Annual Conference
Conference Session
2013-11-16
"Making Summer Meals Work: Creative Partnerships & Effective Management"Key Areas: Administration & Leadership Development
Session: Session E - Saturday, November 16th: 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
- Smoketree AB
Speaker(s): Michelle Drake - Director, Nutrition Services, Elk Grove Unified School District
Rodney Taylor - Director, Nutrition Services, Riverside Unified School District
Eva Mitnick - Coordinator, Children's Services at the Los Angeles Public Library
Patrice Chamberlain - Director, California Summer Meal Coalition
Objectives: Participants will be able to:
- Identify possible community partners and assets in their communities to support a successful summer meal program
- Incorporate strategies to manage a robust program
- Use new strategies to promote summer meal programs
Description: Learn from the experiences of successful summer meal providers about what it takes to operate (and grow) a successful summer meal program -- and how to tackle common challenges. Hear the library perspective about opportunities to join summer learning and summer nutrition to ensure kids go back to school, healthy and ready to learn.
Speaker Bio(s):
Michelle Drake - Elk Grove Unified School District
Speaker Bio:
Ms. Drake is the director of child nutrition at Elk Grove USD, the fifth largest school district in California, and home to 39 Healthier US School Challenge awardees. She has extensive experience in child nutrition and management and has been with the district since 2001. In Summer 2013, Elk Grove USD participated in a statewide pilot project to partner summer learning and summer meal efforts.
Rodney Taylor - Riverside Unified School District
Speaker Bio:
Mr. Taylor is the Director of Nutrition Services, for the Riverside Unified School District, in Riverside, California.
A noted pioneer and expert in farm-to-school salad bars, he is particularly known for establishing the "Farmers' Market Salad Bar" (FMSB) program in 1997, while working as Director of Food and Nutrition Services in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Taylor also serves on the UC President's Advisory Commission for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Network for a Healthy California's Executive Committee.
A noted pioneer and expert in farm-to-school salad bars, he is particularly known for establishing the "Farmers' Market Salad Bar" (FMSB) program in 1997, while working as Director of Food and Nutrition Services in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Taylor also serves on the UC President's Advisory Commission for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Network for a Healthy California's Executive Committee.
Patrice Chamberlain - California Summer Meal Coalition
Speaker Bio:
Patrice Chamberlain directs the California Summer Meal Coalition, a statewide collaborative working to combat childhood hunger and obesity by increasing access to subsidized summer nutrition programs. Previously, Ms. Chamberlain advised nonprofit organizations on a range of issues related to nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease prevention and held positions in public relations in the private sector. Ms. Chamberlain serves on statewide and local advisory boards focused on child nutrition and physical activity. She holds a masters degree in public health from San Francisco State University.
Upcoming CSNA Events
November 13-16, 202472nd Annual Conference
April 6-8, 2025
Legislative Action Conference
May 4-6, 2025
Child Nutrition & Industry Summit
