School District Five names 2018-2019 Student Nutrition Operator of the Year

For Immediate Release – June 11, 2019

School District Five names 2018-2019 Student Nutrition Operator of the Year

IRMO –Lexington-Richland School District Five announced its first ever Student Nutrition Operator of the Year Award.

Mary Darby, a student nutrition operator at Seven Oaks Elementary School MEDIA Magnet, was named School District Five’s 2018-2019 Student Nutrition Operator of the Year.

School District Five Student Nutrition Director Todd Bedenbaugh said, “We decided to recognize people who provide great customer service and work hard in student nutrition and we came up with this award.  Mary Darby is a person who exemplifies these qualities each and every day at Seven Oaks Elementary, so we are excited to have such a great person to be the award’s first recipient.”

Darby has served at Seven Oaks Elementary School for 24 years.  Prior to working at Seven Oaks Elementary, Darby worked at Chapin High School. 

“I was really surprised that I won the Student Nutrition Operator of the Year Award,” Darby said.  “I have been in the district so long that I thought that I would never win anything, so I was so happy when I received the award.  I love my job and my coworkers.”

Darby was nominated for the award by her Student Nutrition manager at Seven Oaks Elementary School, Myra Smith, who has worked with her for six years.

“I knew when I started this job that Mary was someone I could depend on,” Smith said.  “She has been here 27 years and I have seen her dedication and I call her mama of the kitchen because she keeps everyone in the kitchen in line.  She helps make my job easier because I know that I can depend on her.  I just knew that she needed this special recognition and deserved it.”

This year was the first year for the award. Each school was allowed to submit one nomination, from which the Student Nutrition Department reviewed the nominations and selected the winner. 

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