Director & Executive Chef
Culinary & Nutritional Services
UNC REX Healthcare
Ryan Conklin CEC- Director & Executive Chef, Culinary and Nutritional Services, UNC Rex Healthcare, Raleigh, NC
Currently he is the Immediate President for The Association of Healthcare Foodservice. This is the first time a chef has led this association, which truly is a testament to the evolving landscape of chefs in the healthcare and senior dining industry.
Ryan is a proud advocate for all things culinary in healthcare. He has been featured in numerous industry trade magazines such as Modern Healthcare, Food Management Magazine, Foodservice Director, Today’s Dietician, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, as well as a guest on NPR Radio and numerous television outlets.
After his formal training at The Culinary Institute of America, he worked for the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, and continued sharpening his skills as a restaurant chef in Limerick Ireland, Sarasota, Florida and New York’s Hudson Valley Region. He has been managing healthcare foodservice for the past 18 years in both New York and North Carolina, and is completely committed to reinventing modern healthcare cuisine, thus removing the label of “Hospital Food.” He is a Certified Executive Chef through The American Culinary Federation.