Lenoir County Schools staff recognized for child nutrition efforts

LENOIR COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Two staff members from Lenoir County Schools have received statewide honors for their child nutrition efforts.

Danelle Smith and Norma Smith will be honored at the School Nutrition Association summer state conference in Greensboro.

Danielle Smith has been the school system’s child nutrition director since 2016 and was named the association’s director of the year. She and her three staff members supervise 85 child nutrition workers across 17 schools.

“Our goal is to feed every child every day a great breakfast and lunch, but one of my goals is for our employees to be happy at work,” Danielle Smith said. “I’ve always insisted on having a good work environment.”

Danielle Smith then nominated Norma Smith, the assistant manager at the Moss Hill cafeteria, for the assistant of the year. She had been a member of the child nutrition staff since April 2017.

“I was really shocked. I wasn’t expecting this at all,” she said. “I knew I had worked hard and had really gotten out of my comfort zone, but I was really not expecting this.”

As state winners, both are candidates for the national awards.