A Day in the Life: Kerri Braverman

Director of Student Nutrition Services / Warehouse

It’s no surprise Kerri Braverman kept her cool during the recent earthquake in California. She’s a very grounded person. She oversees nutrition for a district with 24 schools and 14,000 students and faces tough issues, like the USDA’s ever changing school meal regulations.

She stays grounded by setting up clear channels of communication for her staff, being enthusiastic, and then heading to a hot Bikram yoga class at the end of the day. She’s powered by herbal tea and kale smoothies.
 
Having grown up in Marin County, Braverman knows the best spots for days off, evidenced by envy-inducing Facebook photos of hitting all the coolest Napa wineries with her friends, relaxing by the Golden Gate Bridge, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl...

Here’s a peek inside HER day:

5:30 am Braverman wakes up and takes the dog out. She makes a coffee with steamed milk and starts reading an article the superintendent gave members of the cabinet to read: “Factors for Promoting Inclusion and Success for Underrepresented High School Students.” She also sneaks a peek at work emails on her phone.

5:45 am After reading the article, Braverman starts paging through a travel book. She’s headed to Barcelona this fall.

7 am start. Photo: Thinkstock

7:00 am “After showering and getting dressed, I make my morning smoothie,” Braverman says. She makes a super healthy mix of fresh fruit, kale, coconut water, almond milk, flax seeds, chia seeds and soy powder.
 
7:15 am Last night’s leftovers will become today’s office lunch: chicken with sundried tomato pesto, rice and a green salad.

7:35 am On the drive in to work, Braverman calls her assistant director. They’re plotting a strategy for upcoming staff training, and there’s really not a minute to waste.

8:08 am Upon arrival at work, it’s time for some decaf herbal tea. Braverman briefly sits down at her desk to check email and voicemail. She makes a call to the produce company to clarify the ratio of lettuces in the greens blend the district is using.

9:00 am Every week, Braverman meets with her boss, the chief business officer, to update her on everything. This week, they talked about “where we’re at with the annual student meal application processing.”

9:42 am Braverman gets a call from one of her central kitchen managers. There was a quality issue with a product, and a quick replacement delivery is arranged.

10:00 am Braverman developed the weekly TTT (Touch Base Tuesdays at Ten) meeting. “It’s my way to bring my office staff together to let everyone know what everyone else is up to,” she says. The assistant director shares some student feedback on new menu items, pasta salad and chili with garlic cheese toast. The program technician needs updated menu item specifications for recipes.

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Afternoon Activities

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12:30 pm Braverman eats lunch at her desk, checks emails and reads some USDA school meal program directives.

1:12 pm Braverman is working on a new project: The City of Vallejo’s participatory budgeting means all residents of the city will help decide how to spend a portion of the city budget. “I’m proposing bringing a chef or culinary professional to our school kitchens to provide culinary training to staffs.”

3:00 pm Yet another meeting! This is the weekly Superintendent’s Cabinet meeting.

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5:30 pm Braverman heads to Bikram Yoga class. The yoga studio is heated up to about 104°F, and the teacher leads the class through a certain set of poses.

8:05 pm After yoga, Braverman heads home for dinner. The house is quiet because her younger daughter is working late. “So I hang out with the dog and chat with a college friend on the phone about an upcoming visit,” she says.
 
10:08 pm Lights out. There is another busy day tomorrow!