“It is so important that we emphasize healthy eating with our students, because obesity rates have been on the rise for years,” she explained. “Even with all the modern medical technology we have today, we are facing the fact that generations younger than us are not expected to live as long because of lifestyle related diseases like diabetes.”
Tilford comes to Little Miami with more than a decade of experience in the food industry — both in education and as a regional sales manager for private enterprise. She earned an Associate of Science degree in Dietetic Technology from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
She most recently worked at Norwood City Schools as a school nutrition manager where she turned around the food service operation and made it profitable.
Tilford also has worked with the Sycamore and Kettering school districts, where she was a top five finalist in the 2011 National Recipes for Healthy Kids contest in the whole grain category.
Tilford takes over duties of former Food Service Director Joan Bauman, who left in August to work for the University of Dayton. Tilford’s annual salary is $44,514. Bauman earned $53,151.
Her first days on the job have been spent getting to know the cafeterias’ staffs and familiarizing herself with the district’s procedures.
“I’m getting familiar with the operations and I have to say, Little Miami has an awesome staff,” Tilford said. “They are far superior to those I’ve worked with before and they are well-trained.”
Tilford said she has several goals as she begins her duties.
“We want to continue to look at smarter lunchroom practices and finding ways to get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables,” she said. “We also want to make sure we continue to operate a fiscally-sound operation.”
Four of the district’s schools — Salem Twp. Elementary, Little Miami Intermediate, Little Miami Junior High, and Little Miami High schools — have been awarded grants by the Ohio Department of Education’s Team Nutrition to implement “Smarter Lunchroom” strategies that were designed by Cornell University. Tilford is evaluating which strategies should be implement in each of the buildings.
“We will see some changes like real plates at the junior high school and more fresh cut fruit at Salem Primary and Elementary,” she explained. “The Smarter Lunchroom strategies based on behavioral economics are geared to help students make healthy choices.”
She also works with the Ohio Department of Education teaching hands-on cooking classes for other food service staff. The district will host a class at LMIS in December.
Tilford said she is excited to work in her own community.
“This was a great opportunity to advance my career to become a food services director, and I was excited to serve the community that I’m part of,” the Maineville resident said. “This is closer to home, and I get to see and serve the people that I know from the community.”
Tilford and her husband Michael live in a century old farmhouse on Socialville Foster Road.
“One of our food service staff members told me her father grew up in the house that I live in,” she said. “This little tidbit drives home the awesome feeling of living and working in the same community.”
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