Leah Schmidt, foodservice director of St. Joseph School District in St. Joseph, Mo., has been the 2016 winner of the Golden School Foodservice Director of the Year Award, the top honor in school feeding’s FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence) Awards program.
The FAME Awards recognize K-12 nutrition professionals who have raised industry standards in addressing challenges within their school districts and communities.
Other honorees in this year’s class include:
- Dorothy Pannell-Martin, president, SFS21, LLC, Aiken, S.C., winner of the Gertrude Applebaum Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Ken Yant, director, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Suwanee, Ga., Silver Leadership Award.
- Heather D’Ambrosi, team leader-nutrition specialist, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, Fla., Silver Spirit Award.
- Michelle Curry, director of food and nutrition, South Pasadena USD, South Pasadena, Calif., Silver Special Achievement Award.
- Tamara Earl, SNS, child nutrition supervisor, Mason City Schools, Mason, Ohio, Silver Rising Star Award.
The winners will be honored at a ceremony on Jan. 17 in San Diego, Caif., during the School Nutrition Association’s 2016 conference.
Schmidt was recognized for such achievements as increasing the number of meals served in her district to 10,000 daily, from a level of 5,500 at the time she took her job.
She outfitted the school with a nutrition coordinator, a catering specialist and an employee dedicated to helping students qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
Her innovations contributed to the district’s decision to operate its foodservices itself rather than bring in a contractor company.
Schmidt has also been active in SNA activities, having served as its president and president of its Missouri chapter.