owners (NATO) Cinema Reopening Operations Working Group to help create the guide for all theaters to operate during the COVID crisis. In 2021, he will become a new member of the NAC Board of Directors.

In recognition of leading NAC and the exhibition industry out of the pandemic and into recovery, Lehman, along with Rob Novak of Marcus Theaters and Doreen Sayegh of the Cranford Theater, will receive a special ICON Award presented by ShowEast and NAC. The ICON Award will be presented at ShowEast on November 8-11 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Rob Lehman joins a long list of exceptionally talented and generous honorees. Past recipients of the Bert Nathan Award include Maria Angles, ECM; Brian Biehn, Norman Chesler; Andrew Cretors, ACS; Charlie Cretors; Denise de Zutter; Gina DiSanto, CCM; Larry Etter, CCM; John Evans, Jr.; Tim Farha; Evan Gordon; Adam Gottlieb, ACS; Wally Helton, ECM; John Irace; Tony Irace; Dan Kroeger; Ron Krueger II; Bill LeClair; Jack Leonard; Peter Leyh; Libby Mauro; Mike Mosher; Shelly Olesen, ACS; Bruce Proctor, ECM; Bill Rector; Krista Schulte; Robert Scribner; Jeff Scudillo; Bob Shimmin; Bruce Taffet; Anita Watts and the late Bill Chaplain, J.C. Evans, Shelley Feldman, Frank Liberto, Bert Nathan and Skip Stefansen.

About NAC: The National Association of Concessionaires, founded in 1944, is the trade association for the recreation and leisure-time food and beverage concessions industry. Members are comprised of the owners and operators of facilities such as: Movie Theatres, Stadiums & Arenas, Zoos & Aquariums, Colleges & Universities, Foodservice Contractors, Park & Recreation Departments, Amusement Parks & Family Entertainment Centers, Ice and Roller Skating Rinks, Racetracks, Bowling Centers, Outdoor facilities, Convention centers and Performing Arts Centers. Our members also are the companies that provide products and services to these facilities, including: Suppliers, Equipment Manufacturers, Popcorn Processors, Jobber Distributors, Consultants and Brokers.

For more information:
Chris Dammann
Executive Vice President
612-849-8418
cdammann@naconline.org

Category: News Releases