Current Employee of the Month Award Winner

Dannie is a Youth Nutrition Education Facilitator for the Family Nutrition Program, serving the Lynchburg area. While her time with us has been short, she has created positive impacts on her students, collaborative partners and coworkers.  Since she started in June of 2023, Dannie has excelled in reaching youth, both in the classroom and out in the community. She has taught 49 classes under the SNAP-Ed requirements, reaching 962 students with comprehensive nutrition education lessons. She has also taught 47 classes under the EFNEP requirements, reaching 653 students with comprehensive nutrition education lessons. These efforts often require her to teach 15+ classes per week.  She also led 34 Community Events, reaching 474 unduplicated participants. Dannie has also co-written and received two grants, including the new SHINE grant. She collaborated with Jeanell Smith, the SNAP-Ed Agent, to write the grant, plan the initiatives in-depth, and implement the programs.  To reach all her students, Dannie spends one night each week studying with a Spanish tutor. She has many students who are not fluent in English. Working with her tutor, she has become proficient in sharing Pick A Better Snack curriculum storybooks and all of the lessons from each curriculum in Spanish.  As she visits each school in the City of Lynchburg, she develops deep partnerships with the students, staff and families and has become a trusted source of nutritional information and resources in the community. In a constant effort for personal and professional development, Dannie participates in VT and VCE-offered professional development on health and wellness topics, as well as local offerings.