The Marion Central School District is proud to welcome Tina VanStrien as its new food service director.
“When I first took on this role, I really emphasized the importance of providing excellent customer service, day in and day out,” said VanStrien, who will also continue to serve as the food service director for the Williamson Central School District, a role she has been in since 2021.
As food service director, VanStrien handles the entire school meal operation, from overseeing staff and budgets to the procurement of food, supplies and equipment, and the development of menus all of which must meet state and federal nutrition and safety regulations. Last school year, she oversaw the distribution of almost 216,000 meals to students in Williamson.
“During the school year, we are fortunate enough to see the students for two to three meals per day, five days a week, on average,” VanStrien said. “This means they will eat most of their meals per week with us. That is what keeps us going and focused on doing the very best that we can each day for the students.”
While at Williamson, VanStrien oversaw the installation of a new kitchen at the district’s elementary school, increased staff training and professional development, including “ServSafe” training, incorporated more student nutrition education programs and increased the food service’s social media presence.
VanStrien also used Supply Chain Assistance Funding that helped offset the increased costs of supplies.
“It has taken several years to get where we are today,” she said, while giving credit to her staff. “They are the hardest workers I know, and they come to work every day to serve nutritious and tasty food to the students.”
VanStrien plans to implement several of the same strategies in Marion.
VanStrien lives in Williamson and is a proud mother to two children. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology in nutrition management.
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