Nancy Smith is the Director of Food Services at School City of Hobart. She has been with the corporation for 15 years. In this role, she has been able to serve the community through school meals, catering events, and the corporation's Summer Food Service Program.
We asked Nancy to share something that she has really been working on in the last year. She said, "Leadership is something that is very important to our superintendent, Dr. Buffington, and I have really worked at being a strong leader. The Northwest
Indiana region has always been a wealth of networking opportunities in my 17 years of being a director and I want that to continue for the next generation of leaders. Keeping the Region 1 Food Service Directors group working together as a support network for each other is important to me. I host monthly meetings and encourage the veteran directors to mentor the newer directors. It’s awesome to witness the energy that this group has! I plan to retire in 2 years and I am mentoring my staff to #beexcellentonpurpose (our district’s hashtag) I live and work by the motto, leave it better than you found it. I think that I have achieved that."
In the future, Nancy would like to bring more nutrition education into the classroom. She wants to start better habits of good nutrition early for students. The legislation of Universal Free Meals is something that she feels very strongly about and would like to work to help make it happen in Indiana.
When asked what she finds the most rewarding about her job, she shared, "Small successes! I love to see a positive response to new menu ideas or an operations process that really solves a
problem for us. I get such a thrill from “putting the right person in the right seat, on the right bus!" Sometimes I need to make an unpopular decision of moving staff but if I give the process enough thought, I can usually find success in these moves; for both the staff member and the department. Love that! The day-to-day celebrations are what keep me motivated and energized. I like to succeed at a big project as well, but it’s the little ones that make me feel good."
In her spare time, Nancy enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Jeff. Together they enjoy camping, fishing, gardening, and traveling in Northern Michigan.
