This summer, Dutchess BOCES Food Services began offering catering services for events held in the conference center and on campus. This is thanks to an expansion in staff throughout the 2023-2024 school year.
With the completion of One Campus which added a new kitchen as well as conference center to the site, the agency is “really excited to enhance student meal options, add options for staff, as well as catering functions,” shared assistant school business official Mike Skerritt.
Assistant cooks Heather Palmieri and Heather Pavao joined the teams at Salt Point Center and the Resilience Academy, respectively, in the 2023-2024 school year. The two joined food service helpers Margery Cardinal, Sandy Morgan and Shirley Caraway, who have been at the agency for many years.
Holly Peters Heady was hired as the senior cook manager in May. “We knew immediately that she was the right person to run our food service department,” shared Skerritt. “There are food service directors throughout the region that look to her for direction.”
For the past few years, Christina Mark, the business office manager, stepped up to help.
“I can’t thank Christina Mark enough. She provided the day-to-day administrative and program supports that allowed us to meet student needs, and put us in a position to take it to the next level with someone like Holly.”
With over 30 years of food service experience, Peters Heady brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
“My parents owned the Millbrook Diner growing up, and then I went to the Culinary Institute of America. When I finished, I started at Millbrook Central School District as their school lunch director and I loved it,” she said.
In addition to Millbrook, Peters Heady has worked in Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park and Wappingers schools, and is a member of the Dutchess Putnam Food Service Directors Association and the School Nutrition Association.
In her new role at Dutchess BOCES, Peters Heady’s responsibilities include “marketing the program, all the paperwork and expanding our offerings - both to students and staff as well catering for the conference center,” she shared. She is also setting up a point of sale system.
Skerritt shared the reasoning behind creating a menu for the conference center.
“It is tremendously expensive to cater with outside vendors,” shared Skerritt. “We can keep workshop fees down for customers by catering in house.”