Mentor Public Schools Nutrition Director Wins Regional Award

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Jeni Lange, SNS, Director of School Nutrition Services for Mentor Public Schools, OH, the Mideast regional Director of the Year. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors who manage effective school meal programs providing healthy, appetizing meals to students.

For 15 of her 30 years at Mentor Public Schools, Jeni Lange has served as Director of Nutrition Services, overseeing 14 schools. Lange started the first Point of Sale (POS) system, providing a completely different way to serve the roughly 9,000 students in her district. After training 46 staff members to use the new technology, she implemented an online payment system, making it easier for parents to control their child’s school meal account. Concerned with the rise in allergies and dietary restrictions, Lange also implemented a mobile software program allowing students and parents to review all nutrition ingredients, allergens and nutritional value for all school meals.

Lange created a well-organized plan prior to deadlines for Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requirements, providing adequate time to eliminate certain items and establish regulation change with little to no disruption to students. Her creative approach allowed for students to more easily accept the changes and gradually adjust to the new school meal guidelines. She creates an open dialogue with students, gathering information that will help her staff create meals to appeal to students with varying tastes. Through this collaboration, Lange has added ethnic recipes on menus, encouraged her staff to create meatless days for vegetarians and hold taste tests of new items.

She has been instrumental in promoting both the school nutrition program and the health benefits of school meals. She strives to make parents and students comfortable in the cafeteria and clearly explains the aspects that go into creating a successful school meal program.

Lange has held many leadership roles over her career, including state Regional Director, Vice President, President Elect and President of the School Nutrition Association of Ohio. She previously served as a member on the National SNA Resolutions and Bylaws Committee. She continues to share her knowledge with her staff and her fellow school nutrition colleagues. Lange’s strong advocacy for education and membership in SNA is reflected in her staff’s quality meals and exceptional audits.

Lange brings in guest speakers and provides continuous training and educational sessions to enhance staff cooking knowledge and meal preparation skills. She encourages professional development, securing SNA memberships for her entire district’s nutrition staff, along with a minimum of level one certification in school nutrition services.

“Jeni Lange brings her whole heart into her job, dedicating her efforts to ensure each child in her district has access to healthy, balanced and enticing school meal options,” said SNA President Gay Anderson, SNS. “Not only has her dedication created a successful and flourishing school meal program in Mentor Schools, but the greater community has benefited from her volunteer involvement as well.”

The regional 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 foodservice operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

On July 14, 2019, Lange will be honored during the Red Carpet Awards Ceremony at the School Nutrition Association’s 73rd Annual National Conference in St. Louis, MO.

About School Nutrition Association:

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 58,000 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.