Casey Kress, MBA, PMP

Please share a little of your K-12 school nutrition journey.

My path to K-12 school nutrition was unexpected. My education career started as a substitute teacher and transformed into an elementary school custodian. When the Child Nutrition Director position opened up, I was ready to advance my career into a new world. And the world of child nutrition has turned out to be very rewarding and exciting every day. There is never a dull moment, from handling food-related issues, implementing new menu ideas, working with staff and, most importantly, seeing our students’ smiling, happy faces when they come into our cafeterias.

Did you eat school lunch as a child?

I ate school lunch 99% of the time growing up. My two favorite items in high school were the “breakfast pizza” and a lunch item called “Chicken a la King,” which was the classic chicken gravy poured over freshly made biscuits.

If you could magically become fluent in any language, what would it be?

It is a personal goal of mine to be able to carry on a great conversation in Spanish. The majority of my interactions that involve a language barrier are in Spanish, and I want to be able to bridge that gap.

Who most inspires you?

My mother-in-law, Jamie. She has been visually impaired for most of her life and now is completely blind. When spending time with her, you would never know that the gift of sight has been taken away from her—she is the most positive, happy, loving individual I have ever met. Anytime I need guidance or a pick-me-up she is the person that I reach out to. She makes me the best person I can be, and I am so grateful and happy she is in my life.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Slow down and enjoy the journey. Oh, and don’t miss out on the Bitcoin and GameStop ride.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I am the official sewer in our house. Anytime something needs mending, I am the go-to person. It is very rewarding and relaxing.

What was your favorite past vacation?

The summer after my wife and I got married we took eight weeks and backpacked through Europe. Experiencing all of those countries and cultures with my best friend was such an amazing experience I would not trade for anything in the world.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off?

With my family. We love spending the day together whether we head to a theme park, to the lake to get some water sports
in or stay home playing sports in our yard.

If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That’s easy: Coconut chicken korma with basmati rice and fresh-baked naan. Indian food is my hands down favorite cuisine to eat.

What do you do to cheer yourself up on a bad day?

If any of us are having a bad day, we turn to takeout from our local Thai House restaurant and watch a movie together as a family.