Lisa Banner

Details

Senior Foodservice Director, (The Nutrition Group Inc.), Montour School District
McKees Rocks, PA
Age: 27
Education: B.S. in hospitality management from Youngstown State University
Years at organization: 5

Why Selected?

According to Kevin Leninsky, foodservice director trainee for The Nutrition Group Inc., Lisa has transformed dining services at Montour School District by:

•Opening the Spartan Café, an area where students and teachers can get á la carte items during and shortly after the school day

•Being very visible, not only at school events but also at charities and fundraisers in the community

•Pinpointing areas for improvement and working on committees, which demonstrates her commitment to the district’s success 

Get to know

Q. What has been your proudest accomplishment?

t the high school we added a coffee shop, The Spartan Café. I took on the opening of that for service to our students and staff. We were going for an upscale café feel, something that is much different from the stigma of traditional cafeteria food. It’s been hugely successful, and we have others touring the café and mirroring what we’ve done here in their locations.
 

Q. What would you say you excel at over more seasoned colleagues?

I started at a local restaurant, then a long-term care facility, a chain restaurant and a school district. I’ve seen the right way to manage. I’m able to infuse my past experience to manage my staff.
 

Q. What's the best career advice you've been given?

Don’t let college interfere with your education. College doesn’t entitle you to anything. The real world helps you progress. 

Q. What's been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?

I started out in a small rural Ohio district and I transferred to a larger district. I had to leave behind the students and my staff. I moved to a larger district. Now I have more students and more staff and I had to leave Ohio. 

Q. What's been your most rewarding moment?

When I visit the schools and the students remember me. I do nutrition education in the classes and the kids will run up to me and give me hugs when they see me. They tell me how they tried something new to eat and how they took the information that I told them about home. That’s what we’re here to do, to make that connection between foodservice and home.
 

Q. What would you like to accomplish in your career in the next two years?

I was just promoted so I’d like to continue learning and I’m excited to grow my career with The Nutrition Group. 

Q. What's been your funniest on-the-job disaster?

I was leaving the coffee shop and walking through the high school. The security guard stopped me and asked for my hall pass. He thought I was a student. It’s happened a couple of times.