Senior Director of Food & Nutrition Services Lora Gilbert has received the Golden School Foodservice Director of the Year Award by the National Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence (FAME) Award program. The award is the highest honor presented to a school nutrition professional at the FAME award ceremony during the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) Child Nutrition Industry Conference.
According to FAME criteria, Lora Gilbert has worked hard to combine the goals of the school board with the state and federal government requirements to meet nutritional requirements for all students in Orange County Public Schools. Gilbert put together a results-oriented management team. Her staff provides measurable results to track effectiveness in operations in order to meet participation goals, demonstrate compliance, and stay on budget. Under her leadership, Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) increased revenue by providing nutrition services to community summer programs, recreational programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA locations, the Rescue Mission, and many church groups. Through the district’s FNS, nutrition education opportunities are readily available for students, teachers, and school food service staff.
Gilbert says, “Student satisfaction is the key to our success. No product is added to the menu without testing and approval from students.”
Each year, OCPS FNS serves more than 26 million meals and snacks for the nation’s 10th largest school district. That is approximately 143,000 breakfast and lunches per day or one million meals every seven school days. The department brings in more than $45 million in federal money to the school district, providing award winning programs.
