Juanita Hines
Managing
Food for 90 Schools
Juanita (“Kit”) Hines, Menominee,
RD, LD, directs the operation of food services for 90
schools in the Tulsa Public School System. “I have a
kitchen manager at ever site,” says Hines. “Seven
management team people, who each have 14 or 15 schools,
report directly to me. We also have resources that you
wouldn’t find in smaller school districts, such as someone
who does IT [information technology], someone who does menu
planning and someone who does nutrition education. We do
about 17,000 breakfasts and about 25,000 lunches each day
for kids who are in elementary school, middle school and
high school.”
Hines followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was a
dietitian. Hines was drawn to the field because she knew
there were many things she could do with a bachelor’s
degree in dietetics. After completing her degree in
community medical dietetics in the coordinated
undergraduate program at Viterbo College in her home state
of Wisconsin, she took a clinic dietitian position at West
Jefferson Hospital in Marrero, Louisiana.
In 1985 Hines joined Sodexo – a worldwide company that
contracts for food and facilities management services in 80
countries. Hines has been working in the United States with
Sodexo since that time.
Following five years of direct patient care, Hines served
as a patient food-service manager and manager of other
dietitians for several years. By this point she was eager
to work in food services, so she took a position as general
manager at Duncan Regional Hospital in Duncan, Oklahoma.
Hines enjoyed food services, but she had started a family
and was finding hospital hours difficult. Her next
position, as general manager with the Duncan Public Schools
and Comanche Public Schools, was much more compatible with
being a mother. “Working with schools was perfect for me,”
says Hines. “I didn’t (and still don’t) have to work
evening and weekends. I’m only responsible for breakfast,
lunch, and afternoon snacks.” After three years in this
position, Himes took her current position.
What does Hines like about working for a company? “I’ve
enjoyed the flexibility and the ability to expose myself to
many opportunities without having to leave an employer. In
the earlier part of my career, I moved about every two and
one-half years. Now our family is settled in Tulsa, but, if
I want, I still have other opportunities within Sodexo.”
Hines recommends that if students are interested in a
career in dietetics, they should take classes in cooking,
nutrition and management. They should also try to get
involved with institutional cooking.
This
article was originally published in the Summer, 2009
issue of
Winds of Change. (The cover
artist is William Rabbit, Cherokee.)