Brandie Stickler has been hired as food service coordinator at the Haines School.
She’ll be responsible for developing the menu at the school cafeteria, where offerings include breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch and an after-school meal. The job also requires reporting and other paperwork required for district reimbursement.
Stickler, who replaces Gen Armstrong in the full-time position, is a 12-year resident and previously worked as a lead pharmacy technician at the SEARHC Haines medical center.
Her education in nutrition, she said, included growing up with a marathon-runner mom in Michigan farm country, eating fresh food. “(Nutrition) was a big part of my life. I was brought up that way.”
In contrast to her position at the pharmacy, Stickler said she’s looking forward to being on the proactive end of the health equation.
“As a pharmacist, a lot of what I did was handing out pills. There are too many people who want a quick fix instead of making lifestyle changes to be healthy, so it feels good to be on the other side of it, and have the opportunity to promote healthy lifestyles,” Stickler said.
Stickler started Tuesday and said she still has much to learn about the job’s specifics. Working at the clinic has prepared her for the paperwork demands of the job, which include keeping track of numbers for program funding.
Stickler said she’s hoping to get the meal program’s numbers up and reminds parents they need to register their children annually in reduced and free meal programs. She said Armstrong did a great job.
“I want to keep what (Armstrong started) going” but also try some new approaches, like going for runs with students after school and perhaps looking at personalized meal plans for students. “It shouldn’t just be at school where kids are eating healthy.”
She’s also interested in the school possibly launching a healthy-foods class for students. “One of the biggest things I’m excited about is getting kids interested in wellness and healthy lifestyles.”
Stickler had praise for Dick Haas, the school’s head cook and production manager, who’s been running the school’s food program since Armstrong’s departure. “Dick Haas has been amazing. He’s gone above and beyond doing his job and this job during the transition. He’s been wonderful and very patient with me.”
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, superintendent Ginger Jewell said Stickler has “dug into (the job) with a vengeance” and will be receiving training on various software systems required for the position. “I have high hopes,” Jewell said.