Life Sciences Commons^™

Esther Izaak, Esther Izaak, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Esther Izaak was born on the island of Montserrat, where she attended secondary school. She continued her education at the University of the Virgin Islands, as well as studying in the United Kingdom. After several years teaching, she accepted the position of the director of the School Food Authority for St. Thomas and St. John. She is now the training director for St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.

Lori Buzzell, Lori Buzzell, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lori Buzzell worked for seven years in the Juneau, Alaska school nutrition program and now works in curriculum development, including incorporating a wellness policy into the school physical education programs.

Tanya Dube, Tanya Dube, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Tanya Dube was born and raised in Massachusetts, and after high school joined the military, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. She is now a school food service manager in Alaska.

Elizabeth E. Edelman, Elizabeth E. Edelman, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

An Anchorage, Alaska native, Elizabeth E. Edelman has worked in numerous areas of school nutrition in Alaska, and now is working as the food service manager in the head cook program in the Valdez district.

Johanna Herron, Johanna Herron, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Johanna Herron works with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to promote the Farm to School Program.

Teresa Harwell, Teresa Harwell, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Teresa Harwell is a school food service director in Alaska.

James L. Jones, James L. Jones, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A South Carolina native, James L. Jones spent twenty-three years in the Air Force before retiring and going to work for the Alaska Military Youth Academy, where he has been for the past twenty years, where in addition to several other responsibilities he manages the child nutrition program.

Jo Dawson, Jo Dawson, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A lifelong Alaskan, Jo Dawson attended fifteen different schools growing up, as her family followed he father’s career as a state trooper. Having worked as the National School Lunch Program Coordinator, the Child and Adult Care Food Program Coordinator, and the USDA Foods Coordinator, she now is the Alaska State Director for nutrition programs.

Sandra Ponte, Sandra Ponte, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Sandra Ponte, a Michigan native, moved to Colorado after high school and worked for a decade in hospitality management. She is now a food service manager in rural Alaska.

Debbie Kallio, Debbie Kallio, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Debbie Kallio was a 2016 Regional Director for the School Nutrition Association for the Northwest Region.

Adrianne Schwartz, Adrianne Schwartz, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Adrianne Schwartz is a food service supervisor in Juneau, Alaska.

Walter D. Williams, Jr., Walter D. Williams, Jr., Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Born in Alabama and reared in Florida, Walter D. Williams, Jr., then joined the U.S. Air Force and served twenty years all over the world before retiring and settling in Alaska. He now works as a nutrition specialist in rural Alaska.

Susan Greene, Susan Greene, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A native of Virginia, with many years serving in Virginia education programs, first as a culinary instructor, then a school principal, before moving into child nutrition, Susan Greene is now a food service director in rural Alaska.

Michael Anderson, Michael Anderson, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Michael Anderson, originally from Oregon, now cooks for the Nenana School District in Alaska.

Lydia Wirkus, Lydia Wirkus, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lydia Wirkus, a Florida native, grew up in the Miami area, near the Everglades. After college at Florida State, she taught for a few years in Miami, and then earned a master’s degree. One day she woke up and decided she didn’t want to live in Miami anymore, and that it would be cool to move to Alaska, so she drove from Miami to Alaska and taught for a few years. After earning a second master’s in nutrition at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, she returned to Alaska and worked for a while in child nutrition, before returning …

Carlee Rae Johnson, Carlee Rae Johnson, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Carlee Rae Johnson was the 2016 President of the Alaska School Nutrition Association and the food service director for Petersburg, Alaska.

Becki Schreiber, Becki Schreiber, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Becki Schreiber has worked in many different food and nutrition management arenas that include schools, restaurants, hospitals, long term care, and businesses. She has also taught at the college level.

She received a Bachelor’s degree in Food, Nutrition and Institution Administration from the University of Maryland and a Master of Adult and Occupational Education from the University of New Hampshire.

Becki has worked or consulted in over 40 kitchens and in one large edible school garden during her 40-year career. She was Director of School Nutrition for 15 years in the state of Maine, becoming a passionate advocate for child …

Kim Hofmann, Kim Hofmann, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

With over 25 years’ experience, Kim has extensive skills in multiple aspects of management, cost control, training, DISC, and customer service (and she is a past school nutrition director). She is a Trainer/Consultant and eLearning developer for ICN, and a certified trainer for DISC training. She has published numerous articles for Carroll Service’s Child Nutrition Professional’s magazine, has presented at many SNA conferences, taught Food Systems Management at the University of Akron, was a cost control specialist for US Foods, and was a trainer for Career Track/Fred Pryor specializing in management training.

Beth Hanna, Beth Hanna

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Beth Hanna, PhD, RD, LD, SNS, is a registered dietician who received her PhD in Food and Lodging Management from Iowa State University.

Her work experience includes serving as Director of Nutrition Services for West Des Moines Community Schools where she managed all aspects of the school nutrition program in compliance with federal and state regulations.

Dr. Hanna also served as an instructor with Iowa State University and a consultant for the Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Food and Nutrition. She reviewed child nutrition programs and offered specialized support in equipment layout and design.

In addition to being a …

Dorothy Caldwell, Dorothy Caldwell, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

After teaching home economics for two years, and then taking several years off to raise her five children, Dorothy Caldwell spent twenty years as food service director for Marianna, Arkansas schools. She then worked as the state director of child nutrition for the Arkansas Department of Education for another decade, serving as the president of the School Nutrition Association toward the end of this period. After a brief retirement Dorothy was recruited to come to USDA in Washington, DC, to work in Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services for another four years.

Four Past-Presidents, Bowens Martin Caldwell Nix, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Oral History interview with American School Food Service Association Past-Presidents (now the School Nutrition Association), Shirley Watkins Bowden, Dorothy Caldwell, Josephine Martin, and Mary Nix, regarding the founding of the National Food Service Management Institute (now the Institute of Child Nutrition), May 21, 2014, at the National Food Service Management Institute (now the ICN), The University of Mississippi.

Wanda Grant, Wanda Grant, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Wanda Grant is a retired School Nutrition Director with over 35 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food, Nutrition and Institutional Management from Washington State University and is a registered dietitian. Her career took her from Washington to Alaska and finally to California. She is a credentialed School Nutrition Specialist with the School Nutrition Association (SNA), has served on the Executive Board of SNA, and was honored nationally in 2009 as Outstanding Director of the Year. Wanda is a certified ServSafe^® instructor and a consultant trainer for the National Food Service Management Institute.

Jennifer Jennings, Jennifer Jennings, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

After a number of years in retail food service, Jennifer Jennings saw an ad for a food service director position in her native Wisconsin and applied. Surprised that she got the job, she knew she had a lot to learn about school food service and took advantage of all the classes available through her Department of Public Instruction, as well as becoming involved with the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin. She has now been a director for six years.

Ramona Gaudette, Ramona Gaudette, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Ramona Gaudette went to work in school nutrition at Southport School, Maine, in 1957. She was still working there in December 2012, when this interview was conducted.

Darlene French, Darlene French, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A Maine native, Darlene French hails from South Bristol. After spending part of her childhood in Florida, the family moved back to Maine and settled in Boothbay Harbor. After several years in restaurants and catering, French applied for a position in school food service. She was hired as a cook, she took every training available to her, and advanced to baker, and then manager, and finally is the current food service director in Boothbay Harbor.

Guam, Guam, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

This oral history interview was conducted with Ignacio Santos, Dina Lorenzo, Jesse Rosario, and DeAnndra Chargualaf from the Guam Department of Education, who were visiting NFSMI for training, on November 29, 2012. In this interview they discuss the challenges and benefits of child nutrition programs on Guam.

Wanda Shockey, Wanda Shockey, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Wanda Shockey, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, began her child nutrition career in Bastrop, Louisiana, first as the home economics teacher and then becoming the child nutrition director. After moving to Arkansas, Shockey was child nutrition director for Little Rock School District for nine years and had fifty schools. Later she moved to the Arkansas Department of Education where she has been director of child nutrition for the past fifteen years.

Melba Hollingsworth, Melba Hollingsworth, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Melba Hollingsworth earned a BS degree in Dietetics from Louisiana State University and a Master’s degree in Institution Management from Texas Women’s University. She has worked over 25 years in Child Nutrition Programs. She served as a school food service manager and a district director in the state of Louisiana before becoming an Education and Training Specialist for the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) at The University of Mississippi. During her career at NFSMI, Melba served as project coordinator for the Orientation to School Nutrition Management Seminars and developed various resources for school nutrition professionals. She was instrumental in …

Virginia Brissey, Virginia Brissey, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A Pennsylvania native, and a Navy veteran, Virginia Brissey worked as a program manager for Kids First in Arkansas.

Margaret New, Margaret New, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Alabama native Margaret New is the bookkeeper for child nutrition with the Bessemer City School System in Alabama.