The Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) has appointed Jeremy West, MS, SNS as its next Executive Director, effective January 2027, concluding a nationwide search. West, who has served as the nonprofit's Chief of Finance & Operations for the past six years, will succeed Dr. Katie Wilson, the organization's founding executive director.
The Appointment
West brings more than 20 years of experience in child nutrition and school nutrition leadership to the role. Prior to joining USFA, he held senior operational positions in three Colorado school districts: Director of Operations for Jeffco Public Schools in the Greater Denver Area, Director of Nutrition in Greeley, and Assistant Director of Food & Nutrition Services with Colorado Springs School District 11. His teams earned national recognition in 2016, receiving the K-12 Innovators of the Year award from Food Management Magazine for sourcing and preparing meals from fresh, local ingredients.
"Jeremy's deep institutional knowledge of the Alliance, combined with his extensive operational expertise and national reputation in school nutrition, makes him the ideal leader to guide USFA into its next chapter," said Dr. Katie Wilson, Executive Director. "We are thrilled to have someone of his caliber ready to step into this role and continue advancing our mission on behalf of urban school food service professionals and the students they serve."
Scope of the Role
USFA is a collaborative nonprofit network representing large urban school districts across the country, supporting food service professionals who collectively serve millions of students. As Chief of Finance & Operations, West oversaw member communications, grant reporting, financial management, and systems development — functions that place him at the center of the organization's operational infrastructure before formally taking the helm.
West is a past president of both the Colorado Dietary Managers Association and the Colorado School Nutrition Association, and has served as a governor-appointed member and chair of the Colorado Farm to School Taskforce. He holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University-Global Campus.
What's Next
The leadership transition arrives as school nutrition programs face intensifying pressure around supply-chain costs, federal nutrition policy, and the push toward fresh and local sourcing in institutional foodservice. Urban districts in particular have navigated rising commodity prices and labor constraints that have reshaped K-12 food program economics since the post-pandemic period.
"I am humbled and honored to have been selected," West said. "I am excited about the opportunity to continue working alongside the Board of Directors and our member districts to be a strong voice for large urban districts and the important role child nutrition programs play." West resides with his family in rural Colorado and assumes the executive director title at the start of 2027, with Dr. Wilson remaining in place through the transition period.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
