A Marshall County Schools staff member is being honored for her contributions to student health and wellness.

The School Nutrition Association, a national nonprofit organization, recognized Debbie Derico, director of child nutrition for Marshall County Schools, as the Mideast regional and West Virginia director of the year. She is an accredited school nutrition specialist within the organization.

The award recognizes the contributions of school nutrition directors who manage programs providing healthy meals to students. The SNA includes 57,000 school nutrition professionals across the country.

According to the SNA award qualifications, Derico developed a base five-week cycle lunch menu and a three-week breakfast cycle for the county, changing the menu to add new entrees, vegetables and fruits.

Derico said she encourages her staff to provide feedback about recipes used and to share any new recipes they believe students would like, finding a way to make them meet guidelines. She has also incorporated the Smarter Lunchroom Movement into her programs across the county, which involves hanging posters that promote healthy eating and outline the elements of balanced meals and purchased menu boards for each school.

Derico said she focuses on making her staff successful each year. Last month, Cameron High School cafeteria manager Karen Warsinsky was named West Virginia Cafeteria Manager of the Year by the association.

“I try to keep all of my staff on top of their professional development opportunities,” Derico said. “I think they are all successful because I try to keep them on track with all their education options.”

In July, Derico will be honored during the Awards Ceremony at the School Nutrition Association’s annual national conference in Atlanta. “At the forefront of child nutrition, school nutrition directors are invested in the well-being of their students, leading programs that promote healthy lifestyles and ensuring access to balanced, nutritious meals,” Patricia Montague, CEO of the School Nutrition Association, said. “Debbie Derico’s commitment to providing school meals that meet guidelines, but are still creative and appealing to students, is very impressive.”