Jessica Shelly, Director of Student Dining Services, has been named the 2023 IFMA Gold Plate Award winner from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) 69th Annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration.
Earlier in the school year, Shelly was recognized along with eight other honorees during the 2023 Silver Plate Awards. Of the recipients, Shelly was the only one to receive the coveted Golden Plate Award.
“While I am honored with this recognition, this is not an individual effort. I am incredibly grateful to work with a talented and dedicated team that is committed to excellence,” Shelly said. “From Superintendent Wright to each individual in our schools, our CPS team is always reinventing and investing for our more than 36,000 students.”
Shelly was selected for her outstanding leadership and ability to build partnerships with the Cincinnati community to bring fresh, locally sourced produce to students.
As Director of Student Dining Services for Cincinnati Public Schools, Shelly is responsible for overseeing the service of over 60,000 meals each day at 65 schools. Shelly and her team served more than six million meals to students in 2022.
Shelly is the first individual to win the top honor in the "Elementary & Secondary Schools" category since 1994.
