Diane's Bio

As Program and Education Director for Kids Feeding Kids, Diane focuses on connecting the causes of food insecurity with relevant and actionable Real World Learning (RWL) projects designed for high school culinary classrooms. Diane actively supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Family and Consumer Science (FACS) educators with the creation of standards-aligned lesson materials and skills-based recipes. She frequently travels to classrooms giving presentations to high school students to destigmatize food insecurity and promote food recovery efforts. She also provides professional development to educators and directs the project management of Kids Feeding Kids in classrooms throughout the school year. 

Prior to joining Kids Feeding Kids, Diane was named the 2019 Kansas City Public Schools District Teacher of the Year. Diane has also served as a State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MO DESE) Instructional Specialist with the Kansas City Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) and the Northwest Missouri RPDC. In 2020, Diane earned the designation of Master Teacher in Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning as a Fellow with the Ewing Kauffman Foundation's Master Teacher Project. She has designed and led professional development focused on best teaching practices for the U.S. Department of State as an English Language Specialist where she was partnered with the Education Office of the Embassy of Peru. Diane has also traveled as a presenter at educator conferences in Spain and China, and completed a year-long educator exchange program with Workforce and Community Development educators in the Netherlands through the educator exchange program of Johnson County Community College. She is currently a Teacher Leader on the team of expert educators leading the State of Missouri's Comprehensive Literacy State Development program where she leads professional development focused on best practices in improving literacy outcomes of multilingual students.   

Diane's professional work experiences in Hospitality include Executive Chef and owner in catering, as well as cooking in country clubs and fine dining establishments, developing recipes for national brand food manufacturers, contracting as a food stylist with national brands, and teaching culinary classes. Her industry experiences also include international Best of Show medals in professional ACF and international WACS culinary competitions, and several industry awards from the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and Missouri Pork Producers Council. She is an active member of the ACF Greater Kansas City Chef's Association and was heavily involved with the national ACF Chef and Child Foundation, including giving her time and talents as a traveling chef to Glasgow, Scotland to benefit the World Tour for Hunger project.  Chef Diane was awarded the 2023 President's Award by the ACF Greater Kansas City Chef's Association in recognition for the work she has done with Kids Feeding Kids.

Informed by her own experience as a self-funded first-generation Latinx college graduate, Diane utilizes her education and career trajectory as a way to engage students and educators in the value of real world learning and applying acts of community service and food justice in the culinary industry. Diane earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management degree from Ottawa University after completing an Associates Degree in Hospitality Management with an emphasis in Culinary Arts from Johnson County Community College. She went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Creighton University with an emphasis in Social Justice, and a second Master of Arts degree in Education from Avila University.