Greetings,

Hope you are all having a wonderful School Lunch Hero Day! We'd like to kick the weekend off by sharing the news that Governor Whitmer has proclaimed May as School Lunch Hero Month in Michigan (see proclamation attached). Thanks to Governor Whitmer and partners at the Michigan departments of Education (MDE) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for recognizing the hard work and commitment that school nutrition professionals make to prepare nourishing meals for our schoolchildren.

Also, please see the press release below about the Michigan 2023 School Lunch Hero Award. This year, MDARD and MDE awarded Carl Williams, executive director for the Detroit Public Schools Community District for his work to provide healthy school meals while using Michigan-grown foods.

Happy School Lunch Hero Month!

Megan McManus

(she/her/hers)

Farm to Institution Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Road – Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824

e: mcmanu60@msu.edu

w: https://www.canr.msu.edu/foodsystems/

From: Michigan Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development <MDARD@govsubscriptions.michigan.gov>

Subject: Detroit Public Schools Community District's Office of School Nutrition Awarded 2023 School Lunch Hero Award

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For immediate release: May 1, 2022
MDARD media contact: Chelsea Lewis-Parisio, 517-331-1151
MDE media contact: Marty Ackley, 517-241-4395

Detroit Public Schools Community District's Office of School Nutrition Awarded 2023 School Lunch Hero Award

Detroit, MI – While National School Lunch Hero Day is on May 5, today the Michigan departments of Education (MDE) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) celebrated by honoring Carl Williams, an executive director for the Detroit Public Schools Community District's (DPSCD) Office of School Nutrition (OSN), for his efforts to provide healthy, fresh and local meals at their schools.

The annual observance showcases the important role school nutrition professional make in the lives of every child who comes through their cafeteria line. MDARD Director Tim Boring and MDE's Deputy Superintendent Dr. Diane Golzynski were on hand to recognize Williams for his commitment the students in his district and dedication for food service to the schoolchildren at DPSCD.

"I'm thankful for people like Carl and all the food service professionals who work daily to provide nutritious meals to Michigan schoolchildren and are also supporting our local farmers through the Farm to School Program," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "By purchasing Michigan-grown and produced products, schools cultivate a farm-to-fork connection while educating our young Michiganders about where their food comes from, and, simultaneously, support local farms and businesses, keeping local economies strong and preserving farmland."

Carl Williams is the executive director for DPSCD's Office of School Nutrition and is responsible for school-based meal operations in 107 schools for all of their United States Department of Agriculture child nutrition programs and non-program sales, employees and services; training programs for all levels of staff, managing external business relationships with vendors, school principals, and non-profit organizations. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Ashford University specializing in Finance.

"MDE is proud of the enormous efforts DPSCD and others around the state have made to assure our children are healthy and safe at school," said MDE's Deputy Superintendent Dr. Diane Golzynski. "The combination of these efforts with proposals such as the Governor's Healthy School Meals for All budget recommendation will continue to push Michigan toward achieving the goals of the Top 10 State Strategic Education Plan."

The Charles R. Drew Transition Center is a pre-vocational center within the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The Charles R. Drew center is housed in the former Drew Middle School which, in the year 2011, underwent a $5.2 million renovation that allows Detroit Public Schools Community District to adequately serve approximately 600 students who previously attended Detroit Transition Center East and Detroit Transition Center West.

In 2022, Cinamon Marker of Elkton Pigeon Bayport Laker Schools and Nathan Bates, of Boyne Falls Public School were recognized for their outstanding work within Michigan's school food service industry.

To learn more about Farm to School efforts in Michigan, visit Michigan Farm to School (msu.edu).

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