Pulaski County Public Schools is pleased to welcome Mrs. Jessica Morrison to the position of Director of School Nutrition. She will be taking over for Mrs. Ethelene Sadler, who is retiring in June.
“I am so excited to be part of the PCPS team,” Mrs. Morrison said. “I strongly believe, and studies show, that good nutrition greatly supports academic achievement. That's what the School Nutrition Program strives to do every day, and I'm excited to join the team.”
“I’m confident Mrs. Morrison will be an excellent leader for the Pulaski County School Nutrition Program,” Mrs. Sadler said. “Her priorities are in order of: providing good menus that meet the nutritional needs of students, and appreciation for the team of school Nutrition professionals that prepare and serve meals every school day.”
Mrs. Morrison is a 2005 graduated of Fort Chiswell High School. Upon graduation, she attended Radford University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Language with a major in French, while also obtaining her Teacher Certification. From 2009 to 2012 she attended Wytheville Community College, obtaining an Associate of Applied Science in Business Management, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She was licensed as a Certified Dietary Manager through Auburn University in 2014.
Her work in nutrition services began with Pulaski County Public Schools in 2010, when she served as a School Nutrition Assistant Manager and Manager through August 2012. She next worked with the Virginia Department of Corrections as a Food Operations Supervisor at the Bland Correctional Center for a year.
She was then promoted to Food Operations Director and moved to the River North Correctional facility in Independence, Virginia, where she served from 2013-2021. From January 2021 until hired by PCPS, she has served as the Regional Food Operations Director for the Virginia Department of Corrections Western Region.
Mrs. Morrison’s duties in these positions have included food preparation, teaching and proctoring ServSafe classes, completing and maintaining food production records, teaching and proctoring Foundations of Restaurant Management via the National Restaurant Association, preparing and monitoring yearly budgets, ensuring compliance with health regulations and HACP procedures, completing regular field visits to all facilities to review compliance with those same standards, developing and implementing training for employees, supervising large kitchen staffs at several locations, and much more.
Mrs. Morrison is a Registered ServSafe instructor and proctor, a Registered Certified Dietary Manager, and Registered Foundations of Restaurant Management instructor and proctor.
“While we will certainly miss Mrs. Sadler, Mrs. Morrison comes into the position with a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Dr. Kevin Siers, Superintendent of Pulaski County Public Schools said. “She has already begun working with our staff and has fit right in. Having the opportunity to work with Mrs. Sadler before she begins her retirement has been a tremendous opportunity to ensure a smooth transition. We’re excited to see the things Mrs. Morrison will bring to our team.”