
School
Food
and
Nutrition
Services
Director
Adam
Russo
has
earned
the
2021
Foodservice
Achievement
Management
Excellence
(FAME)
Silver
Leadership
Award.
Each
year,
four
food
service
leaders
from
across
the
country
are
selected
to
receive
FAME
awards
from
Basic
American
Foods,
in
the
categories
of
Golden
School
Foodservice
Director
of
the
Year,
Silver
Leadership
Award,
Silver
Spirit
Award,
and
Silver
Rising
Star
Award.
Winners
are
chosen
by
a
committee
and
will
be
honored
during
the
School
Nutrition
Association's
School
Nutrition
Industry
Conference
to
be
held
virtually
in
January.
The
Silver
Leadership
Award
recognizes
Russo
for
his
outstanding
leadership,
dedication,
fiscal
achievement,
and
innovation
in
"menuing"
and
merchandising
in
a
school
nutrition
program.
Under
his
direction,
PWCS
School
Food
and
Nutrition
Services
has
increased
breakfasts
by
6,000
students
a
day
and
165,000
suppers
a
year;
maintained
an
entire
workforce
during
the
pandemic
(while
other
food
service
staff
are
being
laid
off),
reconceptualized
the
Summer
Food
Service
Program
menu
pattern
to
provide
bulk
grocery
items
to
families
for
multiple
days
at
a
time,
and
increased
the
benefit
for
families
receiving
meals,
from
3,000
to
30,000
overnight.
More
than
seven
million
meals
have
been
served
this
school
year
alone.
Russo
holds
a
bachelor's
degree
in
business
administration
from
Longwood
University.
He
transitioned
from
owning
and
operating
restaurants
to
school
nutrition
seven
years
ago,
with
a
goal
of
bringing
the
same
exceptional
guest
experience,
quality,
and
scratch
cookery
to
school
kitchens
that
were
successful
in
private
enterprise.
He
has
been
with
PWCS
since
2017.
Each
year,
Adam
spends
time
in
all
PWCS
schools
and
centers,
tweaking
processes
to
further
increase
efficiency
and
excellence,
while
highlighting
the
efforts
of
his
office's
1,000
employees.
Over
the
past
three
years,
the
program's
streamlined
operations
have
caught
the
eye
of
experts
around
the
country,
who
have
featured
Russo
in
several
publications.
most
recently
Foodservice
Director
Magazine's
"Operation
of
the
Year."
"I
have
always
known
the
impact
that
our
programs
have
had
on
educational
outcomes,
and
students'
ability
to
be
successful
in
life,"
said
Russo.
"This
has
only
been
highlighted
by
the
pandemic
and
the
tremendous
need
in
our
community.
I
am
constantly
amazed
by
the
passion
and
care
our
staff
exhibits
for
those
they
serve.
It
is
unmatched
in
any
industry.
While
this
might
be
the
leadership
award,
it
is
truly
for
the
team,
as
they
push
me
every
day."
The
Division's
School
Food
and
Nutrition
Services
staff
commend
Russo's
leadership
and
mentoring
skills,
saying
he
empowers
them
to
achieve
and
grow.
They
appreciate
how,
from
his
arrival,
he
quickly
identified
areas
for
improvement
and
opportunities
to
grow
the
operation
and
enhance
communication.
He
listens
to
concerns
and
ensures
staff
training
that
builds
confidence
and
autonomy.
Under
his
leadership,
PWCS
has
won
two
Virginia
School
Boards
Association
Food
for
Thought
Awards,
been
a
Virginia
Breakfast
Challenge
Division
Gold
Category
Winner,
and,
in
2020,
was
the
first
school
division
to
ever
win
Foodservice
Director
Magazine's
"Operation
of
the
Year."