Two Union City school execs are recognized for leadership!
UNION CITY – Two school district administrators have received statewide awards after revamping school lunches and the curriculum for adult education.
Esmeralda Doreste-Roman, grant director of the Union City Adult Learning Center, was one of 55 professionals statewide to receive a Leadership New Jersey fellowship last month, and Susan Prusko was named “Food Service Director of the Year” by the New Jersey School Nutrition Association.
The fellowship will allow Doreste-Roman to network with other professionals and attend a year’s worth of two-day monthly seminars conducted by Leadership New Jersey, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding the pool of the state’s civic leaders.
“Esmeralda is certainly a leader in her own community and we look forward to her being more engaged in state-wide affairs,” said Tom Dallessio, executive director of Leadership New Jersey.
Prusko, the school district’s director of nutrition, was recognized for improving the nutrition program for the majority of Union City’s 11,200 public school students.
When Prusko became nutrition director 20 years ago, the school district served 3,000 students cold, boxed lunches that were assembled in two kitchens. Today, 8,000 students receive hot meals prepared in one of eight kitchens, she said.
Students from pre-K to Grade 12 have sworn off oversized portions, fried food and soda, and instead get whole-wheat bread, low-fat milk, salads, bottled water, juice, fruit and vegetables including fresh salads, Prusko said.
Source: Jersey Journal
