DNO Produce announced Oct. 28 that Shannon FitzGerald has joined the company as its new Snacktime Explorers specialist. The Snacktime Explorers program aims to create meaningful learning experiences for students around healthy food choices and increase produce consumption through education and accessibility.
“Shannon brings an incredible mix of passion, expertise and leadership to Snacktime Explorers,” says Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer of DNO Produce. “Her ability to connect the dots between nutrition science, education and school operations makes her a perfect fit for this role. We’re excited to see the impact she will have in helping students build healthy relationships with food.”
FitzGerald is a registered dietitian nutritionist and strategic education leader with extensive expertise in developing and scaling school-based nutrition and food education programs. With a deep understanding of school operations, stakeholder engagement and program sustainability, she has dedicated her career to advancing experiential learning approaches that connect students with food systems, nutrition science and healthy eating practices.
Her leadership extends beyond the classroom, as she currently serves as chair of the School Nutrition Services Dietetic Practice Group within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, contributes to the American College of Culinary Medicine, and is a Fellow at the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN). In addition, FitzGerald is an adjunct professor at the University of Mississippi, teaching child nutrition.
“I’m honored to be part of Snacktime Explorers and to work with DNO and Pilot Light Chefs to grow this important initiative,” FitzGerald says. “Empowering students with hands-on food education and access to fresh fruits and vegetables has been at the core of my work, and I look forward to helping even more schools integrate these opportunities into their classrooms.”
