Orange County Public Schools

Operations Employee of the Year Goes the Distance

With more than 140 employees to manage and 40 years of leadership experience, Kenneth Felder, is not your typical manager. He is the recipient of the 2022 Gold P.R.I.D.E. Award of Excellence and has been named Operations Employee of the Year.
His employees are spread across 21 cafeterias he oversees on a daily basis and include managers, classified employees and a multi-unit manager. He is responsible for ensuring the cafeteria kitchens are operating successfully and maintaining required quality and sanitation standards.
“My team managers, leads and employees are happy, motivated and excited to learn,” Felder said.
He encourages this excitement with a leadership style rooted in the belief that great leaders inspire greatness in others. He is focused on helping his team members grow with the use of professional development and staff collaboration.
Felder's “greatest talent is getting to know his team,” said Mark Watson, Senior Director of Food and Nutrition Services. Felder’s ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of employees allows him to provide support and training tailored to their needs, said Watson, who also admires Felder’s ability to evaluate situations and move to a swift resolution, he said.

Operations Employee of the Year Kenneth Felder, right, with Chief Operations Officer Roberto Pacheco

During the 2021-22 fiscal year he created three committees to foster the development of successful managers, leads and employees in his area. The committees were tasked with developing nine training topics that now create the foundation of training for each group. Felder has already seen the success of these committees – there have been no violations or findings by the Health Department in any of the cafeterias he oversees.