Emily Burson, RD
Founder and President
Emily Burson, founder and president, began her career as a foodservice consultant for Consulting Nutritional Services working with clients in the government and business sector. She continued her career by teaching Nutrition and Foodservice at Pepperdine University, where she currently teaches Food Service Management as an adjunct faculty member. Emily served as a General Manager and Dietitian for Sodexo School Services managing charter school accounts in Southern California. She received a degree in Nutrition from Pepperdine University and completed a Dietetic Internship at Central Washington University. Emily currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University Northridge. She is also President of the Los Angeles Pepperdine Alumni Chapter.
Brandon Neumen
Executive Chef
Brandon’s passion for cooking began at an early age. Beginning with cooking holiday dinners, he moved his way up to helping manage the family bakery. He has ten years experience working in high-end restaurants, major hotels, UC Dinning Services, Catering Companies and has spent the last two years in K-12 food service. He graduated from California Culinary Academy-San Francisco Le Cordon Bleu Program where he earned an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. He works hard on a daily basis to use his experience and culinary education to provide K-12 students and staff with healthy and delicious meals.
Dan Valles
CFO
Dan Valles began his career in the food service industry while studying business and hospitality management at the University of San Francisco. Following graduation, he went to work for Sodexo School Services where he held various management positions at school districts in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. Dan subsequently joined Portland State University in Portland, Oregon as the Chief Financial Officer in the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs and received his Master of Science degree in Financial Analysis from Portland State University.
Luis Barrios
Executive Sous Chef
Luis is a graduate of the Kitchen Academy in Hollywood and brings to SNP a unique background in culinary and design. He studied architectural design at USC with an emphasis on how food and architecture affect the cultural values of society. Throughout his culinary career, he has worked for various catering companies, such as USC Town and Gown, and currently has his own catering company doing private events for individuals and large groups. Luis is committed to using his culinary knowledge to educate children about the benefits of fresh food and its impact on lifelong health.
Todd Morales
Chef/Camp Program Manager
Todd comes to us with experience as a restaurant management consultant in Central California and has served as a culinary instructor at the Institute of Techology in Fresno, CA. He has managed a variety of foodservice establishment including casinos, theme parks, and catering companies and holds a certificate in foodservice professional management. His passion for nutrition and serving fresh, healthy food let him to School Nutrition Plus.
Jim Donato
Nutrition Project Manager
Jim has been working in the field of school nutrition since 2005 when he graduated magna cum laude from CSUN, earning a BS in Family Environmental Science with an emphasis on Nutrition/Dietetics. His work has included long tenures with Sodexo as a Food Service Manager overseeing operations in charter schools throughout the Los Angeles area and Coronado School District in San Diego. Prior to working for Sodexo, Jim worked closely with Founding Director Jackie Keller at NutriFit, one of the largest private catering/food-delivery companies in Southern California. Some of the high profile clients for whom he successfully designed meal plans are Matt Groening, Barbra Streisand, Anjelica Huston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon and David Fincher. Jim has also managed the popular Sonora Café in Los Angeles and supervised special events for catering companies like Wolfgang Puck Special Events and the Governor’s Ball at the Academy Awards. Jim is passionate about many things – but nutrition and its importance in student development is first and foremost.
Courtney Ford, RD
Nutrition Project Manager
Louis Martinez
Chef Manager
Melvin Rivera-Chavez
Chef Supervisor
Ruben Reynoso
Assistant Chef Manager
Sarah McOsker
Assistant Nutrition Project Manager