Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS
Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS, has been a school nutrition director for 22 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, a master’s in Food Science and Nutrition and a PhD in Foodservice and Lodging Management. Katie taught at the University of WI –Stout prior to her school nutrition career. As national nutrition chair for SNA, she worked on a SNA membership wellness program with Dr. Kenneth Cooper and the Cooper Institute, sat on the 31st Standing Committee for Nutrition at the United Nations, and developed the concept of Dining Room Demos (complete, easy to use nutrition education plans for the cafeteria). Katie recently served as the chair for the School Nutrition Association Nutrition Standards Task Force, developing nutrition standards for reimbursable meals and foods sold outside of the meal program. She has traveled to Japan and South Africa to share information on school nutrition in the United States.
Dr. Wilson has been invited to conduct training for school nutrition employees and industry members throughout the country, has presented many webinars, testified to Congress on school nutrition issues, held briefings for both U.S. Congressional Staff and U.S. Senate Staff, and has been interviewed by media sources, including the Today Show, The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and many others.
Dr. Wilson is known for her ability to build coalitions with allied organizations on school nutrition issues and has presented at national conferences for the Food Security Coalition, Secondary Principals Association, National Curriculum Development Association, National Restaurant Association, and many other interested organizations. She is the recipient of many state and national awards in child nutrition, including a USDA best practice award for her Junior Chefs Nutrition Education Program and recently served as the 2008-2009 President of the School Nutrition Association. She is presently the school nutrition director for Onalaska Public Schools and the Chairman of the Board for the School Nutrition Foundation.