Allie Blimline

Allie Blimline is the first marketing & communications manager to be featured as a Trayblazer. It was tremendously insightful to learn everything she’s been doing to ensure the students, parents, faculty, and staff of the Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) are treated to the best food experience possible.

Covering 15 municipalities, LISD is a bustling hub of educational activity with 67 schools, various technical centers, trade schools, and a catering department. Managing a district of this scale comes with its challenges, but Allie credits organization and teamwork as key elements to everyone’s success. Despite technically being a department of one, Allie says she never feels alone thanks to the support of the entire Aramark team, her district counterparts, and other cafeteria staff. Allie notes how, “Everyone is here for the same reason: we want to feed the kids and make the LISD Child Nutrition Department the best program possible.”

Her main responsibilities include regular visits to all schools, checking that their serving lines appear fresh and appealing, while also ensuring all program marketing is being followed. Allie is uniquely focused on how food appearance is crucial to kids — much like in traditional restaurants. She says, “For the kids to have an enjoyable experience at lunch, they need to be able to clearly see what’s on the menu for the day and have it be pretty and appetizing since, of course, we eat with our eyes.”

Staying on top of food trends is essential, especially when dealing with the ever-evolving tastes of kids. From spicy flavors to made-to-order items and sweet breakfast options, Allie ensures the school menus are not only nutritious but also appealing to the discerning young audience with fun limited time menus, and food promotions every month. She also gets help from General Mills Foodservice products such as Fruit Rolls Ups™, Mott’s® Fruit Snacks, Chex Mix™, and plenty of cereal bars to help keep their snack options fresh and appealing.