Executive Leadership Award

2013 Recipient: Dora Rivas

1980 M.S. in restaurant and institutional management
Executive Director of Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services

"Providing nutrition that supports a healthy mind and body through our school meals program has been a rewarding career and I am proud to be a part of helping our children succeed in school and ultimately impact on a healthy lifestyle."

Recognized as an innovative leader and trendsetter leader in the school foodservice industry, Ms. Rivas's major focus throughout her career has been to eliminate hunger by providing all students in at-risk school meals at no charge. Ms. Rivas, R.D., S.N.S., oversees more than 150,000 meals a day in 230 foodservice outlets. She has served as president of the national School Nutrition Association, received such honors as the prestigious Operator of the Year Silver Plate Award, the Gold Star FAME awards and USDA Best Practice Award for implementing the Breakfast in a Bag Program. Recently, she was acknowledged by First Lady Michelle Obama her work in the Healthier U.S. School Challenge.