Manish has worked in the hospitality business for the last 42 years, the last 15 years with LAUSD Food Services. Manish has a Bachelor’s in Economics from Delhi University; a diploma in Hotel Management from India’s premier hotel management school, the Oberoi School of Hotel Management. A lifelong learner, he augmented his education with an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a CASBO certification from USC’s Rossier School of Education. Continuing with his desire to learn and grow, he is enrolled in FCMAT’s CBO Mentor Program.

During his tenure with Los Angeles Unified, he helped the District grow the CEP program, enabling the Division to serve over 137 million meals annually to its’ 500,000 students. During the pandemic, the Division worked with other partners like the Food Bank, USDA’s Farmer’s to Families Program, and the Red Cross to distribute over 140 million meals to students and the community. He is passionate about food and committed to getting student input and provide nutritious, delicious meals to students. Food should be both a healthy and enjoyable experience.

Manish has been married for 38 years with three children, three grandchildren, and a 5-year-old golden retriever. He practices and teaches meditation, which he says is the ideal way to maintain peace and balance.

Florence Simpson is a Deputy Director.  She started working for the district in 2004 as an Area Food Services Supervisor, after many years of experience in college food service and the private restaurant industry.  Florence has worked in various areas within the Food Services Division, including menu development, procurement, operations, and assisting with the Newman Nutrition Center.  Recently, she completed her Masters of Business Administration and earned her School Nutrition Specialists (SNS) credentials from the School Nutrition Association.  As the Board Secretary on the Executive Board of the Urban School Food Alliance, she represents LAUSD and advocates for the health and well-being of students across the nation.  She has a passion for child nutrition and feels the best part of her job is working in schools with our supervisors and managers to support our mission of "Nourishing Students to Achieve Excellence."

Soniya Perl is a Registered Dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition. She has served as Food Service Director at Culver City Unified School District , and as the Senior Nutrition Specialist for LAUSD Food Services. She has been a lecturer on Food Service Management at California State University, Northridge for ten years.

Julie Lee is the Regional Food Services Manager of Region South. She began her employment with LAUSD as an Area Food Services Supervisor in 2008. For more than 25 years, Julie has been actively engaged in food and nutrition service operations serving a wide range of public and private organizations. She has significant experience and expertise with healthcare institutions as the former Food Service Director at Saint John’s Hospital & Medical Center and the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital System. She is a registered dietitian and received her Bachelor of Science degree from UC Berkeley in Nutrition and Dietetics. She aims to use her food service management experience and nutrition background to encourage students to choose a healthy diet and an earth-friendly lifestyle.

Jason Horowitz is the Regional Food Service Manager for Region North.  With a degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, Jason brings a passion for business to the Food Services Division.  Prior to joining LAUSD, he was a General Manager for Ruby’s Diner. He joined the district in 2008 as an Area Food Services Supervisor where he applied his experience to the cafeteria operations to enhance food distribution efficiency and improve customer service.  Jason works with the Northwest team to ensure ‘Nourishing Students to Achieve Excellence’ isn’t just a motto, but a reality.

Javier Gutierrez has over 30 years of experience in the professional restaurant and school meal program management. He is responsible for the proper planning and processing of high food production of pre-plated meals. Javier collaborates with the Food Services Leadership Team on menu development following federal, state, and District rules, regulations, and policies. He has served the students, schools, and communities of LAUSD as a Café LA Manager, Area Food Services Supervisor, and Food Production Manager at Newman Nutrition Center. His track record has proven excellent leadership skills and positive financial results. During his career in School Food Services for the last 19 years, he has developed the drive to serve healthy meals. He has demonstrated the ability to collectively work with all stakeholders, including administrators, Parents, Students, and the community. At times he is our spokesperson for our Spanish-speaking community at media events. He has a background in culinary arts studies providing innovation to the LAUSD school menu and special banquet events. He recently completed His Bachelor Degree in Applied Management from Grand Canyon University.

Angela Nicholas is a Regional Manager for the East with 32 years of invaluable experience. She holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor's Degree in Public Sector Management, equipping her with the skills and knowledge to effectively serve her community.

Jamie Ginsburg is a classically trained chef and pastry chef with degrees from several institutions of higher learning and an extensive background in food service, including fine dining, bakery operations and management, wholesale production, and food product development. Jamie is a Certified Research Chef specializing in Culinary Innovation who is motivated to bring meals that are both nutritious and delicious to the students and staff at LAUSD.

Kayley Drain is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s in Public Health and Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition.  She started with LAUSD as a Nutrition Specialist, but also has previous experience as a clinical dietitian.  Her passion and enthusiasm for nutrition flows through the menus she creates. She is dedicated to collaborating with food partners and farmers in order to provide students with the most nutritious, fresh, and locally sourced foods and ingredients. Additionally, with over 15 years of experience as a mentor in youth sports and enrichment programs, she enjoys and values collaborating with students to ensure menus are tasty, innovative, and enjoyable! She enjoys working alongside such a dedicated team of Nutrition Specialists, to help “nourish students to achieve excellence”. 

Ivy Marx is the Senior Nutrition Specialist for Food Services.  Mrs. Marx is a Registered Dietitian and has devoted her career spanning over 25 years to nutrition.  Her varied experience brings many skill sets that allow her to provide optimal and exceptional service to our customers – the students.  Mrs. Marx’s clinical management background from over ten years of experience in healthcare services has instilled in her the importance of nutrition for the growth, development, and health of children.  She also has excellent knowledge in the nutritive components necessary to help children excel academically and physically.  It is her mission to communicate the benefits of eating at school to parents and students and she has done so in Spanish, English, and Chinese on many occasions at schools district-wide.   Mrs. Marx also has over fifteen years of experience in LAUSD school food services.  One of her priorities is working with students in all districts to obtain feedback that is critical for menu planning and development.  Food Services’ goal is to student test all menu items and only include those that are student approved items.  Mrs. Marx believes student input is valuable in the development of menus that students enjoy, that encourage students to dine more often in the cafeteria, which results in more students nourishing their minds and bodies to excel in and outside of school.  Mrs. Marx welcomes your feedback and is happy to hear from you.  Please contact her if you have any comments or questions.

Dawn Soto is a Senior Training Specialist who has 30+ years of management experience in the Food Service Industry and has been with the Food Services Division at LAUSD for 26 years. She is a member of the School Nutrition Association (SNA). She oversees the development and implementation of training in areas such as State and Federal Regulation Requirements, District Policies, Safety and Sanitation, Standard Operating Procedures, New Employee Training (NET), Managers Certification Course (MCC), ServeSafe, Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), Afterschool Supper Programs, Summer Food Services Programs, and the Professional Standards class requirements for all Food Service Division employees. This large task is accomplished with the assistance of a team of talented Training Specialists.
She proud to be a part of the Food Service family and is dedicated to empowering employees to “see and reach” their full professional potential.