Meet Rhiannon Mejia, a Child Nutrition Supervisor in Texas who oversees 10 schools including elementary, middle, and high schools with innovative bistro concepts. Rhiannon shares her inspiring journey from restaurant management to school nutrition, motivated by her own childhood experiences and desire to ensure every child has access to meals. She discusses her leadership approach grounded in empathy, open communication, and patience—lessons learned from an impactful mentor. Rhiannon also highlights her district’s successful Manager-in-Training (MIT) program that identifies and develops rising leaders, including how her colleague Lisa (featured in a companion episode) trained her and continues to train new managers today.

Lisa Strine is a Child Nutrition Manager in Fort Worth, Texas, who brings retail training expertise and 18 years of school nutrition experience to her role—where she serves 780 meals daily and maintains an impressive student participation rate. As her district’s in-house trainer and compliance expert, Lisa prepares new managers for success through hands-on MIT (Manager in Training) camps while ensuring her own team stays audit-ready and confident. In this episode, Lisa shares her journey from retail management to school nutrition passion, reveals why production records are her “kitchen Bible,” and offers candid advice on navigating administrative reviews, batch cooking operations, and the inevitable equipment failures. Her leadership philosophy? Train your staff so well they could take over your job, take one deep breath when stress hits, and never forget that you can’t do this work alone.

This podcast episode is about the real work of school nutrition leadership. In this episode, we explore how a kitchen manager builds strong teams, engages students, and creates menu programs that balance nutrition standards with student appeal. Practical strategies are shared for staff development and motivation, creative approaches to menu marketing and student engagement, and proven methods for increasing meal participation. From career inspiration to day-to-day leadership challenges, this conversation offers valuable insights.

Welcome to iBites, the podcast from the Institute of Child Nutrition.
On iBites, we talk with school nutrition professionals from around the country. Our guests share real experiences, practical tips, and proven strategies to support your work. Whether you’re an experienced nutrition director, a manager, or new to child nutrition, this is your community to connect, learn, and get inspired.
Grab your coworkers or your earbuds, put on your walking shoes, or find a comfy spot. It’s time to dive in!
Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you, your dedication, and the difference you make each day in nourishing the next generation.

Crystal Beers shares her approach to leading her staff and making sure all her students are fed with a smile and warm greeting.