School Nutrition Directors Recognized for Outstanding Contributions

School Lunch Hero Day, observed annually on the first Friday in May, honors the dedicated women and men who work tirelessly to support the health and well-being of students in schools nationwide. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is celebrating the accomplishments of regional honorees as well, including Director of the Year winners, exceptional leaders who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to their school meal programs. Directors are responsible for maintaining the quality of meal programs through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Through effective oversight of all aspects of food service operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

Congratulations to the 2025 regional winners!

Dr. Eric Coleman, Director of School Nutrition, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), Virginia: Mid-Atlantic Region Director of the Year

Dr. Eric Coleman is known as a true mentor and leader who cares deeply for his students and staff. He championed the expansion of the Community Eligibility Program to reach more students with free school meals and seeks to continue expanding these efforts in collaboration with the school division’s administration. Coleman also supported development and implementation of Taste-Test Tuesdays, allowing students to experience potential new plant-based menu items. 

He works hard to highlight the nutrition team’s dedication to the students and keep families aware of what’s happening in the program. Coleman also encourages families to enjoy a meal with students at school each holiday season. 

Coleman stays involved in the daily operations of the nutrition program, getting out in the field to make sure staff are supported in and out of the kitchen. He is willing to jump into any situation, from moving equipment and delivering meals to washing dishes. 

After assessing the greatest needs of the program, Coleman identified training and investing in the team as key factors to ensure optimal performance. He added new equipment to help make employee jobs run a little more smoothly and makes a conscious effort to check in with staff each week. He works to gauge how they are coping mentally, physically and emotionally, and to determine if circumstances are impacting their work performance. 

To help address food insecurity within the division, Coleman partnered with the ALIVE Food Pantry to enable the distribution of meals over the holiday season. The program provided fresh produce and grab-and-go meals that benefit the ACPS community.

Lauren Crowley, SNS, Dining Services Director, Litchfield School District, New Hampshire: Northeast Region Director of the Year

Lauren Crowley is a passionate, hardworking leader who always puts her student’s needs first. She took over an underperforming program in 2018 and increased student meal participation by 20 percent, building strong connections with students and listening to their needs and concerns. Crowley relies on student feedback to plan menus, which allows her to provide meals they enjoy, while following nutrition guidelines.

She reinvigorated the nutrition department by enhancing fresh fruit and vegetable offerings and introducing customizable meal options. Students have responded very well to the personalized experience, which not only meets their tastes but also allows them to connect with staff, making the cafeteria a welcoming and engaging place. Crowley recognized the importance of providing healthy, nutritious meals for all students to start their day and expanded the School Breakfast Program district-wide. This initiative has proven very impactful, increasing breakfast participation by nearly 400% while supporting student health and academic success.

Crowley’s attention to detail and thoughtfulness ensures the success of students and staff. She created a department where students are excited to have lunch, leading to the highest retention for support staff in the district. She has significantly expanded training opportunities and supports team bonding to create a healthy work environment and a culture of growth, collaboration, creativity and innovation.

Fostering a strong connection between the schools and community is important to Crowley. She developed a Facebook page to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the innerworkings of her department and to highlight new recipes, student taste tests and staff achievements. The page has a loyal following, which improved public perception and increased community engagement. Crowley partnered with the local Lions Club to hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to support a local family who lost their home in a fire, further demonstrating her dedication both inside and outside of school.

Megan Grippa, Child Nutrition Coordinator, Lebanon City Schools, Ohio: Midwest Region Director of the Year

Megan Grippa’s efforts to enhance student engagement and provide diverse, healthy menu choices have directly impacted the district’s school meal program, significantly increasing student participation. She enhanced student interest by installing a new salad bar and four specialty vending machines, developed a fresh baked pizza program and secured a grant to offer fresh smoothies as nutritious breakfast options in the middle and high schools. Grippa introduced new menu planning software to streamline the process, improving the accuracy of nutritional information and enabling the district to better track and plan meals according to student dietary needs.

Grippa works to ensure her staff feel valued and appreciated. She brought in motivating speakers to promote professional growth and improve communication and collaboration. Grippa hired a field supervisor to provide ongoing, hands-on training for staff on everything from equipment usage and recipe development to production techniques. Her investments in equipment such as immersion blenders, food processors and combi-ovens have made production smoother and more manageable for staff. Grippa also holds monthly manager meetings to provide a platform for staff to ask questions, share successes and receive recognition. 

She actively participates in the district wellness committee and developed a successful adult meal program featuring healthy options for teachers and central office staff to promote wellness across the district. Grippa is collaborating with several teachers to develop the Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) to provide students a voice in menu offerings. She takes the time to speak with classes about meal composition, compliance and nutrition and holds sessions for district staff to foster a deeper understanding of the importance of school nutrition and build stronger relationships.

To engage students and parents, Grippa adapted popular school recipes into easy-to-make versions for home use. She provided samples during Open House to promote the foodservice program while also empowering families to recreate healthy meals at home, building stronger ties between the department and the community. Grippa was a guest lecturer at the University of Cincinnati to inspire and educate future professionals about the value of working in child nutrition and spark interest in the field.

Toni Jackson, School Nutrition Director for Trimble County Schools, Kentucky: Southeast region Director of the Year

Toni Jackson transformed an underperforming school nutrition program into a thriving one, fostering a significant increase in student meal participation. She expanded scratch cooking methods, bringing in chefs to help with staff training.  Her focus on offering unique menu items for students, such as frog legs and sushi bowls, has created excitement and brought students back to the cafeteria. She also has initiated events such as the Burger Bash to celebrate National Burger Month, working with a local butcher shop and farmers to provide locally sourced food.

Jackson works diligently with families to ensure children with severe allergies are safely accommodated with a similar meal so they don’t feel singled out in the lunch line. Jackson implemented the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program to increase produce options during the school day and an afterschool snack program to serve hungry students waiting for the bus, which resulted in better behavior on bus rides. She has also expanded access to healthy meals by starting the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program in the district.

Enhanced menu offerings and increased participation through various new programs has significantly improved the program’s finances, helping to support staff pay increases and stipends. Jackson is proactive and transparent with the superintendent and school board, educating them on intricacies of the program and highlighting the department and staff successes. Jackson bridges the gap between the school district and the community and ensures the program has presence at fun events held throughout the year. Through social media posts, she showcases upcoming events and staff members’ efforts, while also gaining valuable feedback by polling parents.

Kimberly Leung, Nutrition Service Director, Tigard-Tualatin School District, Oregon: Western Region Director of the Year

When Kimberly Leung arrived at the Tigard-Tualatin School District during the pandemic, the program had a zero fund balance. She has since transformed her department into a financially self-sustaining operation with more than a $1 million fund balance and increases in equipment, staffing and programming. Leung incorporated more local, nutritious and culturally relevant foods and partnered with dietetic interns to introduce students to menu items such as homemade kimchi, Thai curry, Indian butter chicken, samosas, dal, tamales and shrimp ceviche.

A strong advocate for students and families, Leung was involved in jumpstarting the School Meals for All in Oregon campaign and testified before state legislators on its behalf. She met with the Educational Equity Advisory Committee, comprised of students, board members, administration, community members and parents, for a listening session and to gain valuable feedback. She created a video promoting school meals for all and a magazine called Tastebuds to help share information digitally about school food and the department.

Leung has built strong relationship with her superintendent and has been called on to share information at the state and federal level. Leung’s hard work and dedication was recognized in 2024 as a nominee for the Amazing Educator honor by The Valley Times local newspaper. She’s involved with community groups promoting school meals, such as the Oregon Farm to School Network and Partners for Hunger Free Oregon, as well as national coalitions such as the Healthy Kids Collaborative with Culinary Institute of America.  

The winners were announced as the Regional Director of the Year during an online awards ceremony on April 30 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 2, 2025, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of all SNA award winners will be profiled on Facebook.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org around School Lunch Hero Day. SNA award winners will also be highlighted in SN Magazine, on schoolnutrition.org and related social media platforms and at SNA’s Annual National Conference in San Antonio, TX, in July.