In honor of National School Lunch Hero Day, we wanted to take the time to recognize some of the heroes our local reps interact with regularly and admire for their dedication and support. School foodservice employees do the very important job of feeding our kids each day, some of which wouldn’t get a meal otherwise. If you’re a school lunch hero, all of us at Cambro say thank you and send you a big round of applause!
Missy Poirier, Director of Nutrition Services at Jurupa Valley Unified School District in Jurupa Valley, Calif.
Nominated by Jason Adkins, Dedicated Foodservice Solutions
“Missy Poirier is always going above and beyond with not only the students, but her staff as well. Missy is always lively and recently won the karaoke event at the CSNA conference – her winning song that she performed was “Material Girl” by Madonna. She was a chef in her past life and has the chef tattoos to prove it! She doesn’t shy away from telling it like it is, but it always has a funny spin on it. She always greets people with real hugs; she’s just such an amazing soul.”
Additionally, Poirier is working with our community schools to bring a food pantry to the district. We are coordinating with feeding America and Find foodbank to have a monthly food distribution for the community.
Paige Albrecht, Food Service Director at Forest Lake Public Schools, in Forrest Lake, Minn.
Nominated by Alex Gaustad, Territory Sales Manager for Minnesota and the Dakotas
“Paige is always looking for new ideas to improve and make her food service operation more efficient for her and her team. She is always open to suggestions to try different things. She most recently has been switching to Camshelving® Premium Series at multiple schools in her district. One of the main reasons she continues to switch to Cambro shelving is that she has seen how much it increased her storage capacity in her school’s walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers and dry storage areas.”
Leigh Christian, Director of Child Nutrition at Fort Smith Public Schools in Fort Smith, Ark.
Nominated by PJ Ash, Pro-Quip Foodservice
“Leigh is a Cambro fan and is working tirelessly to better her 26 campuses in Arkansas, which is one of our largest districts. We have worked together on various projects and she is ‘superwoman’; she has had to work with budget cuts as well as many school funding challenges facing Arkansas. We have a great working relationship and I’ve been supporting her for about 3 years. Currently, she is working to upgrade her campuses over the next few years. She loves Camshelving, especially the capability for open corners, and is looking forward to switching some of her other equipment. Additionally, she serves on several boards, including a group that goes to Washington D.C. every year to advocate federal funding for food programs in Arkansas.”
Robbin Cross, Michelle Buchanan and Lacey Haynes, Foodservice Department at Johnson Elementary School in Franklin, Tenn.
Nominated by Kristin Bishop, The Hansen Group
“The foodservice department, led by Food Service Director Robbin Cross, has exemplified dedication, innovation and efficiency in their school lunch program. Johnson Elementary School has been a long-standing Cambro customer, and their recent kitchen renovation showcased their commitment to quality and excellence. Among the new equipment they received, the Ultimate #10 Can Rack stood out as a game-changer. Previously, the lack of an organized system for their cans posed challenges in inventory control and organization. However, with the introduction of the Ultimate #10 Can Rack, they experienced a significant improvement in managing inventory, maintaining organization and adhering to the first-in, first-out principle. This enhancement has streamlined their operations, ensuring that they can efficiently utilize their resources while minimizing waste.”
Darcy Stueber, Director of Nutrition at Mankato Area Public Schools, in Mankato, Minn.
Nominated by Laurance Anderson, Territory Sales Manager for Minnesota and the Dakotas
“Darcy is a competent and dynamic leader for her district and active in the Minnesota School Nutrition Association as the Public Policy Chair. She is a great friend and Cambro fan, who also just ordered Camshelving Elements XTRA Series for one of her schools’ new freezers.”
Stephanie Dyer, School Nutrition Director at Smith County School System in Carthage, Tenn.
Nominated by Melody Turner, The Hansen Group
“Stephanie was a former State Department Regional Consultant for the state of Tennessee who felt the calling to return to the front lines and take over Smith County School’s nutrition department when the opportunity presented itself. Stephanie has worked very hard to update her kitchens and give her staff the best working environment possible.
Stephanie is a dedicated supporter of Cambro products, and recently revamped the kitchen at Carthage Elementary School, which highlights her dedication to top-notch quality. In addition to upgrading kitchen equipment, Stephanie wanted to reward her staff with something special. This included installing new Camshelving in the stockroom, along with an Ultimate #10 Can Rack. Previously, the stockroom was a chaotic array of boxes and dry storage items. With the new shelving and can rack in place, the school now enjoys efficient organization and improved hygiene standards. This upgrade has significantly reduced the staff’s workload and brought smiles of satisfaction to their faces.”
These are just a few of our local Cambro sales reps who immensely value the relationship they have with their school foodservice heroes. Click here to find yours!
