Advisory Council for School Nutrition

The Advisory Council for School Nutrition (ACSN) informs and advises the Colorado Department of Education School Nutrition Unit on the development and implementation of Child Nutrition Programs and serves as a resource for school food authorities (SFAs) within specific regions.

ACSN members are food service directors, supervisors, managers, or assistant directors. They serve a critical role in improving the work of SFAs by providing input, sharing best practices, engaging in peer-to-peer learning and support, and collaborating with numerous partners and stakeholders of school nutrition.

ACSN Meetings

ACSN Members meet with CDE School Nutrition Staff four times per year. Meetings often coincide with major school nutrition events.

Get Involved!

Contact your ASCN Member or your point of contact today to get involved in the advisory council events!

Point of Contact List

Charter

The Advisory Council for School Nutrition (ACSN) informs and advises the Colorado Department of Education School Nutrition Unit on development and implementation of Child Nutrition Programs and serves as a resource for school food authorities (SFAs) within specific regions.

Scope

The ACSN will serve in an advisory capacity to the CDE School Nutrition Unit. With input from SFAs, members will inform the School Nutrition Unit of school nutrition issues at the SFA level. The ACSN, while not vested with decision making authority, serves a critical role for improving the work of SFAs by: providing input on and sharing of best practices, training needs and resource needs; engaging in peer-to-peer learning and peer support; and collaborating with other relevant professional organizations. The School Nutrition Unit will promote the ACSN to SFAs, so members are utilized to their full potential and can provide greater input from their regions. View the complete ACSN Charter (PDF).

Impact Statement

Composition

The ACSN membership will be comprised of food service directors or supervisors, managers or assistant directors who have been recommended by a SFA food service director. Members will serve a minimum two-year term to ensure council consistency and to encourage leadership opportunities for SFA personnel. Members may have the option to serve an additional term as needed.

The ACSN members agree that attendance and participation are critical for the success of the council; however, in the event of an unavoidable absence, the member may send an alternate to attend the meeting and report back to the member and the SFAs. Alternates should not attend more than one half of the meetings for the ACSN member.

Alternates could include supervisors, managers or assistant directors from the member’s SFA, or an alternate director from a SFA within the region.

Partner stakeholders may be included in special meetings and/or portions of meetings, depending on content and topic areas of the meeting and the stakeholder. Partner stakeholders will be invited as guests; however, their attendance is not intended to provide an opportunity for promoting their agenda(s) to the ACSN membership or the OSN.

Responsibilities

ACSN members have specific responsibilities during and between council meetings

During Council Meetings:

Come prepared by reading pre-meeting materials.
Stay focused and engaged in all discussions and activities.
Bring accurate and relevant feedback from SFAs in their region to ensure they are able to participate in meeting discussions.

Between Council Meetings:

Develop and sustain working relationships with SFAs in their region.
Share CDE OSN materials and talking points with SFAs in their region to promote accurate, informed and consistent messaging.
Gather input/feedback on key issues from SFAs to inform discussion at council meetings via tools provided by CDE OSN.
Provide electronic or hard copy of SFA feedback gathered through data collection tools prior to meeting.
Respond to requests for action, such as requests for information via email or surveys.

Support & Process

The ACSN will meet three times per year and more, if needed. Meetings will be held in locations throughout the state, coinciding with major school nutrition events, when feasible.

The ACSN meeting agenda will be built from input by the School Nutrition Unit, ACSN members and school nutrition partners on topics, issues and concerns around the implementation of child nutrition programs. Standing meeting agenda items will include program updates; solicitation of input on key issues; and sharing of information, best practices and problem solving. The School Nutrition Unit will commit to support the ACSN by:

Arranging for technology and meeting space.
Providing meeting announcements to all SFAs (via Thursday Update), including agenda items to encourage SFAs to contact ACSN members with input and feedback.
Providing School Nutrition staff, with program specific and agenda relevant information, to create presentations and to participate in meetings; and a staff member who will document talking points and action items for members.
Providing meeting materials prior to meetings. These materials should clearly define what to bring and what to prepare for, and will be made available to members with time to allow for study and for solicitation of information from SFAs in the members’ regions. The School Nutrition Unit will provide tools for gathering specific feedback.
Providing follow-up materials, including talking points, slides and resources to share with SFAs and clear action steps for members.
Maintaining an ACSN web page with meeting talking points, best practices and member contact information.
Promoting the ACSN to SFAs and encourage SFA communication with ACSN members.

Providing current and updated contact information to ACSN members and soliciting input from SFAs on best practices for communications between ACSN members and SFAs.

Regions

Metro Region

Leads: Jennifer Peifer (Douglas RE-1) and Erika Edwards (Jefferson County R-1)

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Adams 14 (Commerce City)
Adams-Arapahoe 28J
Boulder Valley RE-2
Cherry Creek 5
Clear Creek RE-1

Denver County 1
Douglas County RE-1
Elizabeth School District
Englewood 1
Gilpin County RE-1
HOPE Online
Jefferson County R-1

Littleton 6
Mapleton 1
Platte Canyon
School District 27J
Sheridan 2
Westminster Public Schools

North Central

Leads: Danielle Bock (Greeley 6); Katie Cossette (St. Vrain Valley)

Ault Highland RE-9
Briggsdale RE-10
Brush RE-2(J)
Eaton RE-2
Fort Morgan RE-3
Greeley 6
Estes Park RE-3

Pawnee RE-12 (Grover)
Platte Valley RE-7 (Kersey)
Poudre R-1
Prairie RE-11
St. Vrain Valley RE-1J
Thompson R-2J
Weld County RE-1 (Gilcrest)

Weld County RE-5J (Johnstown-Milliken)
Weld County RE-8 (Fort Lupton)
Weld County School District RE-3J
Weldon Valley RE-20(J)
Wiggins RE-50(J)
Weld RE-4

Northeast

Leads: Steffiney Quick (Byers 32J) and Traci Berg (Holyoke RE-1J)

Agate 300
Akron R-1
Arickaree R-2
Arriba/Flagler C-20
Bennett 29J
Bethune R-5
Buffalo (Merino) RE-4
Burlington RE-6J
Byers 32J
Cheyenne Co RE-5
Deer Trail 26J

Frenchman RE-3
Genoa-Hugo C113
Haxtun RE-2J
Hi-Plains (Vona) R-23
Holyoke RE-1J
Idalia RJ-3
Julesburg RE-1
Karval RE-23
Kit Carson R-1
Liberty J-4
Limon RE-4J

Lone Star 101
Otis R-3
Plateau (Peetz) RE-5
Revere School District
Strasburg 31J
Stratton R-4
Valley (Sterling) RE-1
Woodlin R-104
Wray RD-2
Yuma 1

Northwest

Lead: Chris Delsordo (Eagle County)

Buena Vista R-31
Eagle County RE-50
East Grand 2
Garfield 2
Garfield 16
Hayden RE-1

Lake County RE-1
Meeker RE1
Moffat County 1
North Park R-1
Park County RE-2
Rangely RE-4

Roaring Fork RE-1
Salida R-32
South Routt RE-3
Steamboat Springs RE-2
Summit County RE-1
West Grand 1-JT

Pikes Peak

Leads: Dana Elkins-Green (Pueblo city 60), Monica Deines-Henderson (El Paso County 49), Stacey Baker (Lewis-Palmer 38)

Academy 20
Big Sandy 100J
Calhan RJ-1
Canon City RE-1
Cheyenne Mountain 12
Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
Colorado Springs 11
Cotopaxi RE-3
Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1

Custer County C-1
District 49
Edison 54 JT
Elbert 200
Ellicott 22
Fremont RE-2
Fountain 8
Hanover 28
Harrison 2

Kiowa C-2
Lewis-Palmer 38
Manitou Springs 14
Miami-Yoder 60 JT
Peyton 23 JT
Pueblo City 60
Pueblo County 70
Widefield 3
Woodland Park RE-2

Southeast

Lead: Kathy Vigil (Trinidad 1)

Aguilar Reorganized 6
Branson Reorganized 82
Campo RE-6
Cheraw 31
Crowley RE1J
Eads RE-1
East Otero R-1
Fowler R-4-J
Granada RE-1

Holly RE-3
Hoehne Reorganized 3
Huerfano RE-1
Kim Reorganized 88
Lamar RE-2
Las Animas RE-1
La Veta RE-2
Manzanola 3J
McClave RE2

Plainview RE-2
Primero Reorganized 2
Pritchett RE-3
Rocky Ford R-2
Springfield RE-4
Swink 33
Trinidad 1
Vilas RE-5
Walsh RE-1
Wiley RE-13 JT

Southwest

Lead: Gwyn Smith (Alamosa RE-11J)

Alamosa RE-11J
Archuleta County 50JT
Bayfield 10JT-R
Centennial R-1
Center 26 JT
Creede School District
Del Norte C-7
Dolores RE-4A

Dolores County RE2
Durango 9-R
Ignacio 11JT
Mancos RE-6
Moffat 2
Monte Vista C-8
Montezuma RE-1
Mountain Valley RE1
North Conejos RE-1J

Sanford 6J
Sangre De Cristo RE-22J
Sargent RE-33J
Sierra Grande R-30
Silverton 1
South Conejos RE-1
Upper Rio Grande School District C-7

West Central

Non-Public & Charter Sponsors

Leads: Britton Knickerbocker (Charter Choice Collaborative), Ilene Agustin (Colorado Charter School Institute)

This region is comprised of charter school food authorities, facility schools, residential child care institutions and non-public sponsors who operate the National School Lunch Program at a minimum.

Alternative Homes for Youth
Annunciation Catholic School
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Bethlehem Lutheran Parish
Charter Choice Collaborative
Colorado Charter School Institute
Colorado School of the Deaf and the Blind
Cornell Corrections of California
Corpus Christi School
Divine Redeemer

Division of Youth Services
Escuela de Guadalupe
Gateway Youth & Family Services
HOPE Online
Landmark Baptist School
Laradon School
Maslow Academy
Morgridge Academy
Peak to Peak Charter
Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences

Shiloh House
Sky Ranch Academy
St. John the Evangelist School
St. Rose of Lima
Swallows Charter Academy
Tennyson Center
Third Way Center
Windsor Charter Academy

Members

ACSN Members gather input and feedback from their regions on key issues to inform discussion at council meetings; share School Nutrition Unit materials and talking points with their region to promote accurate, informed and consistent messaging; promote relationship building and enhance collaboration between SFAs by sharing best practices and resources. View all regional contacts.

Metro Area

Jennifer Peifer, Douglas County RE 1
jennifer.peifer@dcsdk12.org

Erika Edwards, Jefferson County R-1
erika.edwards@jeffco.k12.co.us

Erika is currently with Jefferson County R-1 and was previously Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Cherry Creek Schools in Centennial, CO. Erica has a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Colorado State University and a master’s of Public Health degree from the Colorado School of Public Health. After dabbling in clinical dietetics, teaching and health communications, Erika feels lucky to have found school nutrition – a perfect combination of the fields she enjoys most. Erika is actively involved in the Colorado School Nutrition Association (CSNA) and is the current CSNA Vice President.

North Central

Danielle Bock, Greeley 6
dbock@greeleyschools.org

Danielle is the Nutrition Services Director for Greely-Evans Weld County 6, which is an urban district with over 10,000 students. Danielle sees the "opportunity to create real change in the lives of employees and students" by working to promote and educate nutritious foods and child nutrition programs. Danielle is a Denver native although Seattle is her favorite city. Her favorite get away spot is Glenwood Springs where she often loves to hike and bike. Danielle says, "School Nutrition provides the perfect opportunity for me to use my skills in strategy and logistics to help fuel the future of our community. Essentially we are operating the largest restaurant chain in northern Colorado." Danielle loves being outdoors and can often be found biking. She loves gardening and has beehives!

Katie Cossette, St. Vrain Valley
cossette_katie@svvsd.org

Northeast

Steffiney Quick, Byers 32J
quick.steffiney@byers.k12.co.us

Steffiney is very excited to be a part of the Advisory Council for School Nutrition. Steffiney is dedicated to serving on the ACSN because she is from a small district on the eastern plains and she thinks small districts are sometimes overlooked. She has been the Food Service Director at Byers for the last 12 years. She does not have any formal education; however, Steffiney brings 26 years of food service/restaurant management to her district. When she took the food service program over in 2000, the district was supplementing the program approximately $13,000 a year; within two years, they were running in the black and continue to do so. Her greatest accomplishments have been improvements in their breakfast program and scratch cooking, which they have always done. Their district is approximately 465 students K-12, and they feed about 165 breakfasts and 325 lunches every day. Their free and reduced price eligibility is 50 percent.

Traci Berg, Holyoke RE-1J
Traci.Berg@compass-usa.com

Traci Berg is the Food Service Manager for Haxtun, Holyoke, Fleming and Merino school districts. She joined ACSN in 2018. Traci comes to Colorado from Rugby, North Dakota. She spends her time away from work on camping trips with her family. The best part about her job is working with the kids.