March–Dawana Green
Dawana is the Assistant Manager at North Wayne Elementary. She has really grown over the past year and has a hunger to learn more! Dawana has assisted at other schools this semester, and the managers wanted her to know what a huge help she was. She left a lasting impression and was requested to help again because they had such a great experience working with her. Dawana is very reliable and does her job well. Thank you, Dawana, for your dedication and hard work. We truly appreciate you!
February–Angie Ray
Angie Ray is our newest assistant manager, and she was nominated for this award for stepping up in a big way and filling in for a manager at one of our schools. Even though her experience is at secondary schools, she has done a great job adapting at the elementary level and learning quickly. She asks great questions and has mentioned how much she has loved the opportunity to work with the staff in this building. We want to give kudos to the entire team for your flexibility and hard work! Thank you, Angie, for your willingness to help and for going above and beyond taking on more responsibility. You’ve done an amazing job, and we want you to know how much you’re appreciated!
January–Amina Elmessoussi
Amina (Mimi) is the first assistant manager this year to receive this award, and she is incredibly deserving. Mimi has really grown in her leadership skills this year and dedicated herself to her role. She has gone above and beyond, stepping in to do ordering and leading staff in the kitchen. She has filled in multiple positions to ensure we have everything done and is always willing to help a coworker. Mimi has worked with us for 23 years and is the true jack of all trades. Thank you, Mimi, for your bright spirit and dedication!
November/December–Kelly Jarnigan
Kelly was nominated for this award for her incredible record of helping other schools as well as supporting her employees. She is great at training others and has extensive knowledge from the many years she has dedicated to our department. Kelly is very welcoming and good at motivating others. If there is something she doesn’t know the answer to, she always makes sure to follow up and figure out the answer. Thank you Kelly for your bright personality and your dedication every day at work. We are forever grateful for your willingness to help out other schools when they need it. We are very thankful to have you!
October–Charlotte McCoy
Charlotte is so deserving of this reward! The last day before Fall Break, the power at her building went out. She sprang into action and came up with a backup plan all on her own and did a great job communicating this plan to her administration in the process. She not only still fed the students in her building, but also the students at Sanders and WPA. They couldn’t open the gates to their lines, so she had the amazing idea to use their breakfast carts as lines for lunch. Her calm mentality helped her staff stay grounded and get the job done. She is so great thinking on her feet and being a strong leader. There is no question how much Charlotte truly cares about what she does. Thank you, Charlotte, for all you do, and we are proud of you!
September–Tammy Belt
So far this year Tammy has gone above and beyond for her employees. She has a great relationship with the staff and admin in her building. She puts a heavy focus on teamwork and patience. Tammy works just as hard as any staff member in her kitchen. She is always out working alongside her employees and setting a good example. When issues come up, Tammy is very levelheaded and great at finding solutions. Thank you, Tammy, for your consistent presence and hard work each and every day! We know you don’t like to be the center of attention but you deserve it!
August–Teresa Livingstone
Teresa takes the cake for going above and beyond the last few months. She did a great job managing her summer feeding distribution site this summer and has taken on providing meals to Indy West and Chapel Rock this semester without hesitation. They are serving an additional 200 breakfasts and lunches between two satellite locations each day. Teresa is determined to see this program succeed and she has been extremely flexible throughout the process to accommodate students’ needs. She is always the first person willing to put in extra work or try something new. Your creativity and enthusiasm really bring something special to our team. Thank you, Teresa, for all you do!