Kimberly Stevens, food service director at Hidden Valley High School, is one of only six food service directors competing for a national award to be presented in July. She is quick to credit her staff of nine with her success. “If I win an award, then this team wins an award” she states enthusiastically.
One has only to look at her self-described “bling hat” to get an idea of the awards she has won and the service she has provided. Her black visor is covered in award and service pins. It is the second thing that is noticed after her warm smile and joyful personality.
In order to be eligible for a national award, Stevens had to win first in the state and also in her region. She is the current holder of the regional Louise Sublette Award of Excellence, conveyed to her by the School Nutrition Association (SNA). The regional Louise Sublette Award of Excellence is in memory of Louise Sublette, a leader in school foodservice programs in Tennessee and in SNA.
During Sublette’s 43 years in the profession, she worked with many areas of foodservice—public schools, colleges, hospitals and elderly feeding programs. SNA celebrates school nutrition professionals and their commitment to providing safe, healthy and well-balanced meals during the national School Nutrition Employee Week (SNEW), May 3-7.
Two years ago Stevens received an award for turning the physical appearance of the school cafeteria from an institutional setting to a warm and inviting café environment. This year she has been awarded for her dedication and work ethic in providing nutritious meals for her students.
She is responsible for improving the a la carte breakfast choices at the school to reflect a nutritionally dense, high fiber, low fat and low sugar lifestyle. As a result of her efforts, breakfast participation at the school has increased by 6% in the last year, exceeding her own goal. Ever the goal setter, she already knows what she wants the number to be next year and she has a plan in place to make it happen.
The star of her breakfast menu is the “ultimate breakfast round,” a tasty whole grain breakfast cookie with 260 calories and 6 grams of fiber. Stevens can easily quote the numbers of her favorite choices on her menu and often posts them for students to see. She is able to point out how she has changed items, resulting in an increase in the nutritional intake of her students, sometimes without their awareness.
Rhonda Huffman, Nutrition Coordinator of Roanoke County Schools, and State president of SNA, says “we’re very proud of Kim — she goes above and beyond her job description.” That fact is evidenced by Steven’s Trimming Titans Program. Eight faculty and seventeen students participated in her nutrition and exercise program. Huffman states that nineteen schools out of twenty six have a breakfast program in place.
Stevens has worked for the county school system for ten years. She is a self starter who left her stay- at- home career and engaged in many training programs to reach her position as food service director at Hidden Valley. Because of her efforts, Hidden Valley School serves a breakfast fit for a champion.
By Christine Slade [email protected]