DPSCD’s Carl Williams Wins 2023 School Lunch Hero Award

While National School Lunch Hero Day is on May 5, yesterday the Michigan departments of Education (MDE) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) celebrated by honoring Carl Williams, an executive director for the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s (DPSCD) Office of School Nutrition (OSN), for his efforts to provide healthy, fresh and local meals at their schools.

The annual observance showcases the important role school nutrition professional make in the lives of every child who comes through their cafeteria line. MDARD Director Tim Boring and MDE’s Deputy Superintendent Dr. Diane Golzynski were on hand to recognize Williams for his commitment to the students in his district and dedication for food service to the schoolchildren at DPSCD.

“I’m thankful for people like Carl and all the food service professionals who work daily to provide nutritious meals to Michigan schoolchildren and are also supporting our local farmers through the Farm to School Program,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “By purchasing Michigan-grown and produced products, schools cultivate a farm-to-fork connection while educating our young Michiganders about where their food comes from, and, simultaneously, support local farms and businesses, keeping local economies strong and preserving farmland.”

Carl Williams is the executive director for DPSCD’s Office of School Nutrition and is responsible for school-based meal operations in 107 schools for all of their United States Department of Agriculture child nutrition programs and non-program sales, employees and services; training programs for all levels of staff, managing external business relationships with vendors, school principals, and non-profit organizations. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Ashford University specializing in Finance.

“MDE is proud of the enormous efforts DPSCD and others around the state have made to assure our children are healthy and safe at school,” said MDE’s Deputy Superintendent Dr. Diane Golzynski. “The combination of these efforts with proposals such as the Governor’s Healthy School Meals for All budget recommendation will continue to push Michigan toward achieving the goals of the Top 10 State Strategic Education Plan.”

The Charles R. Drew Transition Center is a pre-vocational center within the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The Charles R. Drew center is housed in the former Drew Middle School which, in the year 2011, underwent a $5.2 million renovation that allows Detroit Public Schools Community District to adequately serve approximately 600 students who previously attended Detroit Transition Center East and Detroit Transition Center West.

To learn more about Farm to School efforts in Michigan, visit Michigan Farm to School (msu.edu).