Her Story
About Nancy
Nancy Tonche-Del Rio is an experienced Operations Manager in the K-12 student nutrition and food service industry, currently serving with Aramark Student Nutrition in Pflugerville, Texas. With approximately a decade of experience in food service, Nancy has progressed from working as a kitchen line employee to managing operations across multiple school sites. Her hands-on background gives her a practical understanding of kitchen operations and allows her to effectively support managers and frontline teams. In her current role, Nancy supports student nutrition operations across all 33 Pflugerville ISD Campuses while directly supervising 14 assigned locations, with responsibilities spanning food cost control, ordering, inventory, smallwares procurement, Breakfast in the Classroom, and after-school snack and supper programs. She conducts quality assessments and audits while ensuring compliance with USDA and Texas Department of Agriculture requirements. Nancy is also proactive in preparing teams for regulatory changes and maintaining audit readiness, while stepping in to support staffing and daily operations whenever needed. Nancy is passionate about ensuring students have consistent access to safe, nutritious, and high-quality meals, recognizing that school meals may be essential to some students’ daily nutrition. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she has taken initiative to translate regulatory information and training materials into Spanish to better support Spanish-speaking employees. Currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree, Nancy continues to develop her leadership and operational expertise with the long-term goal of advancing into director and district manager positions within student nutrition.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nancy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my hands-on experience and willingness to grow. I started as a line employee about 10 years ago and worked my way up, gaining firsthand experience in the kitchen and food service. That foundation has given me a strong understanding of the challenges teams face and allows me to support others in practical and meaningful ways.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to be selfish about my growth. That doesn't mean disregarding others; it means recognizing that no one will advocate for my future more than I will. I've learned to pursue opportunities, invest in myself, speak confidently about my accomplishments, and never feel guilty for wanting more from my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to never underestimate themselves or be afraid to take up space. Be willing to learn every part of the operation, ask questions, and accept opportunities that challenge you- even when you don't feel completely ready. Lead with compassion, but remain confident and firm. Your voice, perspective, and hard work are valuable, so advocate for yourself and never allow anyone else to determine how far you can go.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in school nutrition is balancing rising food and labor costs, staffing shortages, and constantly evolving regulations while still providing students with nutritious meals they genuinely enjoy. However, these challenges also create opportunities to innovate, strengthen our teams, and improve the way we serve our communities. Every meal is an opportunity to support a student’s health, education, and overall well-being—and that is what makes this work so meaningful.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, compassion, accountability, and respect are the values that guide me in both my professional and personal life. I believe in doing the right thing even when no one is watching, treating people with kindness, and taking responsibility for my decisions. I also value hard work, continuous growth, and service to others. Whether I am supporting my family, leading my team, or serving students, I want people to know they can trust me, depend on me, and feel valued by me.
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