Wayne Grasela, longtime senior vice president for food services with the School District of Philadelphia, has been named acting deputy COO of the district as part of a significant administrative overhaul initiative. Amy Virus, MS, RD, LDN, who had served as manager of administrative & support services for the district’s food services division, was tabbed to succeed Grasela.
Among Grasela’s recent initiatives was the move last year to universal free lunch under the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision. He has also instituted a program of upgrading or replacing site kitchens to enable more onsite meal production.
The 17th largest public K-12 detract in the country in FM’s 2013 K-12 Power Players listing with an enrollment of over 145,000 and dining program revenues of around $80 million, School District of Philadelphia has self-operated its meal program after a two-year experiment at contracting ended in 2007.
Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]