FSD Joseph Vaughn departs LA Unified School District for Elior

Joseph Vaughn, former director of food services for Los Angeles Unified School District, has been named vice president of operations for Elior’s Valley Services division. Vaughn will now manage more than 100 healthcare, business and education accounts for contract feeding company Valley.

“I am incredibly humbled to be asked to join the Elior North America team with Valley Services,” Vaughn said. “My work in this industry, in hospitality and in the education market, facing challenges of every kind, has positioned me well for this opportunity.”

Vaughn took on his role at LAUSD in 2016 after the resignation of David Binkle, the district’s former deputy director of food services, who was later charged with misappropriating district funds. While at LAUSD, Vaughn oversaw the rollout of a hot supper program as well as vegan options for many of the district’s 714,000 students. The school district, which employs more than 3,800 foodservice workers, is the second largest in the nation. Before joining LAUSD, Vaughn was the executive director for food and nutrition services for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

“Joey has a 22-year track record leading significant turnaround initiatives in both large and small foodservice programs,” said Brian Poplin, Elior North America’s president and CEO. “A strategic priority across our family of companies is to deliver value for our clients in the form of excellent food and exemplary service, and adding Joey will help us achieve these goals.”

FoodService Director named LAUSD its Foodservice Operation of the Month for March.