Teresa Evans; Director of Nutrition Services | Crosby ISD, Crosby, Texas
Teresa Evans did not start her career behind a serving line. She started it in a NICU, working night shifts as a registered nurse. When her family grew and the hours no longer fit her life, she did something most people wouldn't: she went back to school and asked herself what she was truly passionate about. The answer was giving back to a community, working in a science field, and food. "I'm a foodie at heart," she says. "This checked all of those boxes." Teresa went on to earn an MS in Business Operations further strengthening the foundation for the work she leads today.
That instinct led her to a neighboring district's nutrition department as a financial coordinator, where she got her first real exposure to kitchens and menus. A supportive director recognized that she liked to get her hands dirty, and the combination of numbers and people kept drawing her in. When the director role opened at Crosby ISD, it was the right fit at the right time. Today, Teresa oversees nutrition services for approximately 7,200 students across eight campuses, leading a team of 70 employees with a vision built on scratch cooking, strong culture, and genuine care.
Scratch cooking, or what Teresa calls "semi-scratch," is central to Crosby's identity. When she arrived, banks of microwaves lined the kitchens. That has changed. Now, the team roasts tomatillos, makes fresh salsas and picos, and serves a traditional pozole, a hearty, herb-forward chicken soup served with radishes, cabbage, lime, and tortilla strips, that students genuinely look forward to. Elote with cotija cheese and lime. Enchiladas made in-house. "We serve food that our employees would serve their family and be proud of," she says. On bakery days, students have another reason to celebrate: donuts topped with General Mills cereals, every variety, from Lucky Charms to Cocoa Puffs, lined up across the tray. The Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit also has its devoted fans. At the high school, it shows up as a spicy chicken biscuit dressed with Mike's Hot Honey. At the elementary level, kids look forward to brunch-for-lunch days, when the biscuit becomes a Canadian bacon, ham, and cheese sandwich that moves fast through the line.
One of Teresa's proudest moments happened quietly, without fanfare. An employee came in without formal education, starting in the dish room with little confidence in what she could do. Teresa saw potential, walked alongside her, and helped her earn her GED. That employee eventually moved into a management position. "It's okay to be vulnerable," Teresa says. "And then, what can we do together to get us higher?"
She talks about leadership the way she talks about food: nothing hollow, nothing wasted. "Blowing somebody else's candle out isn't going to make mine shine brighter." Her team, she says, is the machine that keeps running. She gives credit to dietitian Evelyn Para, who brings both a master’s degree and formal culinary training to her role, and describes the full administrative and kitchen staff with clear pride. If she were plucked out tomorrow, she believes, it would keep moving. That's the goal.
Her advice to anyone entering the field is to invest in their people. "Listen to their suggestions. Treat them as people, not as workers." For those with more years behind them, her word is flexibility. "We've got a whole new generation coming up. If we don't change and embrace that, we're not going to connect with them the way we need to."
Crosby ISD may be a smaller district, but Teresa Evans has built something that doesn't feel small at all. It feels like a community.