We’re proud to ring in this year’s Golden Bell and Signature Restaurant winners. Five of our Midwest Taco Bells and their GMs were named Golden Bell recipients plus one exceptional Area Coach (AC), Kent Farris of Area 32! In addition, 148 Border Foods Taco Bells are 2025 Signature Restaurants.
Golden Bell represents the “best of the best” in the entire Taco Bell system, our famous brand’s highest honor. Being named as such means a restaurant has also achieved “signature status.” Top General Managers (GMs) and ACs are awarded a trip!
[impact] Achieving Signature Restaurant status according to Taco Bell means you’ve demonstrated “the mastery of both the science and the art of running a premier Taco Bell.”
For Golden Bell consideration, restaurants and managers are evaluated on: Supreme 5-star ratings, transaction growth and guest reviews. Criteria for Area Coaches includes:
Highest number of restaurants
Highest Supreme standing
Most guests served
Top-tier service (5% Bells)
Congratulations to the following good as gold winners (who are heading to Hawaii)!
29904 Little Falls, MN GM: Chad Zinda
37583 Jamestown, ND AGM: Keily Mittleider
37588 Rock Island Place – Bismarck, ND GM: Colleen Gruchow
We’re pleased to give bragging rights to this year’s Best of the Best (BOTB) award trip winners!
Each year we reward top performers with a much-deserved spot on Border Foods’ BOTB Mexico trip. Recognized recently during our first-ever “Rally Week,” these lucky people join a long list of past recipients who’ve worked hard to beach harder!
Border Foods has been rewarding excellence, one beach at a time, since 2016.
This April, we’ll whisk these winners away to Marival Resort & Spa’s five-star, all-inclusive Armony, located on Destiladeras Beach in Punta de Mita. Congratulations, you deserve this!
Region Coaches
Dawn VanMaanen, Region 7 Debra Fraser, Region 9 Jarret Persons, Region 8 Jennifer Copeland, Region 4 LouAnn Hansen, Region 6 Nathan Besler, Region 5 Octivia Erickson, Region 3 Steve Daggett, Region 2
Area Coaches
Alfredo Briones, Area 10 Alyse Eckert, Area 2 Amanda Hobbs, Area 9 Bobbie Hansen, Area 33 Chelsea James, Area 28 Constance Horan, Area 40 Dan Pesota, Area 6 Heather Aos, Area 31 Jacob Woltjer, Area 26 Jeremy Stepp, Area 7 Josh Miller, Area 21 Juli Froehlig, Area 45 Kent Farris, Area 32 Melvin Mora, Area 11 Nicole Davis, Area 4 Tina Brown, Area 39 Yasser Gharib, Area 8
General Managers
Alexander Joshua Bray, Cambridge, MN Alicia Schaefer, Albertville, MN Amy Dawson, Plymouth Station, MN Andrea Ramirez, Fridley, MN Angela Buffington, Crystal, MN Araceli Aguilar, Hopkins, MN Barb Bunney, North Street, SD Brandon Rosillo, Fairmont, MN Brittany Caldwell, Monmouth, IL Cesar Figueroa, Nathan Lane, MN Chad Zinda, Little Falls, MN Christian Scribner, University, ND Dakota Gleason, Sherman, MI Douglas Sibley, Whitehall, MI Edgar Medina Ortiz, Minnetonka, MN Edna De Leon Sanchez, Edina, MN Elizabeth Danielson, Northfield, MN Ezra Young, Alexandria, MN John Wen, Grandville, MI Jordan Melaragno, Brookings, SD Jose Jimenez, Woodbury, MN Jose Tapia, Lakeville, MN Justin Perry, Sturgis, MI Kevin Stimeling, E Main Street, IL Laura Swenson, Perryville, IL Lindsay Stimeling, Henderson Street, IL Luann Fuerstenberg, Sun Prairie, WI Mackenzie Hass, Willmar, MN Manasseh Williams, Ridgedale, MN Martika Cox, Whitney Way, WI Mary St. Clair, Maple Grove, MN Matar Ndiaye, Roseville, MN Matthew Hicks, Portage, MI McKenzie Murphy, Andover, MN Melinda Cegielski, Hudson , WI Merlyn Rodas Martinez, Edinburgh, MN Michelle Luoma, Grand Avenue, MN Nid Lee, Vadnais Heights, MN Purnell Moralez-Barnes, Cottage Grove, MN Robert Ball, Fruitport, MI Scott Squires, Victory Lane, MN Seng Thao, Brooklyn Center, MN Shane Huggins, Kalamazoo, MI Tiffany Bowyer, Cedar Springs, MI Timothy Wegler, Osseo, MN Tracy Jackson, Apple Valley, MN William White, Lowell, MI
Support Staff
Kyra Hennek, Payroll Specialist Logan Alderson, Loss Prevention Manager Regina Zeddell, Payroll Specialist Teri Staggemeyer, VP, Finance and Accounting Evan Hatton, Business Intelligence Analyst
Heart of Border Foods
LouAnn Hansen, Region 6 Coach Tranquility Deveroux, Territory Training Leader Vince Bosscher, Chief Ops Officer
If we’ve learned anything here at Border Foods, it’s that decades-long Taco Bell careers aren’t an anomaly. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t all worth celebrating!
One of our most recent work anniversaries is particularly special: Kelly Lawver, Area Coach (AC) in Rockford, IL, just celebrated 35 years with Taco Bell in July. We wanted to take a moment to congratulate him and spotlight all the incredible work he’s done over the last three decades!
Work Worth Aspiring to
What stands out when looking back at Kelly’s professional experience is just how quickly he was able to climb the career ladder. Kelly started out as a Taco Bell team member in July 1990, becoming an Assistant General Manager (AGM) just a year later. Then, shortly after his time as an AGM, he became a Restaurant General Manager (RGM). While he was an RGM, Kelly helped open three new restaurants in Perryville, Machesney Park and McFarland, IL. Talk about impressive!
Before Kelly was promoted to Area Coach, he was also Management Development Specialist for a year in Milwaukee, WI alongside Corinne Kindred, HR Business Partner. When we acquired his region in 2015, he officially joined the Border Foods family.
The Only Constant is Change
A career as long as Kelly’s naturally sees a lot of changes, no matter the industry — but in QSR, things move especially fast. Kelly shares that the biggest challenge he’s faced over the last 35 years has been keeping up with all the latest restaurant developments, particularly those that involve new technology. He says that he believes leading is personal, and that implementing various software and systems can make it hard to maintain a personal touch. However, Kelly shares that he was able to ride the tech wave thanks to all of the support from his leaders.
Team is Everything
The people that Kelly has worked with over the last 35 years have left a big impact. He says that he loves the family culture he’s experienced at Border, and that he was particularly inspired by the leadership of Carol Williams, our former VP of Operations who sadly passed away in 2018. “I want to be for my people what she was for me,” Kelly says.
For anyone wanting to have a team-oriented career like Kelly’s, he gives the following advice: ”Surround yourself with great people and invest in them at all levels. It’s not what you accomplish, but the impact you make in people’s lives.” We couldn’t agree more!
35 Years Of Great Memories
When asked about his fondest Taco Bell memories, Kelly struggles to pick just one. He shares that winning the Eastern Division RGM of the Year Award was a particular standout, as was going to Mexico (seven times!) — trips that were rewards from us for all of his stellar work.
We’re so grateful to have Kelly on our team and want to congratulate him on such an incredible milestone!
It’s time to celebrate this year’s winners of the Carol Williams Scholarship by Border Foods! Named in honor of our beloved late Vice President of Operations, this program is aimed at supporting our team members in pursuit of dreams outside the restaurant. Funds for this life-changing opportunity are raised at our annual Swinging for Scholarships golf event.
Please join us in congratulating our 2025 recipients, all of whom were awarded $15,000 each to further their education goals:
Quinn Ohlemacher-Lonetti, Buffalo, MN Aaliyah Moelter, Hudson, WI Ray Jimenez, North St Paul, MN Logan Gross, Little Falls, MN Kaleb Teshome, Lakeville, MN Matthew Spaulding, Woodbury, MN Nichole Dittbrender, Superior, WI Madison Schwartz, Monticello, MN Al Connelly, Muskegon, MI
Want to see your name on this list next year? Check back in early 2026 for application deadlines. In the meantime, check out additional details here!
Meet Heather Aos, Area Coach(AC) of Border Foods’ Area 31, which comprises all of our Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula(UP). This gal knows a little something about elevating a career with us — her words, not ours!
Heather joined Border Foods eight years ago with our large acquisition of UP and central Michigan Taco Bells. Today, she’s a recent Golden Bell winner, an eight-time recipient of a spot on our annual Best of the Best(BOTB) reward trip to Mexico, and an oh-so-worthy subject of a Core Value spotlight for embodying daily excellence in her work.
[Border Foods] does unbelievable things for you.
– Heather Aos, Area Coach
We caught up with Heather in Cabo to hear more about how she got here and her most meaningful advice for others seeking to follow a similar path.
The History of Heather
“I started back in high school, so I was 15 and basically, I needed a job,” Heather shares. Her main motivation at the time was earning enough money to buy the car she wanted. Her first Taco Bell job was working for her best friend’s mom, a person she revered but lost unexpectedly to illness. By the time Heather graduated from high school, she was already a Shift Manager.
Heather continued to climb the career ladderwith natural inclination and drive. She was promoted to Assistant General Manager(AGM) about four years before we acquired her location. She’s only been away from the Taco Bell brand for six months during her entire career!
Within that first year, they developed me to be an Area Coach … I got the whole UP and that was kind of my dream career!
–Heather Aos, Area Coach
Heather takes us back to the time of the Michigan acquisition. She says she remembers thinking the things she was hearing from our leadership about competitive pay and other perks were too good to be true. But she soon realized what she was hearing was real — higher pay, bonus potential and recognition in the form of an all-expenses paid trip to Mexico, these are all a part of making lives better.
“It seems unreal sometimes,” she admits.“These trips are just the tip of the iceberg.”
Heather Knows Best
So how can you, achieve career growth like Heather and earn a reward trip? Well first, you can’t win if you don’t join! Check out our current job openings.
“We work really really hard all year round,” Heather says.“You have to be‘on it’ from the start of the year to the end of the year.”
Heather emphasizes consistency and remaining high performing all year.“You can’t let something slip to get to this trip,” she adds.
Heather touches on the importance of developing the bench:“Try to keep everyone who you have in the store. Make great hires. And then have the‘pedal to the metal’ everyday.”
Heather appears to be living her best work life right now. She oozes of praise for Border Foods and reflects on having the good fortune of working with eight different teams in the course of her career. She doesn’t show any signs of slowing down!
And, this could be YOU! The time to elevate your career to the next level is now. Buckle up!
We caught up with dedicated Service and Food Champion Brenda Foley in Cancún, Mexico, where she was enjoying some well-deserved beachside relaxation — on us! Brenda, a 30-year veteran with our company, won time away from her Taco Bell family in Stillwater, MN, as one of this year’s Heart of Border Foods(HOBF) recipients.
“Brenda cares a lot about people,” HR Business Partner Richelle Johnson shares in the award reveal video.“People who work with her, she’s kind of like a mom to all of those kids in Stillwater.”
The Heart of Border Foods Award is about taking care of others, family and teamwork.
On Becoming Our Beloved Brenda
Brenda takes us back to her beginning with Border Foods. She shares that her career here started when she was babysitting for a restaurant manager who thought she should come work for her at Taco Bell. Starting as a Service Champion, Brenda recalls working the restaurant lobby for her first five years alongside another revered Border Foods veteran, Sr. Safety & Risk Manager Juli Sargent.
She was a young, single mom at the time. For Brenda, Taco Bell proved to be a great fit(her words, not ours). The champion role offered flexibility for young parents — and later, the very same flexibility was available as she navigated personal health issues.
She’s had several great mentors along the way — and the same has definitely been said about her! Over her three decades with us, Brenda has been offered other internal positions and promotions, some of which she’s turned down. She says she was always certain she didn’t want to get“stuck in an office.”
According to her, it’s rare to work for a company like Border Foods.“They don’t push,” she explains.“They make sure that you’re ready and that, if it’s not a‘right fit’ for you, it’s not a right fit.”
It IS like a family … they think about you.
Brenda Foley, Service & Food Champion
Being supported and mentored throughout the years has helped Brenda to develop into the loved leader she is today. It’s also certainly given her the kind of fulfillment that keeps her beaming light shining so bright for her team and all the restaurant regulars. People come in to the Stillwater Taco Bell just to see her!
Thinking about the Big 3-0
Thirty years with one company is a supreme commitment. What does Brenda think about the milestone?
She recalls a time early on when she met someone who’d been with Border Foods for five years.“I was like,‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that you’ve been there for five years!’” she recounts.“And here I am, my 30 years!”
When asked what’s next for her, Brenda responds,“Just to be who I am still and keep continuing to mentor.“
At Border Foods, we’re proud to be the kind of employer that allows its team members to be their authentic selves.
“I hope I have a lot of good years left to stay[here],” Brenda adds.
Congratulations on your 30-year service anniversary, Brenda! You’ve been a delight to many, and we’re so fortunate to have positive people like you that the next generation can look up to.
Our annual Best of the Best(BOTB) reward trip has once again come and gone, but we’re still reveling in all the fun times we had! The closing Sunset Toast celebration is our grand finale, where we hand out a host of“Fun Awards” designed to capture the on-the-spot creativity only time away from work can inspire!
Thank you to the following individuals for bringing some extra enthusiasm to the beach(and for giving us reason to come up with this lighthearted list of awards):
Congratulations to this year’s Taco Bell Live MásScholarship recipients from Border Foods Taco Bells! This ambitious groupproves that there are zero limits to what you can do with your future. Representing nine exciting career interests, they work hard and study harder!
What’s really inspiring is their common desire to help others. First-time $25,000 award recipient Angie Acosta plans to become an ER nurse. She’s determined to contribute to better health care access and also, being bilingual, help break down language barriers.
“My passion is being a caregiver,” she says.“I just really love helping others and giving effective care to everyone, regardless of the situation or the setting.”
Daria Kianian, another new recipient with $10,000 in Live Más support, dreams of becoming a genetic counselor. She’s already making a difference as co-president of her school’s Red Cross Club. Their fall blood drive brought in enough donations to save 180 lives!
Apply, Win, Repeat
This year, our Live Más scholars have landed a combined total of $155,000 in well deserved educational support from the Taco Bell Foundation! Some are brand new, others are repeat winners — regardless, the impact is enormous.
I see the end of one path in the distance, but with it, the beginning of another.
-Jayden Beach, Technology
Previous recipient Tamera Afraid of Lightening had just convinced herself that she must not have won this year the day we surprised her. She was elated!
Tamera is a single working mom who had been commuting to college but, recently discovered her program was now available at a school closer to home, so she switched. But the downside of proximity was that tuition was more expensive.
“This scholarship will put less of a financial burden on me,” she explains.“it will let me perform and be a great student, it will let me be a great mother who can be there physically for her son … and it will also help me be a great employee so I can balance my work, mom and student life.”
Jayden Beach, also a repeat winner, is in his final stretch of college. He’s been awarded $25,000! With two semesters left, he’s looking for jobs in the technology field.
“None of this would have been possible without the Live Más Scholarship,” he says.“And I will forever be thankful for what I’ve been able to accomplish so far.”
This kind of impact never gets old. We’re so proud to be associated with the Taco Bell Foundation! Congratulations to this year’s fab 13!
$25,000
Angie Acosta, Medicine NEW! Jayden Beach, Technology
$15,000
Rashida James, Medicine
$10,000
Brenden Ohlemacher-Lonetti, Criminal Justice NEW! Daria Kianian, Science NEW! Isabella Rodriguez, Beauty & Fashion NEW! JayLa Bohanon, Medicine NEW! Johnathan Tribby, Music NEW! Kaleb Teshome, Engineering NEW! Khoa Le, Science NEW! Tamera Afraid of Lightening, Medicine
$5,000
Matthew Fogg, Technology NEW! Rebecca Murphy, Food NEW!
You might say our 2024 Best of the Best reward trip was the most engaging one yet! It was our pleasure to treat 72hardworking individuals and their guests to five days of R&R in paradise atSecrets of Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico. Let’s just say, lots of fun was had!
About BOTB
Each year, we honor our commitment to giving recognition where it’s due by plucking a deserving group of Area Coaches(AC), Restaurant General Managers(RGM) and support staff out of the restaurant or office scene and flying them to an island in the sun. This year’s adventure included delicious dinners, exciting excursions, and plenty of time to kick back to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze. We can’t be the best of the best at what we do without these amazing people, and this annual reward trip is how we properly convey that gratitude!
The Ultimate Side Story
One thing that was not on our official agenda, proved to be the most memorable.
Two of Border’s very own got engaged during the trip! RGM Johnathan Leaf proposed to(now fiancé) Kaela Wrobel, Assistant General Manager(AGM) of our Little Falls, MNTaco Bell. There aren’t enough exclamation points in the world to properly convey our excitement! Johnathan got down on one knee at the beach while cameras captured the iconic moment.It was truly a best of the best kind of moment.
We hope to see YOU on the beach at BOTB this time next year! Cheers to another amazing season of(much-deserved) relaxation and recognition.
We rolled out the red carpet for this year’s Border Foods Rally to honor our 2024 award winners and celebrate a year of big wins. Recognition will always get you on our best dressed list! Congratulations are in order for this year’s impressive group. We could not be the best of the best at what we do without their hard work and dedication!
Enjoy this snapshot of ceremony highlights:
We honored ourHeart of Border Foods(HOBF) winners for exemplifying the positive attitude, dedication and family culture at the core of our business. Recipients include:“Taco Bell Mom” Brenda Foley, a Border veteran of 29 years; Richelle Johnson, an authentic team player; and“father figure” Tony Christiansen, who embodies our family core value;
Brenda Gillispie was named RGM of the Year; Angela Love-Hamlin, AC of the Year; and Nathan Besler, Region Coach of the Year;
