Facing rising costs and shrinking budgets? According to the School Nutrition Association’s 2024 School Nutrition Trends report, the top challenge for school meal programs was increasing costs. A la carte programs can be a game-changer for your school meal program, driving revenue and enhancing student satisfaction.
Join us for this insightful webinar featuring Patti Bilbrey, Director of Nutrition Services at Scottsdale Unified School District, and Chef Heather Swan, General Mills K12 Corporate Chef. Together they will provide valuable insights and practical strategies for building a successful and profitable a la carte program in your school.
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Patti Bilbrey, SNAAZ President Patti Bilbrey serves as the Director of Nutrition Services for the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), where she expertly oversees nutrition programs that provide thousands of meals daily to students across the district. Her dedication to combating food insecurity is evident through her active participation in initiatives like the Farmers to Families program. Patti also plays a pivotal role on Scottsdale's Wellness Committee, collaborating to review and enhance wellness guidelines that promote the physical, social, and mental health of both students and staff.
In addition to these efforts, Patti has successfully implemented a thriving a la carte program within the child nutrition program, offering students healthy, appealing options that encourage better eating habits. As the president of the SNA Arizona Chapter, she exemplifies leadership in advocating for school nutrition, ensuring that the voices of nutrition professionals are heard and valued in shaping policies that affect student health and well-being.
Chef Heather Swan, K-12 Corporate Chef Chef Heather Swan recently joined General Mills as a K-12 corporate chef. She most recently worked in a large local Minnesota school district creating recipes and training staff. Chef Heather brings the perspective of the K-12 operator to General Mills Foodservice. Chef Heather is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. She worked with Hartmut Handke, C.M.C. competing in the worldwide cooking competition, The Bocuse D'Or in 2003. She has a wide variety of experiences that include working as an executive chef and general manager in resorts, fine dining restaurants, and a wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria. Additionally, Chef Heather has experience in both senior care dining and K-12 school food service. Chef Heather enjoys bringing on trend flavors to K-12 school food and creating recipes that surprise students.
This webinar is pending approval for 1 continuing education credit by the following organization: The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP). Approval by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for CEUs was not requested for this webinar.