Statesboro resident Vince Mercaldo, general manager of the Olive Garden in Statesboro, was recently presented with Darden Restaurants' top honor - the Joe R. Lee Diamond Club Award, named after the company's retired chairman and CEO. Now in its 14th year, the award is presented annually to general managers throughout North America who demonstrate outstanding results by delighting guests with a genuine Italian dining experience and achieve top financial performance in the company's previous fiscal year. This year, Mercaldo joins an elite group of 41 general managers selected from the more than 750 Olive Garden restaurants in North America. "This award really belongs to our staff in great part," Mercaldo said.