Photo provided he Nutrition Group, Inc.’s food service program at Indian Creek Local Schools is expanding with a new position and further outreach.  District Food Service Director Nicole Marshall, pictured at right with newly minted Assistant Director Jessica Rees, will oversee cafeterias at all four Indian Creek buildings and Jefferson County Joint Vocational School, in addition to providing meals at the planned Quest for Success Alternative Center at the new Jefferson County Innovation Center in Mingo Junction this fall.

WINTERSVILLE-The food service program at Indian Creek is undergoing an expansion of sorts with a new position and wider outreach within the area.

District Food Service Director Nicole Marshall, who is employed through The Nutrition Group, Inc., is gaining more support from newly minted assistant director Jessica Rees while also extending the company’s reach to the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School. Rees, who has served as a cook and cashier at Cross Creek Elementary for the past two years, has been undergoing eight weeks of training as she joins Marshall at the helm.

Marshall said she saw a need after she was approached to supply students at the JVS and she knew Rees fit the bill. She reached out to company officials for permission to handle the dual role at both districts and to add an assistant. Then she suggested Rees, who was interviewed and hired for the job.

“Our job with The Nutrition Group is to build good relations with the district and to show how we can better serve their lunch programs,” Marshall said. “They trusted me a lot for what I do here, so it was really nice to take my suggestion to have her be my assistant, and they brought her on board.”

Rees, a native of Coraopolis, Pa., currently resides in Wintersville and said she was getting prepared by learning her new tasks such as paperwork, taking inventory, and handling sales.

“I’m excited. I love the school district,” she said. “I have a basic understanding of it because I’ve worked retail. I could do things, but not to this scale. It’s more managerial and I will be making sure the staff are following guidelines, keeping an update on inventory, and making sure the kids are enjoying the meals.”

She has also been getting familiarized with USDA-accredited and non-accredited products as well as the Child Care Food Program (CCFP) dinner program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) preschool snack program, the after-school snack program, and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), in addition to the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Together, Marshall and Rees will supervise a total of 27 employees between Indian Creek and the JVS as they spend time in the school kitchens. They will oversee the food programs at Indian Creek Local Schools and serve approximately 1,900 students between ICHS, CCE, Indian Creek Middle School and Hills Elementary, plus more than 400 pupils at the JVS, as well as roughly 300 staff members between the two districts.

The number is expected to grow again when they begin providing meals to students from the Quest for Success Alternative Center, which will be located at the new Jefferson County Innovation Center on the Mingo Junction campus this fall.

Marshall said Rees became a valuable asset when she first joined at CCE, and she had a distinct advantage of already knowing the district from her work in the school, as well as serving as treasurer for the Ohio Association of Public Service Employees (OAPSE) union.

“Her role is taking on and learning the managerial aspect of the job since she kind of already has the day-to-day operational aspect, and she’s already has relationships with essentially a lot of the people within the district,” she added. “For her to understand that work, it also makes it easier to establish a connection with the people that are in the kitchen. She’s built such a good relationship with the students, as well. All the kids love Jess at Cross Creek Elementary and are excited to see her, and Jess got to know every single kid who came through at the register. It’ll be exciting for her to go to all the buildings and build the relationships as they grow older. And then, you know, who knows where the road will take her. Everyone was really excited to have Jess be taking on that next role as a supervisor. I always say it’s the yin to the yang–that’s what we are. This is perfect.”

In addition, Marshall has taken on the role as a training manager with ICHS becoming the facility because it utilizes all of the company’s standards. She was currently overseeing Rees and a trainee for another district, saying the latter program lasts three months.

“They talked about us being a shining star. They [visited the school and] were blown away by all of the things we were doing here,” she continued. “It was a huge compliment to take on my new role as a trainer, having an extra building and having an assistant.”

Marshall, an ICHS alumna who joined Indian Creek four years ago following two decades in the restaurant business, said she aspires to grow within her company and Rees would also have a prime opportunity to advance herself.

“This also is my home school. So, this year is my 20-year reunion from Indian Creek and it’s to believe that things have come full circle. I couldn’t be more thankful to be here at Indian Creek and to have Jess be part of it and help her grow her career,” she concluded. “Now with five buildings and two of us, I feel like we’ll have a lot more hands on that. We’ll actually be more present in a lot of the buildings, and I feel like it will benefit the overall program. We will be working with the kids, having more events, and able to do bigger things, and we’ll have more support because Jess and I can divide and conquer. We’re excited to see what will come from this and what more we can do.”