CDM, CFPP of the Month - September 2022
Job Title: Child Nutrition Program Director
Employer: Ludington Area School District
Job Location: Ludington, Michigan
Years at Current Facility: 1 Year (12 years total at 4 school districts)
Years in Current Position: 1 Year
CDM Since: October 2019
Why did you decide to become a CDM, CFPP?
When the USDA implemented certain educational minimums according to the number of students one oversees, I realized I would be unable to advance my career further if I did not acquire some kind of degree. When a FSD from a local nursing home contacted me requesting an interview and tour as part of an assignment she was working for, while earning her own CDM, that is when I first learned about ANFP and this certification. I contacted my state auditors to see if I could use a CDM to meet the new Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals. They agreed a CDM would be the equivalent to an Associates Degree in my industry, so I immediately signed up and worked towards my own certification.
What are your main responsibilities in your current position?
Overseeing every single aspect of a large, multi-site food service operation, everything from recruiting, hiring, firing, supervision of kitchen staff; creating menus that meet or exceed super strict nutrition regulations; increasing participation and revenue by implementing a strong department with great food and fun promotions. I am responsible for all procurement and supply ordering. It’s like managing multiple restaurants!How do you organize your time at work to make sure you accomplish all your responsibilities?
I try to prioritize what tasks require immediate attention, to stay calm in every crisis because there’s ALWAYS a crisis in food service! It’s like triage in medicine or juggling! What has to happen, at a minimum, to keep us up and running? Learning to delegate is also essential. I utilize colored post-it notes and have a system for physically sorting ongoing projects, issues or questions. Red is an emergency, yellow is urgent, green are things to buy or order or procure, blue is for state or regulatory tasks or issues, purple is for people, HR or uniforms or discipline etc. Also, I used to procrastinate filing things and had a mountainous to-file-pile. I’ve learned to file or put away each task or document (or archive each email!!) as it is read or completed.
What is an example of an innovative way you have made change at your facility and how did you implement it?
I am always looking for ways to increase participation and revenue and realized the adult staff in my district were an untapped resource. I created an online ordering system, using Youtube videos to learn how. My adult revenue skyrocketed, going from selling one adult meal per day to 150 per day! We already had a courier driving to each site each day, so we had him deliver the online orders to each site’s staff lounge. Teachers no longer had to pack their own lunch or leave to grab fast food.
What was your first job in the foodservice industry?
My first job, at age 15, was being a Hostess at a local restaurant.
Who has been your biggest mentor in food service and how have they helped shape your career?
I can’t say that I have one. I started out as a lunch lady, and just took on more and more responsibility. I was sort of dropped off in the deep end so I learned as much as I could, as fast as I could.What are the biggest challenges you face in your position and how do you handle them?
Staff drama is the pretty much the only thing I don’t like about my job. Sad to say, the traditionally all-older-female teams tend to breed drama and in-fighting! I’ve studied conflict resolution and I make it clear I will not stand for drama. I will happily meet with the individuals having problems and will assist them in resolving the argument/issue. But I will not tolerate people coming to me with drama. Legitimate rule violations or harassment or bullying, of course, should be reported! But I am referring to the “Judy didn’t take her turn to do the dishes,” or “Shelly looked at me funny” kind of issues. Women have the tendency to talk to everyone else BUT the person they are upset with. I won’t tolerate that. If you can’t speak to the person involved about the issue, then you better get over it and let it go. Eventually, after modeling and upholding this philosophy, I have been able to eliminate drama at every district I’ve overseen. I also have found that creating diversity by hiring other genders, age-groups, races also really helps. And cross-training people, trading or rotating sites or assignments also helps to prevent cliques and toxic alliances.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Autonomy. Although I have to operate under very strict nutritional regs, how I get there is up to me. I am creative and also competitive with myself. I’m always trying to find ways to increase revenue and participation and am constantly brainstorming ways to accomplish this. I love making fun themed menus, like on May the Fourth, I menu things like Obi-wan Stromboli, Seven Leia Salad, Tatooweenies, Han-burgers, Darth Taters, Wookie Cookies. During March Is Reading Month, I change all the menu items to book-themed names. Like James & the Giant Peach Parfait, Anne of Green Beans, Hop on Popcorn Chicken, Ham I Am Sandwich, Dystopian-chiladas, Romeo & Julienne Potatoes, and on and on. I love children of all ages, and I love being in schools.How do you stay up to date with current innovations and trends?
Facebook groups and Pinterest are my favorite places to find ideas and learn new things. Also, sharing best practices with fellow School Food Directors.
How do you envision the foodservice industry changing in the next few years?
Covid completely altered my industry. Supply shortages, staffing shortages, universal free meals… and now next year we may have to return to full pay, reduced price and free meals. It’s really hard to predict the long-term consequences of these things, but it’s certain to have had an impact. There were major vendors who backed out of supplying schools, so FSDs had to be creative in procuring their supplies. I think more people are focusing on smaller and more local vendors, because the big vendors were so inconsistent with what they could supply or ship. Disposable items have been the most impacted in the K12 food industry so a lot of us have had to invest in plastic trays and dishwashers. Many schools have switched to eating in classrooms versus cafeterias, due to contact tracing and quarantines. The past two years have definitely had a huge impact on my industry.
What is your advice to those just getting started in the foodservice industry?
I HATED restaurant food service and nursing home food service, but stumbled into this career on accident and it’s my whole life! I ADORE my job. So, to those starting out, look into other industries or fields. There are so many differences and nuances to all the possible sites or venues. And please consider school food service! It never even occurred to me before I saw a Help Wanted ad in the paper, for a lunch lady!