SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated nutrition professionals Rhonda DeVaux and Anita Karakesisoglu, both from the Irvine Unified School District, for being recognized for their "superior accomplishments" by the School Nutrition Association (SNA).

"Rhonda DeVaux and Anita Karakesisoglu are committed to ensuring that growing and active children and teens have access to healthy meals," O'Connell said. "They have been diligent in helping to expand nutritional food choices while, at the same time, improving the overall health of district nutrition operations. I commend them for their hard work and I congratulate them on their well-deserved recognition from the School Nutrition Association."

Rhonda DeVaux, School Nutrition Director for Irvine Unified School District, was named SNA's 2008 National Outstanding Director of the Year. 

"DeVaux has found the right balance between nutrition integrity and fiscal responsibility," SNA said in awarding her the title. "She used fruit and vegetable promotions to increase their consumption by 40 percent and implemented ‘best value' pricing for combination meals to emphasize the importance of eating well-balanced meals."

Anita Karakesisoglu, a foodservice employee at the Nutrition Service Office of Irvine Unified School District, was awarded SNA's National Heart of the Program.

"Karakesisoglu's energy is only exceeded by her creative resourcefulness," the SNA said. "By developing an efficient process for entering district financial data, tracking and transporting food and organizing documents and supplies at each school site, she has saved time, labor and money for the district school nutrition department."

Their honors were announced during the School Nutrition Association's 62nd Annual National Conference in Philadelphia, PA. (In addition, the National Louise Sublette Award of Excellence was awarded to Janice Mills, cafeteria manager at Mansfield Middle School in Mansfield Center, Connecticut.)

SNA is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. For more information on the winners, please access the SNA [http://www.schoolnutrition.org] (Outside Source).

Concerned with an epidemic of obesity among children and youth, O'Connell established a task force on childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in 2004 to examine the factors that contribute to the increases in these diseases among California schoolchildren.

For more information on the findings and recommendations of the Superintendent's task force, please visit: Final Task Force Recommendations - Childhood Obesity & Diabetes Task Force.