Tony Geraci, director of food and nutrition services for Baltimore City Schools, has been chosen Foodservice Director of the Year for 2009 by FoodService Director. Geraci was honored for his achievement at FSD’s MenuDirections conference, held last month in Miami, Fla.
Geraci was profiled as Foodservice Director of the Month in the July 2009 issue of Foodservice Director magazine. He was chosen by the staff and advisory board of FSD from among the 12 profilees in 2009.
"To be selected by that company of peers is amazing," Geraci said. "I know how hard they work and how much they have accomplished so this is a great honor for me to be in the same company as them."
Although Geraci has been with the Baltimore school system for less than two years, he already has made great strides in improving the quality of the foodservice program. Among his accomplishments has been increasing breakfast participation 400%, improving menus by offering more scratch-made items and convincing children to try new foods through a program he calls No Thank You Bites.
Geraci also has enhanced education in the district by introducing the Great Kids Farm, where students can learn how to grow fruits and vegetables, which are then served in school cafeterias; and by operating three restaurants where students can receive hands-on training in foodservice.
Geraci’s boss, district CEO Andres Alonso, Ph.D., said of Geraci: “Tony has the energy, commitment and vision to bring about really good things and to do them relatively quickly.”