Title: Director of Food and Nutrition Services

Company: St. Louis Public Schools

Location: Shiloh, Ill.

Setting her goal to teach children the value of eating healthy, Althea Albert-Santiago continues as director of food and nutrition services for St. Louis Public Schools. For six years, she has with the school system, drawing upon 28 years of educational administration, persistent about getting the message out to students about good nutrition. Putting together the current program throughout the school system with top notch quality has been Ms. Albert-Santiago’s greatest accomplishment.

Ms. Albert-Santiago attributes her success to her mother, who when she was nine asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up.” She said she wanted to help people eat healthy, so her mom showed her how to garden and raise animals. She also attributes it to her uncle and his strawberry garden and one of her teachers, Yvonne Ray along with other mentors. Ms. Albert-Santiago’s advice to young professionals is, “Look at every aspect of your life and what your family taught you and embrace it- look at what is inside of you.”