Tara Nichols, Texas-based Resident District Manager, exemplifies the K-12 by Elior mission to serve more children every day… no matter the conditions. Tara’s strong spirit of servant leadership, compassion and caring demonstrates to her YES Prep community that when you work together and dedicate your day to ensuring every child receives a great meal, you’re able to achieve great results. For the past four years, Tara’s innovation, spirit of service and dedication have resulted in more meals served and student participation increases for our partners at YES Prep, helping to ensure scholars are ready to learn. Our client partner at this award-winning school, Nakita Johnson, says it best:

“Tara Lee Nichols is one to watch. As a partner in child nutrition, food operations, and an eliminator of food insecurity, I'd choose her EVERY time to be on my team. She cares for our students’ well-being and supports our mission. Tara's an innovative professional committed to excellence. Her "do more" attitude will be her legacy – her servant-hearted spirit, her footprints.” Nakita Johnson, Child Nutrition Program Director, YES Prep Public Schools

Throughout the pandemic, Tara and her team have leveraged multiple methods of meal service to ensure the YES Prep community stays nourished. Early in Spring 2020, Tara’s foodservice team partnered with the school bus transportation team to support reverse bus routes to designated neighborhood meal pick-up locations. As scholars began to return to campus, Tara and her team executed flawless meals in-classroom in partnership with the YES Prep team. Later, they launched home meal delivery using the K-12 by Elior “Door to Door” proprietary home delivery model. Tara and her team geared up to deliver over 100,000 meals per week door-to-door to scholars who enjoyed 7-day breakfast and lunch Preferred Mealtime© multi-packs in the safety of their homes. Vice President of Operations, Jennifer Dodd, described the exceptional work to serve students as “a herculean effort by Tara and the entire YES Prep foodservice team.”

Tara Nichols is a true K-12 by Elior servant leader, empowered to continually innovate new ways to create a student-centered meal program that makes mealtime the best part of the YES Prep scholars’ day.