School Nutrition- Meet the Team

Christine Emerson

406-444-2502
School Nutrition
Programs Director

Work-Related Duties:

Budget Management
Contract Management
Grant Management

Christine Emerson is the Director of School Nutrition Programs for the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She administers eight USDA Child Nutrition Programs, including school breakfast and lunch, as well as a state cooperative purchase program for 260 school districts throughout Big Sky country. Christine has worked in School Nutrition Programs since 1999 with the goals of ensuring that all Montana schools serve the most nutritious meals possible and that they promote healthy lifestyles to students, staff, and families.

Erin Turner

406-559-7588
School Nutrition
Programs Assistant Director

Work-Related Duties:

Oversee SNP administrative, procurement, and SFSP reviews
Provide training to new program specialists
Plan state training for school nutrition professionals

Erin Turner is a Registered Dietetic Technician and School Nutrition Programs Specialist for the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She is a graduate of Montana State University with a bachelor’s in Food & Nutrition and has worked as a School Food Service Director prior to joining the OPI team. Erin enjoys traveling all over Montana to help school districts meet USDA School Nutrition Program requirements and encouraging their farm to school efforts. When not working, she can be found tending to her garden and enjoying Montana’s beautiful outdoors with her family.

Kelli Johnson

406-465-1769
School Nutrition
Program Specialist & FFVP Manager

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Kelli Johnson is a Registered Dietitian and School Nutrition Programs Specialist at the Office of Public Instruction. She graduated from The University of Tennessee Chattanooga with a degree in Nutrition and completed her Dietetic Internship through Montana State University. She worked for four years as a food service manager for a non-profit organization before joining the OPI team in 2019. Her favorite part of her job is building relationships with clerks and food service directors across the state. When not at work, you can find her hiking, floating the river, gardening, and cooking.

Rochelle Davies

406-465-3154
School Nutrition Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Rochelle Davies is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and traveling Specialist for the Montana Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs unit. She has enjoyed meeting hundreds of school nutrition professionals since starting in 2017, and frequently brags about the beautiful and nutritious meals served at schools to anyone who will listen. She is a Montana State University graduate (go Bobcats!), and is a born-and-raised Montanan. She resides in Billings with her husband, two kids, and dog Lucy. Outside of work she enjoys anything outdoors - camping, hunting, fishing and gardening are some of her favorite activities. Rochelle lives on coffee, loves sushi, and eats salsa like it’s its own food group.

Lauren Donithan

406-594-7313
School Nutrition Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Lauren Donithan is the new School Nutrition Program Specialist. Lauren has a Public Health Degree with a concentration in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is also a Registered Dietitian. Her previous work experience has been in private nutrition practice as well as clinical nutrition, but she is excited to put her Public Health degree to good use as a part of the School Nutrition Program with Montana OPI and is ready to serve Montana’s schools! In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and two boys as well as yoga, tending to her garden and serving at her church.

Stephanie Moodry

406-459-3552
School Nutrition Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Stephanie Moodry is the new School Lunch Program Specialist within School Nutrition Programs at the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She was born and raised in Butte Montana, her current residence, and has lived in two Montana communities including Laurel and Columbus. She graduated from Montana State University in 1998 with a degree in Dietetics – Food & Nutrition. Her work experience includes working in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Aramark, Assistant Food Service Director, WIC (Women Infant Children) supplemental nutritional program, and has served has a Registered Sanitarian in the State of Montana for the past 15 years working in three jurisdictions including Stillwater, Sweetgrass, and Silver Bow Counties. She is genuinely excited for the opportunity to serve Montana Schools and believes her vast experience will have a positive impact on School Nutrition Programs. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family in Montana’s beautiful outdoors, golfing, gardening, quilting, fishing, and watching the MSU BOB CATS!

Erin Benson Headshot

Erin Benson

Food Distribution Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Manages the acquisition and warehousing of USDA Foods for Montana schools.
Coordinates USDA Food distribution to Montana schools.
Provides technical assistance and training to program participants.

Erin comes from a culinary background and has worked in the food industry for 25 years and school food services for 8 years holding down positions in many different areas. She enjoys trying new foods and creating recipes. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, quilting, bowling and spending time with her husband, son and dogs.

NO HEADSHOT

Emily Madsen

406-594-4142
School Nutrition Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Emily Madsen is a registered dietitian and recently joined OPI as a School Nutrition Specialist. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont and recently completed her Masters in Dietetics at Montana State University. Emily comes to OPI with many years of experience in food service ranging from kitchen manager, to farm to school gardener, to farmers market manager. As a registered dietitian and school nutrition specialist, Emily is looking forward to helping Montana schools incorporate more local ingredients into their food service departments and instill healthy eating habits in children. When Emily is not bridging the gap between producers and schools, she is likely camping, hiking, fly fishing or skiing with her partner and their puppy Fisher.

Britta Binde

406-594-9747
Summer Food Service
Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Annually recruit and sign-up Summer Food Service Program sponsors
Oversee Summer Food Service Program compliance monitoring
Establish and maintain positive working relationships with partner organizations and sponsors to maintain and expand the Summer Food Service Program in Montana

Britta Binde, Summer Food Service Program Specialist, is an East Helena native with an interest in utilizing nutrition and expanding food security to neutralize health disparities among communities. While pursuing her Bachelors in Nutrition and in French at Montana State University, she worked for several different sectors within Bozeman’s HRDC - including working as the Child Nutrition Assistant at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, and as an Evening Floor Manager at Montana’s only pay-what-you-can restaurant, the Fork & Spoon. All of these experiences catalyzed her desire to work in the realm of public health, and to support programs that elevate community wellness. She most recently spent eight months in Nepal, conducting research on child malnutrition and maternal health, and was lucky enough to get up to some trekking in the Himalayas while she was over there. Outside of work, Britta enjoys reading, running, backpacking, playing tennis, and teaching ESL.

Amber Lyman

406-444-4415
School Nutrition
Program Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

Administrative and Procurement Reviews
Professional Development
Technical Assistance

Amber Lyman is joining the OPI School Nutrition Program Specialist Team. Amber has a background in Hospitality and Food Service Management obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Johnson &Wales University in Denver. For the past 5 years she worked as the Nutrition Services Supervisor at a School District in Northern California. Prior to that she worked in Restaurant Management in Denver CO. She looks forward to continuing her service to the students of Montana in OPI’s School Nutrition Program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, traveling, and exploring new places.

Alie Wolf

406-459-5394
Data Analyst

Work-Related Duties:

Processes sponsor’s monthly meal reimbursement claim payments.
Compiles systems data for data requests and submits various data reports to the USDA.
Coordinates sponsors electing to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and integrates eligibility data from the Direct Certification Application system.

Alie Wolf is a Data Analyst at the Montana Office of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Programs. She works to improve program integrity and access to school meals. She is a key member of the team that developed and continues to enhance the Direct Certification Application (DCA) system that Montana uses to conduct state level direct certification of students eligible for free school meals. She also provides technical assistance and training with the DCA system, MAPS reimbursement claims and the Community Eligibility Provision.

NO HEADSHOT

Ashley Bodle

406-594-9228
Data Processor

Work-Related Duties:

Maintain user access and electronic records for the OPI School Nutrition Programs sponsor agreements.
Use systems data to prepare federal reports and analyze program information.
Provide technical assistance and direction to program participants.

Ashley joins the team as a Data Processor for the Montana Office of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Programs. She is very passionate about Montana students as a former teacher and hopes to continue that love with the School Nutrition program. Working directly with schools, she plans to provide all assistance needed to maintain the integrity of the data collected as well as help create a smooth school year. She resides in Townsend with her husband and many animals. Living in the middle of nowhere on her husband’s family ranch, she loves anything outdoors when time allows. Her goal this year is to try cross-country skiing above her home. Ashley could eat pizza daily and live off coffee.

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