Education Commons^™

Saundra Isabelle, Saundra Isabelle, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Saundra Isabelle started working part-time in child nutrition when her children started school, but immediately fell in love with it. She quickly rose through the ranks and became a manager at Pass Christian Elementary, Middle, and High Schools for five years. She is now the food service director for the Pass Christian School District.

Judy Mumphrey, Judy Mumphrey, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

After earning bachelors and master’s degrees at the University of Southern Mississippi, Judy Mumphrey taught home economics for eleven and a half years, before moving into school food service. She started out as the School Foodservice Administrator at Pass Christian before moving to Bay-Waveland Schools, where she finished her career. Her biggest challenge over that career was dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Wanda Salley, Wanda Salley, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

An Alabama native, Wanda Salley holds degrees from Auburn University and Mississippi State University, and is also a Registered Dietitian. After beginning her career in hospitals she transitioned into school food service, first becoming a food service director in Houston, MS, followed by stints in Greenville, Pass Christian, and Harrison County, MS schools.

Trudie Brinson, Trudie Brinson, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Trudie Brinson earlier worked with the Head Start program in Virginia and then began working in North Carolina as a child nutrition manager with the migrant program.

Danny Seymour, Danny Seymour, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Danny Seymour has been involved with school nutrition programs since 1971, beginning with a small suburban Philadelphia school district. His career path led him to direct four different school nutrition programs and to become director of the second largest school district in Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh Public Schools. Throughout his career in schools, Danny built each program on strong fundamentals of procurement as well as human resource management. While in Pittsburgh he developed the department’s Standards of Operations, outlining almost every policy and procedure for implementing a successful school nutrition operation. From 2007 to 2015 Danny held a position with the …

Gail S. Kavanaugh, Gail S. Kavanaugh, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Gail S. Kavanaugh has served as a child nutrition director in Mississippi for over twenty-five years. She has also been very active in the state and national school nutrition associations, including testifying before Congress in the early 2000s.

Jeannie Sneed, Jeannie Sneed, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Jeannie Sneed is a former director of the Applied Research Division of the National School Food Service Management Institute. Sneed now holds a position in the USDA Food Safety unit.

Sylvia Dunn, Sylvia Dunn, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Sylvia Dunn taught in Georgia and Texas before returning to her native Louisiana, where she also taught before going to work in nutrition programs at the State Department of Education. After four and a half years with the Department of Education she became the food service director for St. Tammany Parish, where she has worked for the last twenty-five years.

Susan Wood, Susan Wood, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Susan Wood, a Nebraska native, has spent her entire working career in Alabama. She is a Registered Dietitian and spent a number of years working in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as teaching at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. In her current position Susan is the Director of Child Nutrition Programs for Hoover City Schools, where she has served the district’s children for the past twenty-two years.

Lynda Snow, Lynda Snow, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lynda Snow is a native Alabamian and has worked in school nutrition for thirty-five years in Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alabama A&M University. She is currently Child Nutrition Director for Bessemer City Schools.

Mary Alexiou, Mary Alexiou, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Mary Alexiou, a native Alabamian, recently retired as the Director of Child Nutrition Programs for Vestavia City Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville State University and a master’s degree from University of Alabama, Birmingham. Prior to going into child nutrition she worked first as a consultant for various hospitals and nursing homes and then at the Guntersville Hospital. She has also been a very active member of the School Nutrition Association.

Charles Kirby, Charles Kirby, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Mr. Kirby worked for the USDA for 25 years, which included serving as Southeast Regional Director for 15 years. Subsequently, he served as the State Director of Child Nutrition in Mississippi. During his tenure in Mississippi, he helped develop and operate a statewide purchasing cooperative for schools. Since retiring from Mississippi, he has provided consulting services in the area of purchasing and financial management to state and local school districts and the NFSMI.

Tommy Ramey, Tommy Ramey, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Tommy Ramey worked for 34 years in the State of Alabama beginning as a teacher/coach and retiring in 2000 as State Director of the Child Nutrition Programs for the Alabama State Department of Education. His major accomplishments include developing and instituting a commodity processing program that saved local education agencies (LEAs) $1.5 annually; being recognized by the USDA for having the most efficient method for delivery of USDA donated food; initiating the development of the State Nutrition Policies and Procedures Handbook; and initiating and assisting in the development and passage by the State Board of Education, certification standards for local …

Gaye Lynn Macdonald, Gaye Lynn Macdonald, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Gaye Lynn MacDonald worked in the school nutrition program of Bellingham Public Schools in Bellingham, Washington for 32½ years, 20 years as the program director, overseeing 23 sites offering breakfast, lunch and after school snacks. In 2002-2003, she served as president of the American School Food Service Association, representing 54,000 members.

Jerry B. Cater, Jerry B. Cater, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Jerry B. Cater retired after 11 years as Research Scientist with the Applied Research Division of the National Food Service Management Institute. She served 19 years as Director of School Food Services in Long Beach, Mississippi. While at NFSMI, she served as project manager on numerous research projects including the development of Financial Management Information System model for school nutrition programs. The model served as the basis the design of FUNDamentals, a financial management reporting software.

Nina Cross, Nina Cross, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Evelina (Nina) Cross received her PhD from Texas Woman’s University and then joined the faculty at Louisiana State University. While at LSU, she taught and directed the dietetic internship. Her research and many of her publications were in the area of school food service. In addition, she served three years as the first National Food Service Management Institute Scholar. During this time she worked with the research arm of the Institute to develop a financial model for school food service. Since retirement from LSU, Dr. Cross has worked with both the Louisiana and Mississippi Departments of Education to offer continuing …

Louise Lepeze, Louise Lepeze, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

After several years of working as a nutritionist in hospitals Louise Lepeze joined the Louisiana Department of Education child nutrition programs as an Area Supervisor in 1980. She later became the Section Chief. Lepeze left the state in 1991 to join USDA at the Southwest Regional Office in Dallas as the Net Coordinator, Nutrition Education and Training Program. She has been back in Baton Rouge since 2005, working for USDA in the area of School Meals Initiative.

Ellen Leppa, Ellen Leppa, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Ellen Leppa, certified with the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the School Nutrition Association, served as Education and Training Specialist and Coordinator of On-Site Services at the National Food Service Management Institute on the campus of the University of Mississippi until her retirement in 2008. As coordinator Ellen worked with both State Departments of Education and conference planners of School Nutrition Associations throughout the country to provide trainers for preconference classes, general sessions, educational sessions, workshops and seminars on a large variety of topics. Some of the topics include Developing a Food Safety Program, Emergency Readiness, Biosecurity …

Carol W. Shanklin, Carol W. Shanklin, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Carol W. Shanklin, PhD, RD, is professor in the Department of Hotel, Restaurant, Institution Management & Dietetics and Dean of Graduate School at Kansas State University. Carol teaches graduate courses and mentors graduate students’ research in the areas of environmental issues, food safety, customer satisfaction, and dietetics and hospitality education. She has collaborated with several graduate students on research projects in child nutrition. Carol has authored or co-authored several articles in the Journal of Child Nutrition Management and the Journal of the American Dietetics Association. She has been active in the School Nutrition Association, the American Dietetics Association, and other …

Linda B. Godfrey, Linda B. Godfrey, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Linda B. Godfrey’s 35 years as a registered dietitian have taken her from work on the food service staffs of a hospital and nursing home, as a teacher, and as a U.S. Army reserve unit member to her retirement in 2005. She retired as Child Nutrition Program Director for the Shelby County, Alabama, School System and from the United States Army Reserves with the rank of Colonel.

She received her B.S. Degree from the University of Tennessee in Food Science and Institution Management, completed a dietetic internship at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham, and received a M.S. …

Anita Ellis, Anita Ellis, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Anita Ellis is a former educator who, as Assistant Director for the West Virginia Department of Education of Child Nutrition, directed the Nutrition Education & Training program. She has conducted training for teachers and food service personnel. She wrote the Kansas Department of Education, Pyramid Builders, Nutrition Curriculum K-6 and the Mississippi Department of Education, Pyramid Pursuit, Nutrition Curriculum K-3 and Grades 4-6.

Mrs. Ellis has various experiences in school food service procurement as well as training. She has organized four (4) purchasing cooperatives in West Virginia and continues to assist them with brand approval and bid specifications. …

Barbara Songy, Barbara Songy, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Barbara Songy is a native of London, England, but has spent many more years in Louisiana feeding that state’s children than she ever spent in the United Kingdom. Barbara came to the United States as a war bride, having met and married a Louisiana airman during World War II. Displeased with what her first child was being served for lunch, she set about not only improving the menu, she raised the funds to build a new cafeteria. When the person who was supposed to manage the new cafeteria suddenly had to resign she agreed to take on the job temporarily. …

Jacqueline Clements, Jacqueline Clements, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Jacqueline Clements holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics and a Master’s in Administration and Supervision. She taught Home Economics for eighteen years before transferring to school food service. Jacqueline then worked as a Food Service Director for an additional seventeen years.

Barbara Gauthier, Barbara Gauthier, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Barbara Gauthier is a retired school food service director originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana. After graduating from LSU with a degree in Hospital Dietetics and Institutional Management and working briefly in industry, Gauthier took her first job in school food service in East Baton Rouge Parish. After working for several years and in multiple positions in East Baton Rouge, Gauthier moved on to Lafourche Parish as a food service director in her native Thibodaux. Here in Lafourche Parish Gauthier introduced the Breakfast Program, as well as introducing centralized menu planning and purchasing. At retirement Gauthier left the district with a $5 …

Marcelle Landry, Marcelle Landry, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Marcelle Landry, a proud native of the French Quarter, served for many years with the Louisiana Department of Education as Assistant Director, School Food Services, before joining the Archdiocese of New Orleans as Supervisor of School Food Services. Though now retired, Mrs. Landry is still very active with the Louisiana School Food Service Association, of which she is a past president.

Wendy Mangiaracina, Wendy Mangiaracina, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Wendy Mangiaracina is a New Orleans native with thirty-three years of experience in child nutrition programs. She chose Southwest Louisiana University for her post-secondary education, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics. She later attended Tulane University and obtained a Master of Public Health degree. After a long and dedicated career Wendy retired in the summer of 2009. Melba Hollingsworth interviewed Wendy in January 2009.

Pat Farris, Pat Farris, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Pat Farris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics and a Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition from Louisiana State University. She has held numerous positions in the field of nutrition, first working in hospitals, and later consulting in child and adult weight management. In 1980 Pat accepted a position with the Louisiana Department of Education’s child nutrition programs, and learned what school lunch was about for the next fourteen years. Since 1994 she has been with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, where she is currently the Director of School Food Services.

Cynthia Ruffin, Cynthia Ruffin, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Cynthia Ruffin began her school nutrition career in Louisiana more than 35 years ago. She received a B.S. in Dietetics from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University. Cynthia has worked at the local school level, with the Louisiana Department of Education, and as the Director of Child Nutrition in St. Charles Parish Public Schools near New Orleans. Some of her career highlights include developing the Louisiana School Lunch Cycle Menus; expanding Breakfast-on-the-Go programs, implementing The Main Course, a culinary training program for food service technicians; and contributing significantly to district recovery after the devastation of Hurricane …

Lou Simoneaux, Lou Simoneaux, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lou Simoneaux spent twenty years traveling the world with her military family before returning to her home state of Louisiana and beginning a new career in school food service. She spent several years in the Panama Canal Zone and then moved to France. When her husband finally retired they returned to Lou’s hometown of Napoleonville, Louisiana, where she spent the next twenty-nine years providing healthy, nutritious meals to the children of Assumption Parish.

Martha S. Walker, Martha S. Walker, Institute Of Child Nutrition

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Martha S. Walker is New Orleans native and a graduate of Southern University. She has managed school feeding programs in East Baton Rough Parish for twenty-five years.