Beyond the Desk
School nutrition is about more than menus, meal counts, and compliance. It is about people. It is about the people who serve the next generation. It is about the people who show up every day behind the scenes, often without accolades or recognition. It is a hidden gem within the school system that many do not fully realize exists. It is the team behind the curtain; the team a school simply could not function without. Every day, school nutrition professionals across the country show up early, stay late, adapt quickly, and serve meals with care. They do this while navigating staffing shortages, tight budgets, changing regulations, and crowded cafeterias. To handle all of this day after day, a capable team must be built first. But building an effective team does not end when the right people are hired. That is only the beginning. Effective teams are molded, supported, and developed over time. This work requires intentional, consistent leadership. It takes leaders who are willing to pour into their team day in and day out.
At times, this level of commitment can feel daunting and exhausting. Supporting people well takes effort, patience, and presence. But in the end, it is always worth it. The programs that truly succeed are not the ones with perfect conditions. They are the ones built on supported teams. They are able to care for students well because leadership first chose to care for the people serving them. Leadership That Shows Up The most impactful directors and supervisors are not only found behind a desk or sitting in meetings. They are found in cafeterias. They are willing to step in at a moment’s notice, put on gloves and a hair net, and help when help is needed. Leadership does not lose respect by getting dirty. It gains it. When leaders step in, ask what needs to be done, and work beside their teams during a busy lunch period, something powerful happens. Whether they are covering a call out or helping solve problems in real time, trust is built. Staff feel valued. Morale
improves. Teams shift from simply working to truly working together. When I served as a Director, I often told my team, “My job is to set you up for success and not failure so you can take care of the children.” That belief changes everything. It shifts leadership from control to collaboration and keeps the focus where it belongs. For collaboration to happen, leadership must be willing to listen. At one point, I was responsible for thirty-five schools with only one supervisor at the central office to help me. We could not be in thirty-five schools at the same time, and most days we were putting out fires. I never wanted my staff to feel unseen simply That is when we created an Advisory Committee made up of managers from the elementary, middle, and high school levels who were voted on by their peers. This group allowed us to collaborate on new ideas, discuss what was working and what was not, and address challenges before they became larger problems. The committee because I could not physically be in their kitchens regularly.
did not replace regular manager meetings, but it did allow trusted team members to help shape and strengthen the program. We also began holding assistant manager meetings, giving those team members opportunities to grow, develop leadership skills, and prepare for future roles. Investing in people early created a stronger leadership pipeline and more prepared teams. Leadership that shows up looks different in every district, but the heart of it is the same. It is about being present, listening with intention, and creating space for others to grow. Support Is More Than a Word Support is not just something we talk about. It is something teams feel. You cannot expect high- level performance from a team that is constantly working without the tools, training, and support they need. Passion alone cannot carry a program. People must be set up to win. Effective teams are built when leadership is intentional about providing
Healthy Harvest Spring 2026 | 11
Powered by FlippingBook