FuelCast

Tina Farmer, Director of School Nutrition at Cherokee County Schools, is a collaborator at heart. In this episode, Tina shares the dynamic ways she collaborates with local organizations, district administration, parents, and even her own children to run an award-winning school nutrition program. At the heart of it all is her dedication to servant leadership and determination to make sure all her students receive quality school meals regardless of circumstances. It's hard to not be inspired by this terrific example of why school nutrition professionals #lovewhatyoudo.

When Trae Cown set plans in motion to become a Registered Dietitian, he forecasted a long and rewarding career in the clinical field. However, exposure to both clinical and school nutrition work as part of his studies caused a shift in center – and the allure of serving children seemed irresistible. He started off as a School Nutrition Coordinator, working on areas such as menu planning, recipe development, and nutrition education. As he traversed many roles, including School Nutrition Director and now Area Consultant at the Georgia Department of Education, he takes with him the pride of having walked in the shoes of the people he now serves.  And not only pride, but also empathy. In Trae’s words he has been there and so he’s laser focused on agility and accuracy when interfacing today with Georgia’s School Nutrition Directors.

The episode takes a fun turn, revealing what Trae calls his introverted quirks, his favorite school meals, and a hilarious but teachable experience with the exotic fruit ‘quince’. We can’t wait for you to meet the clearly not-the-introvert Trae Cown in this candid conversation that reveals why working in School Nutrition makes it easy to #LoveWhatYouDo!

Shanté Williams, Food Distribution Specialist on our State Agency team has seen the proverbial stars align as she brings her passion for service to the School Nutrition career she now calls home. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a master’s in public health, she has demonstrated both skill and tenacity as she juggles several priorities for our team. These include coordinating the delivery of nutritious foods to statewide programs and serving as a member of our emergency coordination team. A proud alumna of Brooks County Schools, she talks just as passionately about her days in the cafeteria eating cheese-burger and breakfast pizza, as she does about the joy she derives from knowing her work helps keep students fed and learning. Fuel, Fun, Fellowship - three words she used, effortlessly, to describe the Georgia School Nutrition experience.

We can’t wait for you to meet Shanté, nature-lover, boy mom, and avid gardener in this very engaging episode of FuelCast!

Dr. Linette Dodson, Georgia’s State Director of School Nutrition, from a vantage point like never before! 

From walking down memory lane to the times she ate homemade mac and cheese in the school cafeteria, to recounting her entry into the world of School Nutrition, Dr. Dodson chronicles, in her calm and affable style, a fortuitous route to what she calls the ‘best job in the whole state’. She credits the success of Georgia School Nutrition, and her personal fulfillment steering the program, to strong Leadership at GaDOE, overwhelmingly strong talent and leadership at the local levels, and an inspired, passionate State Agency team.

But she’s more than School Nutrition guidelines, policy, and regulation; though quality school meals are her ‘main thing’, Dr. Dodson delights in a few other areas of life. Listen to hear revelations of her passion for family, regal past as a reigning Mitchell, South Dakota, Corn Palace Princess, and her thrill with biking at 11-12 miles per hour.

Dr. Dodson says ‘we can change the health of the nation through School Nutrition’, and it’s nuggets like these that leave the strongest impression in this episode, as they reveal her commitment to the assignment of Fueling Georgia’s Future and a clear confidence in the seminal role of school meals.

Former soccer player and clinical dietician Holly Thaw, RDN, LD, took the scenic route to her beloved home in School Nutrition. She now serves proudly as the Georgia School Nutrition Farm-to-School Specialist, who you’ll remember especially for the scrumptious Harvest-of-the-Month inspired recipes in our Harvest with Holly series. Holly talks to us from a whole new view, sharing on the heart and drive of school nutrition professionals and the innovation she’s overjoyed to witness in our programs, as she brings her own passion to building farm-to-school capacity across GA!

Come with us as we talk with Chef Michael Dubose and Chef John Huff, who serve the Georgia School Nutrition Program as dedicated Culinary Specialists. Mike and John work every day to raise the level of expertise in school cafeterias through thought and skills exchange, and are both passionate about Fueling Georgia’s Future. These gentlemen come from diverse backgrounds, spanning military and non-profit life, but their experiences converge when they engage across bodies of School Nutrition Professionals. You'll hear a heart for service as they both share their readiness-eagerness-openness to support our teams in the field!

Meet Dr. Ellen Steinberg, Food Safety Specialist at the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Program! She is a Registered Dietician with a PhD in Foods and Nutrition and a mountain biker who works with School Districts across Georgia, furthering her passion to keep school meals safe and healthy for students, but she didn't start there. Listen as Dr. Steinberg talks us through her days at school in the sixties, her work with the USDA as 'Thermy' the Thermometer, her pride to serve alongside the hardest working School Nutrition Professionals and so much more. You'll also hear her boast a little about the high standards in food safety evident in Georgia's school cafeterias.  

A fun and informative conversation with useful nuggets on food safety right through! 

From the school media center to the classroom, and then the cafeteria, Monika Griner, Georgia School Nutrition Program Area Consultant, took an unlikely path to her career as a School Nutrition Professional and we dare say enthusiast.  In this episode, we'll profile Monika, learning how this South Georgia native came to see the business of providing quality meals for Georgia students as her calling.  

A 'New & Different' way to communicate, the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Program presents FuelCast! In our series pilot we introduce the FuelCast podcast, establish its purpose, and set the stage for the range of topics, personalities and issues to be addressed in nuanced, relatable discussions, led by our host, Rolandria Boyce and Georgia School Nutrition Strategic Marketing, Communications and Training Manager, Kelli Cook.