New Westford School Food Services Director Begins Work

This month Westford’s Public Schools welcomed a new director of food service, although they didn’t have to look very far to find her.

Coming in off four years leading food services at Westford Academy, Colleen Wallace has been named as new Food Service Director for all of Westford’s schools, replacing Patti Donohue, who retired at the end of June.

“My plan is to be very hands on, there’s quite a bit of administrative work to be done,” said Wallace. “My passion is food and cooking and nutrition and we’ve been very successful at the high school in terms of innovative recipes and ideas that I plan to carryout throughout the district.”

Prior to her role at Westford Academy, she earned a degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island and served in roles ranging from managing restaurants in the area to running corporate food service cafeterias.  

Between that experience and the outreach efforts she’s engaged in with teachers, students and parents in the past, Wallace hopes to continue a trend toward healthier food in Westford’s schools that has arisen over the past few years while living within the School Department’s budgetary constraints.

“In particular, I’d like to engage the students more on menus,” she said. “Hopefully we can support the kitchens throughout town with herbs and vegetables grown by students wherever possible.”