Lori Danella
Nutrition Director | Lee’s Summit School District | Lee’s Summit, Missouri
After losing her husband to cancer, Lori Danella made a decision that would change the course of her life. She left a demanding career in grocery retail, relocated from a small rural community to the Kansas City area to build a better future for her two young boys, and found her way into school nutrition through a manager position in the Kansas City, Kansas school district. It was an inner-city program worlds away from where she'd grown up. That kind of persistence has defined her ever since. Lori eventually came to Lee’s Summit as assistant director, became director in 2017, and today oversees 170 staff members across 25 locations serving students from Head Start Pre-K through 12th grade in one of Missouri's fastest-growing suburbs.
I think sometimes with loss, you can either give up and not want to move forward," Lori says. "But for me, I wanted to give back. This is the perfect way to do that." That spirit shows up in everything from what she puts on the line to how she runs her kitchens. Scratch-made macaroni and cheese is a perennial favorite, the kind of dish students request by name. Lori holds her menu standards high across the board: all chicken served is whole muscle and antibiotic-free, baked in combi ovens rather than fried. That same commitment to quality carries through to her pantry staples. Since August 2025, her team has purchased over 3,200 cases of General Mills Foodservice products, the kind of lineup students want and keep coming back for. The whole grain muffin mix is a kitchen favorite, with cooks riffing on flavors like banana chocolate chip and fresh blueberry. "The great thing is it's whole grain, but you can't tell," Lori says. "The kids consider that a dessert, not knowing it meets their grain count." The cornbread mix, Trix Muffins, two-ounce cereal bowls for grab-and-go, and Pillsbury Southern-Style Biscuits round out a lineup she trusts to deliver every day.
Lori's signature accomplishment is the Lee’s Summit farm-to-school program, which she built by starting small and refusing to stop. She converted serving lines into garden bars, applied for a grant through the Chef Ann Foundation, and within three years, all 18 of the district's elementaries had self-serve garden bars stocked with seasonal produce from local farmers, their photos displayed on posters in the cafeteria. Today, all 25 buildings have them. "Seeing those kids eating fresh radishes, peppers, cucumbers…and they eat everything they take – it's just so rewarding," she says. The program has become a model across the state, and as the current Missouri School Nutrition Association president, Lori makes a point of sharing what she's learned so other districts can get there too.
Her team of 170 knows her as fair, caring, and genuinely invested in their growth. She gives each kitchen a budget to decorate their cafeteria, supports staff in pursuing scholarships, and builds in training on topics they actually request. Last summer, that meant a two-hour self-defense course through a local foundation. She wants every person on her staff to reach their potential, and holds them to it. "My goal is to get those kids fed," she says. "But I want to grow everyone to their highest potential at the same time."
For anyone new to the field, Lori's advice is direct: find a mentor, join your state association, and stay flexible because the regulations will change before you catch your breath. She earned her master's in leadership specifically because the job demanded it.
After 28 years, what keeps her going is clear. "Every time we put a tray out, we are serving a tray to a possible future leader or doctor. We're responsible for their nutrition. And we know kids cannot learn without proper nutrition." For Lori Danella, the work has never been just about food. It's about showing up, every day, for the kids on the other side of the line.
Be sure to follow along on their journey:
