Stark County ESC Nutrition Director

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Stacey Bettis, of Stark County ESC in Ohio, the Midwest region Director of the Year. Bettis serves as the Director of Food Services for Minerva Local, Brown Local and Tuscarawas Local school districts in northeast Ohio. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors who manage effective school meal programs providing healthy, appetizing meals to students.

Stacey Bettis is described as a role model and leader who has made substantial improvements to the three school district meal programs she oversees. Bettis transformed each budget from operating in the red to running in the black. Her implementation of innovative programs including Breakfast in the Classroom, Second Chance Breakfast and fun marketing activities like Lucky Tray Day have resulted in increased student engagement and meal participation.

Bettis works with local 4-H and fair boards to procure local beef to be prepared at the schools. She developed a countywide training program for school districts on how to implement additional Farm to School activities, and the logistics of working with local farmers and students. She also maintains the ServSafe Manager Food Safety Certification and encourages all staff to be ServSafe Certified and complete continuous education.

Recently, Bettis worked with students assigned to the district's work program to train them to earn their Department of Health’s “Person in Charge” certificate. She utilizes the district's social media platforms to share updates about school lunch and breakfast programs including menus, pictures of delicious prepared meals and acknowledgement of food service employees. Bettis also took part in the BackPack and TUFF Bag food programs to ensure that no student goes hungry on the weekends.

“Stacey’s tireless efforts have had such a positive impact on students and the community for more than a decade,” said Chris Derico, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “Her presence is felt throughout all three districts. Principals and many of the teachers know her by name, which is a testament to her commitment, dedication, and hard work.”

Bettis has served as president for the School Nutrition Association Ohio, as a regional director and on state conference planning committees. She can often be seen speaking at local chapter meetings and attending state and national conferences, and volunteering her time to mentor directors as they learn about SNA. She also served on the national School Nutrition Foundation scholarship selection committee.

The Director of the Year Award was created to recognize school nutrition directors who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to their school meal programs. The directors are responsible for maintaining the quality of the program through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Through effective oversight of all aspects of food service operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

Bettis was announced as the Midwest region Director of the Year during an online awards ceremony on April 30 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 3, 2024, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of Bettis and all SNA award winners will also be highlighted in a special digital publication and promoted in SNA's annual Hero Day social media campaign on Facebook.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org.

About School Nutrition Association:

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.