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FHS Kitchen Manager Melanie Peebler named ‘Manager of the Year’
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Melanie Peebler, High School Kitchen Manager for Fairfield High School, the Midwest region Manager of the Year.
The award recognizes the dedication, ingenuity and compassion shown by cafeteria managers who have excelled in providing high-quality, nutritious meals to students throughout the school year.
Melanie Peebler provides kindness and emotional support to each student at Fairfield High School, greeting them by name, always with a smile. Staff members recognize how comfortable students are turning to Peebler for assistance. Students ask to volunteer or work with her in the kitchen during their study hall or as a job training opportunity. She helps create an inviting and fun atmosphere, decorating the service area for different holidays and playing upbeat music, fostering lots of laughter among the team.
Peebler’s engaging personality and industry knowledge enable her to effectively connect with community members to spread the word about what’s new with the menu, cafeteria and kitchen. She is a strong advocate for the district’s summer food program, personally contacting families to make them aware of the program while encouraging them to get meals for their children.
“Melanie is known as a great leader who takes a tremendous amount of pride in her work,” said Shannon Gleave, RDN, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “She never hesitates to share her experience and knowledge with the team and seeks ways to update and improve operations to best serve students.”
As a proud member of SNA, Peebler understands the value of attending conferences and training sessions. She encourages coworkers to take advantage of all the organization has to offer, engage in training and attend different breakout sessions so they can experience diverse training to share with each other. Peebler also assists with trainings held during staff professional days as well as Health-e Pro training, scratch cooking and food safety.
The Manager of the Year Award is given in honor of Louise Sublette, a leader in school nutrition in her state and the national School Nutrition Association. During her 43 years in the profession, Sublette worked in many areas of food service—public schools, colleges, hospitals and elderly feeding programs. Sublette dedicated her career to honoring school nutrition professionals and ensuring those who work in school cafeterias have access to professional development opportunities, empowering them to help their school meal programs flourish.
Peebler was announced as the Midwest region Manager of the Year during an online awards ceremony on April 30 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 2, 2025, to honor dedicated school nutrition professionals.
