Sandra Ford promoted at Manatee County Schools

Mike Buzalka

Food & Nutrition Services Director Sandra Ford has been promoted to chief support services officer for the Manatee County (Fla.) School District. In her new position, Ford will oversee the transportation, vehicle maintenance, capital projects and maintenance/operations departments as well as food & nutrition services. A new director for that department to succeed Ford has yet to be named.

Ford has served as director of the food & nutrition department at Manatee County for the past 11 years, garnering a host of major industry awards including the IFMA Silver Plate and the FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence) Golden School Foodservice Director of the Year Award, both in 2014. She also served as national president of the School Nutrition Association for the 2012-13 term and has been prominent figure in the school nutrition industry for years.

Before coming to Manatee County, Ford was a teacher in Kansas and then worked for five years in the college dining segment before taking on her current role in 2004.