Redmond schools honor 2 nutrition services employees

The Redmond School District Nutrition Services team has named Brandon Evans and Adrian Robles as its two outstanding employees for the 2017-18 school year, Nutrition Services Director Keith Fiedler announced Friday.

Both employees are former RSD students and currently in the district’s Transition program, which serves students with disabilities ages 18-21. Students in Transition work towards career readiness, independent living, functional academics and communication.

For Adrian Robles and Brandon Evans, their positions as members of the Ridgeview High School Nutrition Services team is about more than just having a job, as it allows them to be productive, helpful and provides them a sense of purpose, Fiedler said.

Robles is confined to a wheelchair and has limited speech capabilities, but according to Fiedler, he is one of the most valuable members of the Ridgeview High Nutrition team.

Robles’ responsibilities include assisting with food preparation, staging hot food on pans and preparing them for use during the lunch rush. During service time, he stages hot food on the service line and keeps display warmers filled.

“Adrian has a 100-watt smile that lights up the kitchen,” Fiedler said. “He’s a true joy to be around and our kitchen operation is better because of his daily contributions. He likes getting a paycheck as we all do, but beyond that, he receives satisfaction from being a hardworking, valuable team member.”

Brandon Evans recently presented on a panel at the Breaking Barriers conference in Portland. He shared with the audience some of the struggles and successes in achieving employment. According to their website, Breaking Barriers seeks to be an “an inclusive community where barriers don’t exist and labels such as disability have no meaning. The conference serves as a platform to share the unique and diverse perspectives of all members of the community.

Evans’ duties in the Ridgeview kitchen include maintaining food safety by sanitizing the serving area and taking and recording accurate food temperatures. He also preps the items for the “Bento Bar” line, serves customers, cleans up afterward and runs the dish machine.

“Brandon is fantastic at his job,” said Tammie McCombs, assistant director for Nutrition Services. “He serves the made-to-order Bento Bar offerings accurately, courteously and with an enthusiasm and energy that is hard to beat. He exemplifies great customer service to our student and staff customers every day.”

When asked what he enjoys most about his job, Evans explained that he appreciates contributing to a team atmosphere and being precise and accurate. He also enjoys interacting with Ridgeview students.

“We’re lucky to have Adrian and Brandon on our team,” Fiedler said. “I look forward to their contributions for some time to come. They’ve truly earned the designation as our ‘most outstanding employees” for the 2017-18 school year.”