School Nutrition- Meet the Team

Christine Emerson

School Nutrition
Programs Director

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.

406-444-2502

Erin Turner

School Nutrition
Programs Assistant Director

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.

406-559-7588

Kelli Johnson

School Nutrition
Program Specialist & FFVP Manager

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.

406-465-1769

Rochelle Davies

School Nutrition
Program Specialist

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.

406-465-3154

Alie Wolf

Data
Analyst

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.

406-459-5394

Stephanie Moodry

School Nutrition
Program Specialist

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!

406-459-3552

Lauren Donithan

School Nutrition
Program Specialist

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.

406-594-7313

Amber Lyman

School Nutrition
Program Specialist

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.

406-444-4415

Pam Fruh

Food Distribution
Program Manager

Pam Fruh is the Food Distribution Program Manager for School Nutrition Programs at the Montana Office of Public Instruction, where she oversees the ordering and distribution of USDA Foods and USDA DoD Fresh produce to sponsors of the National School Lunch Program. Pam also supports Farm to School efforts and local procurement of foods for schools, including the processing of ‘Montana Marinara’ tomato sauce.

406-444-4412

School Nutrition Home