Contact Us
Contact Us

About Us

Who We Are

Our Story

Before Strategic Dining Services existed, communities had two choices: fully outsource their dining program or work with consultants who pointed out problems but didn’t help to fix them. I knew there was a need for a solution that fell in between – so in 2013, I created one.

 

At SDS, our mission is clear: to help communities improve their dining programs while keeping their existing teams and culture in place. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we get to know the communities we partner with and execute personalized plans to enhance food quality, service, and operations.

David Koelling

David Koelling

Founder & Strategic Advisor

2012

SDS is Founded

David Koelling creates Strategic Dining Services, redefining dining support in senior living.

2015

50 Successful Partnerships

In three years, SDS reaches 50 partnerships around the country.

2020

SDS is acquired by Compass Group

SDS is able to reach a new level of growth with increased resources.

2021

Dashboard technology is introduced

Partners begin receiving real-time insights and in-depth reports with advanced technology.

2022

Expands to 150 partnerships

SDS reaches a partnership milestone, serving all types of organizations from large systems to individual communities.

2025

Jill Kuntz named President of SDS

After joining SDS in 2023 with extensive experience in senior living hospitality, Jill Kuntz is named President by founder David Koelling.

leadership

Meet Our Team

Founder

David Koelling
President

Jill Kuntz
Chief Commercial Officer

Steve Servant
Vice President of Partnership Development

Chris Blansett
Vice President of Partner Insights

RonnDa Peters
Senior Director of Culinary

Jay Volk
Senior Director of Finance

Mat Waskiewicz
Regional Vice President

Randi Breault
Regional Vice President

Ivy Kusler
Regional Vice President

Kyle Huxford
Regional Vice President

Scott Bailey
Hospitality Director

Allison Daly-Saad

Founder

David Koelling

David is a seasoned restaurateur and the founder of Strategic Dining Services, recognized for reimagining dining in senior living and healthcare. His work has earned multiple industry honors, including Industry Innovator, Best of the Best, and Partner in Eldercare for his commitment to serving seniors. A Michigan State graduate, David was also nominated for Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, reflecting a career rooted in creativity, care, and operational excellence. 

President

Jill Kuntz

Jill serves as President of Strategic Dining Services, bringing a thoughtful balance of operational expertise, financial discipline, and hospitality leadership. She has spent her career building strong teams and scalable systems that support sustainable growth. A Villanova University graduate, Jill is known for fostering a collaborative culture where people and performance move forward together.

Chief Commercial Officer

Steve Servant

Steve brings more than four decades of experience as an innovator shaping senior living and healthcare dining. Over the course of his career, he has cultivated industry-leading dining support and management organizations by combining his expertise in nutrition and wellbeing, strategic vision, and strong market insight. As Chief Commercial Officer at Strategic Dining Services, Steve is dedicated to strengthening partnerships and steering the company’s long-term growth with purpose and clarity.

Vice President of Partnership Development

Chris Blansett

Chris has spent over 30 years in senior living hospitality, building partnerships grounded in trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. He works closely with leaders to remove barriers, strengthen operations, and elevate the resident dining experience. Chris believes lasting success comes from relationships that honor both operational goals and the dignity of those being served.

Vice President of Partner Insights

RonnDa Peters

RonnDa is Vice President of Partner Insights at Strategic Dining Services, where she helps drive growth by identifying opportunities and shaping solutions that truly fit each partner’s needs. She brings a unique blend of sales strategy, operational insight, and creative problem-solving to her work. Guided by her belief that hospitality begins with thoughtfulness, RonnDa is passionate about coaching others and helping teams do their best work.

Senior Director of Culinary

Jay Volk

Jay brings 30 years of culinary experience and a deep commitment to improving food quality, safety, and efficiency. He is passionate about mentoring teams, elevating presentation, and finding practical ways technology can support better outcomes. Jay’s work is rooted in hands-on coaching that benefits both the guest experience and culinary professionals.

Senior Director of Finance

Mat Waskiewicz

Mat joined the food and hospitality industry after graduating from the University of Rhode Island and has spent over a decade blending financial stewardship with culinary excellence, grounded in transparency and trust with clients. He is known for translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights that foster strong relationships between leadership and partners. Based in Boston, MA, Mat focuses on driving clarity, accountability, and equitable decision‑making across the organization – and will never shy away from a strategic debate.

Regional Vice President

Randi Breault

Randi is a Regional Vice President at Strategic Dining Services with a background spanning culinary arts, entrepreneurship, and food service leadership. A U.S. Army veteran, he brings a steady, people-first approach to leadership, shaped by service and accountability. Randi is driven by a passion for hospitality, training, and building high-performing teams that deliver exceptional service.

Regional Vice President

Ivy Kusler

Ivy is a hospitality and food service leader with over 20 years of experience across senior living, education, government, and business dining. Known for leading diverse teams and strengthening client relationships, she consistently delivers operational excellence with care and intention. Ivy brings deep expertise in financial leadership, contract strategy, and thoughtful growth.

Regional Vice President

Kyle Huxford

Kyle serves as Regional Vice President in the Midwest, leading with a hospitality mindset shaped by years in healthcare and senior living. He focuses on guiding teams toward strong operational solutions, positive financial outcomes, and meaningful resident experiences. Kyle is known for pairing practical leadership with a deep respect for service.

Regional Vice President

Scott Bailey

Scott is a seasoned operations leader with a background that bridges culinary training and executive management. As Regional Vice President, he focuses on operational excellence, financial performance, and long-term partner success. Scott’s career reflects a disciplined, people-focused approach to elevating service across senior living and healthcare environments.

Hospitality Director

Allison Daly-Saad

As Hospitality Director, Allison focuses on empowering teams and strengthening front-of-house experiences across communities. She leads initiatives in training, branding, and operational refinement with a thoughtful, measured approach. Allison is dedicated to ensuring innovation is implemented in ways that respect each community’s pace and unique culture.

Our Roadmap to Success

Each client engagement process is uniquely designed to foster transparency, alignment, and a strong foundation for long-term partnership. The following outlines a typical approach we may take when beginning to work together.

1

Exploration

Hold stakeholder engagement sessions to uncover critical business issues

 

Analysis of relevant data, budgets, KPIs, and reports

 

Align on business priorities, objectives, and desired outcomes

 

Conduct on-site assessments

2

Design

Complete comprehensive operations assessments

 

Align on program design, support, and infrastructure

 

Construct financial model, capital plan, and value offerings

 

Define priorities, timelines, KPIs, and deliverables

3

Transition

Develop a transition plan and deploy a specialized team

 

Install support infrastructure: people, best practices, technology, and standards

 

Craft communication governance and collective expectations

 

Ongoing performance measurement and resource optimization

Insights

What's On Our Minds