20 Most Influential: Dayle Hayes, R.D., Nutrition for the Future

Dayle Hayes, R.D.
President,
Nutrition for the Future,
Billings, Mont.

The saying “any press is good press” is not something Dayle Hayes buys into. After Mrs. Q’s Fed Up with School Lunch blog, a not-so-flattering firsthand account of a teacher eating school lunch in Chicago, Hayes decided to fight back. She did so by starting a Facebook page, School Meals That Rock, to show people that school lunch shouldn’t be a punch line anymore.

“I’ve been working in the industry for a long time and I feel that school nutrition directors are often the most vilified and least recognized of foodservice professionals,” Hayes told FSD. “If people aren’t recognizing what you’re doing, you only have yourself to blame.”

The beauty of Facebook is it’s relatively easy to self promote. You snap a few photos and post a few thoughts on your wall, and it’s automatically broadcast to millions of people. By creating this online hub for sharing success stories, Hayes has made it painless for child nutrition directors across the country to show off what’s going on in their cafeterias. The positive message isn’t just shared among others in the industry. It’s reaching the students and families. What a great way for Friends to Share their Likes. 

Foodservice Director has undertaken a bold initiative by identifying people who we believe are having the biggest impact on non-commercial foodservice. Our list may surprise you and should certainly intrigue you. Our honorees have backgrounds as varied as their personalities. They range from the father of the modern-day food truck to the wife of a sitting president. They include operators and suppliers, chefs and consultants, CEOs and civil servants. There are traditionalists and there are mavericks. Well-known names share space with hot newcomers. In all, 17 people, two groups of individuals and one institution compose the list. It’s time to meet FSD’s 20 Most Influential.

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