When Betsy Lazar moved to Turlock from Iran in 2001 she took an hourly job at McDonald’s.  She had no idea that she would someday be in the top 1 percent of McDonald’s management.

In April, Lazar will travel to Chicago to accept the Ray Kroc Award, a prize given to only 141 store managers this year.

Lazar was in the United States for less than a year when she started working at the McDonald’s restaurant on Geer. She started out as a crew member on the opening shift. Store owner Mike Jevert said that Lazar has always shown dedication to her job.

“Betsy is passionate, not just about McDonald’s but about working. Her leadership, coaching, and teaching have led to her winning this award,” Jevert said.

Lazar did well with her crew position, and soon worked her way to a crew trainer position. From there she became a shift manager, and eventually a store manager. She has been recognized for outstanding management for the last three years.

“It’s not only me, it’s team work. We all worked hard,” Lazar said.

Lazar and her McDonald’s team support community and educational events on a regular basis. They give coupons and donations to Turlock school functions and host restaurant tours for local classes. Lazar especially enjoys teacher nights, where local school educators take a turn behind the McDonald’s counter to raise money for their schools.

“It is a way for them to earn a percentage of the money, but they have to work for it,” she said.

The Ray Kroc Award is in recognition of superior performance and achievement. Along with the award, Lazar won a cash prize, a trophy and other memorabilia.

“It means a lot to all of us, I couldn’t do it without my team,” Lazar said.

Winners of the Ray Kroc award are nominated by store owners or regional staff. McDonald’s training and HR staff pick the top 1 percent of managers as recipients of the award.