2025 Annual Conference Speakers

Kathryn Bernstein is a Program Director – Food Systems & Nutrition Policy at the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI), a statewide non-profit organization which collaborates to advance health justice through equitable policy, systems, and institutional change. Within her role at IPHI, Kathryn leads regional and statewide food and nutrition policy and systems change initiatives. This includes convening the Illinois Alliance to Promote Opportunities for Health (IAPOH) Food Systems and Nutrition Policy Workgroup, which houses Illinois’s Healthy School Meals for All coalition. Kathryn has her Master of Public Health in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a registered and licensed dietitian.

Mike Borges uses his extensive expertise in school nutrition program leadership, operational efficiency and USDA compliance to share a real-world Point of view. His background aligns directly with the challenges and priorities of nutrition directors, making him an authoritative and relatable speaker for this audience.  

Deep industry expertise: Mike brings decades of experience in school nutrition management and technology solutions. Mike understands the evolving challenges and opportunities in School Nutrition programs from operational, technical and compliance standpoints.  

Actionable insights: Mike can offer practical and actionable insights into how nutrition leaders can use technology and AI to optimize compliance, streamline workflows, and enhance student meal access to promote your Nutrition program.  

Nutrition audience alignment: As an experienced K-12 nutrition leader, Mike is well-positioned to engage with nutrition directors, managers, and supervisors. He is an industry advocate who has leveraged technology to address the unique challenges of school nutrition professionals.  

Dorothy Cole has over 27 years of experience with Gordon Food Service.  Currently Dorothy serves as the USDA Commodity Foods Industry Subject Matter Expert. She also manages the North American Education Sales Team which consists of the National Account Managers, USDA Commodity Team, Product Analysts and the Bid Team. Dorothy provides leadership, vision, direction, and training to encourage growth and development of the Education Segment, the sales team and Gordon Food Service Customers. She is a true expert in school foodservice and has vast industry relationships with a passion for the Education Segment. Dorothy earned a bachelor’s in science and administration at The Ohio State University. 

Christine Coughlin is a coordinator with Food Service Innovation at Humane World for Animals, where she works with a team of chefs and dieticians to help food service management companies and self-operated institutions add delicious, nutritious plant-based options to menus. Prior to this she served as the Minnesota state director for the organization, focusing on policy and advocacy. She is a seasoned public speaker who enjoys bringing practical and inspirational content to audiences.  

Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer was born and raised in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he attended Jacksonville High School. He received his BA in Political Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Following his graduation, Representative Davidsmeyer worked as a Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Shimkus in Washington, D.C.

Representative Davidsmeyer returned to his hometown of Jacksonville in 2006 to become the Operations Manager of IRC Inc., a subsidiary of Illinois Road Contractors, Inc. In 2009, he became Vice President of IRC where he continued his duties as Operations Manager, adding all budget responsibilities and financial decisions of the company.

Representative Davidsmeyer joined the Jacksonville City Council in 2008. He served as the Chairman of the Public Protection Committee and most recently served as Chair of the Finance Committee. During that time he also served as an officer in the local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and Library Board. Representative Davidsmeyer joined the House of Representatives in December 2012 and was sworn in for a full term in the 98th General Assembly in January 2013.

Representative Davidsmeyer and his wife Kristen along with their two boys reside in Murrayville.

Alex DeSorbo-Quinn joined Pilot Light over a decade ago as its first Executive Director when it served just one Chicago school. Under her leadership, the organization has become a national food education powerhouse, now having reached over 25,000 students nationwide. In 2018, she led the charge to define food education, disseminating Food Education Standards through a consensus-building process with a panel of experts in food and education. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she earned her Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology and a doctorate in health education from Columbia University.

Leah Erke has been with the ABCs of School Nutrition for 9 years. She has over 30 years experience in food service management. She was the department chair of the hospitality management program at John Wood Community College from 2007-2016 where she taught courses in food safety, restaurant management, and professional cooking. She was also the director of food and nutrition at Hannibal Regional Hospital for 8 years prior to her time as a college instructor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Restaurant Management from the University of Illinois and an associate degree in Dietetics from St. Louis Community College.

Michael Gervais graduated from Penn State University with a Master's Degree specializing in Information Security. He is an accomplished AI and data science professional with over 20 years of experience, specializing in AI Strategy & Implementation, Machine Learning and Security & Ethics. He has developed and implemented corporate AI strategies, defining ethical principles and governance structures. His technical expertise includes development of AI agents and training AI models. Furthermore, as the Founder & CEO of Conic Security, he conceptualized a scalable microservices identity and access management (IAM) platform, utilizing blockchain and AI for centralized/decentralized authentication and learning user behavior. With a history that includes leadership roles at EDS and IBM, he is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and has experience conducting audits against compliance standards such as SOC, HIPAA, PCI and GDPR.

Meghan Gibbons is the Director of Nutrition Services for Valley View School District #365U (VVSD) serving the Bolingbrook and Romeoville community, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a School Nutrition Specialist. VVSD operates a nonprofit $10 million dollar a year school nutrition program where 140 Nutrition Services professionals take pride in preparing breakfast, lunch, supper along with Fresh Fruit and Vegetable snack for 15,500 PreK-12 students daily in 21 schools, serving over 3 million meals/year. Meghan has a 20 year tenure in School Nutrition, is an ILSNA Past President, serves on numerous industry and non-profit advisory boards. However, her greatest joy is her incredible VVSD Nutrition Services team and her own family of five.

Mike Gogerty is part of the two-person team that monitors Child Nutrition Programs Resource Management reviews throughout the state, as well as assists in Procurement reviews. Mike is one of the original members to start Resource Management reviews in the State of Illinois.

Morgan Johnson has worked within the Member Services Department of IMRF for over 5 years. She started her career in the Contact Center counseling members on their benefits over the phone. In 2022, she advanced into the role of Member Education Counselor. As a Member Education Counselor, Morgan travels to various employer sites throughout the Chicago Suburbs to conduct benefits presentations and provide one-on-one counseling consultations with members.

Beth MacKenna has led school nutrition programs along with school nutrition professionals for 10 years.  She is a passionate leader and trainer who takes pride in supporting those around her through effective communication, collaboration, and innovation.  Beth is currently the Director of Nutrition Services for Rock Island-Milan School District 41, a PreK-12 school district in Rock Island. She holds her SNA level 4 certificate and is a certified ServSafe instructor and proctor. She is an ILSNA past president and currently serves on the Professional Development Committee.

Andy Manar joined the administration of Governor JB Pritzker in January 2021 and serves as Deputy Governor for Budget and Economy, bringing with him over twenty years of experience in municipal, county and state government in Illinois.  Prior to joining the Pritzker Administration, Manar was elected to three terms in the Illinois Senate, where he represented communities across central and southwest Illinois. During this tenure, he chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee and served as the Senate Democrats’ chief budget negotiator, playing a key role in bringing fiscal stability to Illinois.  Manar championed and passed landmark, bi-partisan legislation in 2017 to transform the State’s public school funding system to address deep inequities among school districts, something that hadn’t been achieved in nearly three decades. 

Prior to his tenure in the Illinois Senate, Manar has held several elected offices including Mayor of his hometown of Bunker Hill and Chairman of Macoupin County Board.  He was also appointed Chief of Staff for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton before being elected to the Senate.  

As Deputy Governor, Manar’s portfolio of work includes management of nearly two dozen state departments, agencies, and commissions. Manar leads the administration’s efforts on budget management and fiscal accountability which includes budget development, passage, and implementation, revenue policy, management of public pension funds, oversight of state property and assets, as well as labor negotiations with the state workforce.  Governor Pritzker has tasked Manar with the continuous improvement of the state’s fiscal health and efficient government operations.  Manar’s efforts have produced annual balanced budgets with surpluses and numerous credit upgrades. 

In addition to budget and fiscal responsibilities, Manar leads a team from the Governor’s office focused on fostering job creation, business development and economic growth.  His tenure as Deputy Governor has led to the passage and implementation of new tax incentives focuses on business attraction and expansion, streamlining of permitting processes, the launching of tailored workforce development initiatives focused on employers’ needs, and the development of ready sites to support companies re-locating to and expanding in Illinois. 

Manar received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and is a licensed teacher. 

A Midwest native with over three decades of experience in foodservice. A chef dedicated to quality cooking, the unique systems that make it successful and how those apply in other operations. He has also extended his influence beyond the kitchen, leveraging his knowledge to provide consulting services and culinary support to various foodservice operations and equipment manufacturers within the industry. Michael has been a part of the IRINOX team for the past 6 years as a Senior Regional Director of Sales and Director of Culinary. At IRINOX, the core of what he does is help foodservice operations find the best solution to their problems. 

Rosa McCurrie is the Kitchen Manager at A. Vito Martinez Middle School in Valley View School District 365U, serving over 15,000 students in Bolingbrook and Romeoville, Illinois. With 19 years of dedicated service, Rosa is known for her leadership, commitment to student well-being and passion for fostering a positive cafeteria culture. She began her career working 3.5 hours a day as a food service worker while learning English as a second language. Through perseverance and mentorship, Rosa advanced to assistant manager, then to elementary school kitchen manager and now leads one of the district’s largest middle school kitchens. Her journey reflects a strong work ethic, a growth mindset and a deep commitment to serving her school community.

Kim Minestra is the Director of Nutrition Services at Evanston Township High School, where she has worked since 2007 and served as Director since 2010. She runs a creative, student-focused meal program built around scratch cooking, local food and access for all. Kim also oversees ETHS’s school-grown food initiatives, including a summer CSA, a spring seedling sale, two 5000 square foot gardens, greenhouse and orchard—all of which contribute to the cafeteria’s (and communities) fresh offerings. Known for her innovative approach and open mindset, Kim brings the same curiosity and care to her work that she brings to her life. She’s deeply engaged in every part of the food system—growing it, cooking it, sourcing it and of course, enjoying it.  

Tina Peyton has dedicated 16 years to the Valley View School District Nutrition Services Department. She has overseen operations at various levels, starting with an elementary school, then a middle school, and is now responsible for managing the kitchen at Romeville High School. Her understanding of child nutrition and food service operations, along with her experience in leading various age groups, contributes to her role within the district as an advocate for student wellness and effective school meal programs. In the 2024-25 school year, Romeoville High School had an enrollment of 1,675 students, with 575–600 served breakfast and 1,100–1,125 served lunch.

Kara Rissmann is the Assistant Director of Food & Nutrition Services for Arlington Heights School District 25 which is located about 15 miles outside of Chicago. The district serves approximately 5600 students in kindergarten through 8th grades. Kara holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University and a Culinary Certificate from Le Cordon Bleu. She is a proud mom to 3 daughters and brings 13 years of restaurant industry experience to her role. Kara is the ILSNA Professional Development Chair, a Certified ServSafe Instructor/Proctor and a 2024 Graduate of Produce Safety University.

Tanya Sieber grew up in the Southern US and earned a BA at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She is also a graduate of the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin and has worked in many segments of the food service industry over the last 25 years, from flagship hotels to college dining programs. She has worked for Burlis Lawson as the K12 Market Specialist since 2017 and is an active industry member of her state and regional school nutrition associations. Tanya has genuine passion for this industry and relishes her current role supporting school nutrition programs in feeding the future.

Jessica Smith has been a Field-Based Program Compliance Monitor with the Illinois State Board of Education since 2015. A Chicago native, Jessica holds a degree in Nutrition from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) and a Master's in Public Health. She is passionate about attending nutrition conferences and delivering technical assistance presentations to support schools in achieving compliance and success in school nutrition programs.

Beth Tanner is a registered dietitian who has worked in the Illinois State Board of Education’s Nutrition Department for seven years focusing on the School Nutrition Program meal pattern requirements, menu planning and local wellness policies.

Leia Weston is a registered dietitian and has worked with University of Illinois Extension’s ABCs of School Nutrition program since 2017. She completed both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Nutritional Sciences degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In her role, Leia combines 15 years of nutrition education experience and flair for design and technology to create training materials, build online courses, and manage the program’s communication outlets. She is a past winner of Central Illinois Business Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” award and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Anita Owen Award of Recognition for Innovative Nutrition Education. 

Rachelle J. Wuellner is a dedicated Food Service and Wellness Director, Certified Management Professional, and advocate for equitable nutrition in schools. With a unique blend of leadership experience, culinary innovation, and a deep commitment to public service, Rachelle has established herself as a champion for student health and well-being. Her work centers around strengthening the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, ensuring that every child has access to nutritious, appealing meals that fuel both body and mind. Known for her skills in recipe development and program implementation, Rachelle has led numerous initiatives that improve the quality and reach of school food services. A grant awardee, she has been recognized for creating impactful wellness strategies and sustainable nutrition programs that serve diverse student populations. Rachelle holds an Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice, bringing a unique perspective to her leadership-one rooted in structure, accountability, and community care. Driven by purpose and guided by excellence, Rachelle continues to inspire progress in school wellness through advocacy, innovation, and unwavering dedication to the health of future generations.

Recently named "Top 10 Speakers to Follow” in 2025 by MSN.com, international speaker Jon Colby has been empowering people with improv for over 25 years. His engaging, interactive approach has successfully helped audiences across the globe to be better communicators, leaders, teammates, salespeople, friends, and family members.
  
As a graduate from the world-famous Second City Conservatory and an educator with over 15 years of classroom experience, he has kept audiences laughing while sharing practical knowledge that they can put to use right away. He doesn't simply talk at the audience; he involves every member in an interactive session full of content that sticks.

Jon always delivers customized content whether he’s working with a Fortune 100 company, an association, or a nonprofit. His clients include American Express, Honda, Salesforce, One America, Charles Schwab, the NCAA, and the YMCA.

For more about Jon, check out his website, joncolby.com.