The
Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging is pleased to welcome Laura Valcour as
Director of Nutrition and Wellness. The new position, reporting to the Executive Director, manages all Council nutrition
and wellness programs for Essex, Caledonia, and Orleans counties.
“We are thrilled to bring Laura to our team to share her extensive experience
in nutrition and wellness with our communities,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive
Director of the NEK Council on Aging. “We are combining the management
and supervision of our nutrition and wellness programs since they are so vital
to each other. A key role in helping our
elder Vermonters to live a healthy and independent lifestyle includes healthy
eating and increased mobility. Laura’s
experience in the fields of nutrition, health, and wellness will be a key asset
to our partnerships with clients, meal sites, area non-profit and community
organizations, governmental agencies, and business leaders.”
Laura brings over 20 years of experience as a chef, culinary nutrition
educator, farmer’s market manager, and culinary program director. She holds a
B.S. in Nutrition from Benedictine University and is a graduate of the Cooking/Hospitality
Institute of Chicago (Le Cordon Bleu). She
is currently pursuing CHES certification (Certified Health Education
Specialist.)
She was the long-term Owner/Culinary Nutrition Chef-Instructor at Chefs For A
Day, Inc. in Willowbrook, IL, where she developed, planned, and coordinated
interactive cooking programs for children.
Laura also developed cooking programs, aligned with school curriculums, following
NSLP and CLOCC guidelines for Pre-K – 12 grades. She was awarded “Those Who Excel Award of
Excellence” from the Illinois State Board of Education for contribution in
promoting nutrition education for grades K – 8.
She has served as a media spokesperson on TV and as a public speaker in the
Chicago area with appearances in
American
Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children
and
Chicago Parent Magazine
. In
addition, she served as a Demonstration Chef for corporate wellness programs
with Midwestern University, Western Suburban Dietitians’ Association, several
area hospitals, and the Right Fit Sport Wellness/Argonne National Laboratory.
In addition, Laura developed recipes and filmed a 16-part video series in
collaboration with the Edward-Elmhurst Hospital “Healthy Kitchen” library and
created several holistic wellness events, such as “Yogi & The Chef,”
“Inflammation Fighters with a Doctor of Physical Therapy,” and “Diet Myths and
Truths with a Registered Dietitian.”
Previous to her role at Chefs For A Day, Valcour was the Food and Beverage
Director/Culinary Nutrition Educator for the Midtown Athletic Club in
Willowbrook, IL and the Burr Ridge (Illinois) Park District Culinary Nutrition
Chef-Instructor/Farmer Market Manager.
There she coordinated many community-based nutrition programs for all
ages through collaborations with area retailers, farmer’s markets, parks and recreation
departments, county public health departments, and area restaurants.
The essential responsibilities of the Director of Nutrition and Wellness are to
ensure full compliance with state and federal regulations in relation to
contracts with 18 meal provider sites throughout the NEK; develop contracts and
monitor agreements between the Council and the meal sites; supervise the
contracted Registered Dietitians with client work and meal site meal
preparation; data management and reporting; support the volunteer coordination
for Wellness activities; and represent the Council statewide to ensure
collaborations with key partners.
“During my career path, my mission and joy has
been in serving the needs of others.
Whether it was in writing grants to expand our farmer’s market, creating
online videos for a Healthy Kitchen Library, or in creating and serving meals
for our active adult luncheons, I have been given a blessing to share my
knowledge and skills," said Laura.
She recently moved from Illinois to Morrisville, Vermont to be closer to her
family who originally settled in Hardwick and Craftsbury.
