GOSHEN COUNTY – During a recent meeting of the Goshen County School Board of Trustees, Marcy Cates, business manager, announced one of the district’s newer employees, Ramona Moody, had won a statewide award. 

“I don’t have the plaque,” Cates began during the July special board meeting. “It’s hanging on Ramona’s wall but it’s important to share that when Ramona went to the state school nutrition association meeting, she was selected by her peers in the state school nutrition department of education as the state food service director of the year.”

Moody, previously worked for the department of agriculture and came to the school district in June 2023.

“I had worked as an Inspection Specialist for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture,” Moody said. “It is a big jump.” 

Moody said the job just happened for her.

“I took on this role this last year and it is completely a new realm compared to being an inspector,” Moody said. “It’s been challenging.”

Moody enjoys challenges, she explained.

“This last year was extremely challenging because we were getting what’s called our annual review, which is our big review,” Moody explained. “It happens every so many years. I came in and got to be prepared for this annual review. It was a challenge to figure everything out. Learn all of the processes and programs and stuff but I really enjoyed that part of it. Getting to really challenge myself and learn new things,” Moody said.

Of course, a review really doesn’t sound scary to most but, Moody’s review for the district involved more than just school officials.

“The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) actually accompanied the state on the review, so it was defiantly an experience, but it was really good, and I learned a lot,” Moody said. “It’s just been a great experience to learn new things and try new things, so it’s been good.”

As Cates explained to the school board, Moody was nominated by her peers for the award, which came as a shock.

“Throughout the year, we get from the state, so the WDE (Wyoming Department of Education) funds,” Moody explained. “There is a child nutrition program, and they are actually every Friday send out emails and on the Friday emails I do know that they sent out requesting nominations. I don’t know. Somehow and at some point and time someone nominated me.”

During the June conference, Moody was eating lunch when she recognized the biography of the award recipient as it was over the speaker.

“We were sitting at lunch, and they started to tell the stories about what I had been through this last year, and I thought, well, that sounds familiar,” Moody recalled. “And they got a little further down the story and I was like, ‘That’s me’. It was actually presented to me by the child nutrition program state director, so the one who runs the programs down there is the one who presented it to me back in June.” 

Moody is looking forward to some new changes in the district food service program in regard to free meals. 

“It was very much a shock because it was my first year. Like I said, I started in June of 2023 and came in and was definitely surprised to get the award. It’s pretty exciting,” Moody explained. “When I came back, they let Marcy Cates, which she is my boss, but they had let her as well as Mr. Kramer (district superintendent) that I had received the award, so it was kind of exciting.”

“Additionally, I’d reiterate what an honor this is to be chosen from all directors in the state of Wyoming,” Cates told the Telegram. “Ramona has just completed her first year with the district and has done a great job looking for opportunities to increase participation.”