Workforce Development Strategies and Partnerships for School Nutrition Programs

This product is free for SNS DPG members.

This webinar was presented live on February 27, 2024.

Join us for a collaborative exploration of how workforce development initiatives can fuel healthy school meals. Discover how partnerships can help develop and expand the school nutrition workforce, place qualified staff, explore innovative apprenticeship programs, and advocate for career pathways for individuals with disabilities. We'll discuss the critical role of dietitians in connecting the dots between workforce development, healthy food access, and positive youth health outcomes. Learn how to build a robust school nutrition workforce that nourishes future generations.

CPE Level: 1
CPEU: 1

Performance Indicators:

• 2.4 Employs strategies for and facilitates team building skills.
• 14.4 Coordinates human resource activities, adhering to labor agreements, organizational policies and applicable legislation.
• 6.5 Leads or supports activities related to the development or management of academic programs.

Learning Objectives

• Describe two strategies that can be used for workforce development in school nutrition programs.
• List two existing programs that can be used to model outreach to potential school nutrition programs.
• Identify local apprenticeship and workforce training providers.

Speakers

Sandy Curwood, PhD, RDN, State Director of School Nutrition Programs, Virginia Department of Education

Sandy Curwood is the State Director of School Nutrition Programs at Virginia Department of Education, working to assure that every Virginia student has equitable access to good, healthy, food at school, to enhance academic success and promote lifelong wellness.

As a former school foodservice director for fifteen years, in school districts in California, she has been successful in implementing Farm to School programs, conversion to speed-scratch cooking and incorporating nutrition education and garden based learning in to the classroom. She is a registered dietitian who has worked in a variety of food service and healthcare settings. She served as adjunct faculty and taught foodservice systems and nutrition courses at Cal State Northridge. She has a B.S. in Foods and Nutrition and Masters degree in Business, Health Care Administration, and a PhD from Iowa State in Hospitality Management, with a focus on food safety in Farm-to-School programs.

Domonique Goode, Workforce Services Program Consultant, Sr., Virginia Department of Social Services

Domonique Goode is a Senior Program Consultant with the Workforce Services division of the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). Domonique has over 17 years of experience leading comprehensive workforce development strategies providing citizens of Virginia the opportunity to obtain work experience and skills necessary for maintaining self-sufficiency and achieving economic independence. Some of the diverse populations he has worked with include at-risk youth, re-entry, disabled, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) populations. In his current role, his program governs the workforce services policies, procedures, administration, and compliance of Virginia’s 120 local departments of social services. Domonique also serves as a Grant Writer and Project Manager for workforce development grants.

Domonique is also a Licensed Minister, and his personal motto is to live a life that’s “Inspiring, Motivating, and Changing Live Daily.”

Mara Fleishman, Chief Executive Officer, Chef Ann Foundation

Mara Fleishman embarked on her journey in food systems advocacy during her early twenties, drawing inspiration from the transformative potential of food following her diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. With a career spanning more than two decades, Mara has been at the helm of driving change in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. She dedicated over a decade to Whole Foods Market, assuming the pivotal role of Global Director of Partnerships.

As CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, Mara has dedicated the past ten years to championing the cause of healthier food for our nation's children.

Laura Smith, Executive Director of Programs, Chef Ann Foundation

Laura Smith serves as the Executive Director of Programs for the Chef Ann Foundation. She joined CAF in May 2022 as Program Director of Workforce Development and transitioned to her current role in January 2023.

Laura started her school food journey at Boulder Valley School District (Boulder, CO), implementing the district’s farm-to-school, nutrition education, and local food promotion programs. After nearly three years as the Health Policy & Promotion Program Manager for Idaho’s largest public health district, Laura was excited to return to school food.

As Program Director of Workforce Development, Laura served as program lead for the first-ever federally registered Fellowship program cultivating the next generation of diverse leaders in scratch-cook school food operations.