Below were the remarks delivered by Mexico Board of Education President James Emery as he honored Mrs. Donna Miller as the district’s Proud to be MACS honoree for May 2026 at the June Board of Education Workshop meeting.

During our interview, tonight’s Proud to be MACS recipient, Donna Miller, Food Service Cook at Palermo Elementary School, admitted to me that she loves children. I think that the following remarks will support her admission and is evidenced every day by hundreds of students when they pass through the serving line at Palermo Elementary.

Donna grew up in Camden but graduated from the Fulton City School District. She, however, did attend MACS for one year. But, what an eventful year it was as she would meet her husband, Kevin on a school bus. I guess you never know what might happen on a school bus ride!

This brings us to the first example of Donna’s love of children mentioned above as Donna would be a stay-at-home mom to three, Kevin, Kari, and Kyle.

The second example of her love for children was Donna’s working in a New York State certified day care home for six years.

The third example was going to work for MACS where she would interact with hundreds of children on a daily basis.

Donna would start her career at MACS in 2000. She was hired by former Food Service Manager, Morgan Wisner. Donna started at the high school cafeteria. Working for food service fit her family schedule perfectly.

I might add that when Donna started, food was actually prepared by the school cooks as opposed to the menus of today that primarily consist of warming up already prepared items. Reflecting on my time as a student at MACS many, many years ago, I fondly recall my great joy when spaghetti, apple crisp, or cherry cobbler were served.

Next, Donna would go to CiTi’s food service program, which was also under the supervision of Morgan Wisner.

After working at CiTi for a couple of years, Donna returned to MACS at Mexico Elementary where she worked with Dar Williamson for three or four years.

Around 2009, Donna moved to Palermo Elementary as Cook and has been there ever since. Donna serves breakfast by herself but works with support staff, Rebecca Urquhart and Robin Lower where they serve some 150 students daily.

The final example of Donna’s love of children that I will mention is the fact that Donna ran Palermo’s Summer Recreation Program at the Palermo Town Park for some ten years until 2021. In that program, she oversaw arts and crafts, games and field trips. The field trips included a wide variety of activities like bowling, movies, Thunder Island Amusement Park, and attending baseball games of the Syracuse minor league team.

So, how has this love of children manifested itself in her job at Palermo Elementary?

According to nominator and former Proud to be MACS recipient, Scott Mehlin, “Donna is an amazing asset to the Palermo school. She comes in everyday with a smile on and diligently and safely prepares the food for our kids. She is extremely dedicated to her job and to the kids. She rarely takes time off. She is one of the unsung heroes of our district and deserves to be recognized for her contributions to our community.”

Referring to last winter’s brutal winter, Scott further writes, “She is always ready to adapt and change to the uncertain schedule that winter can bring with snow days.”

Former colleague, Danielle Mehlin writes, “… I had the pleasure of working with Donna Miller during the 2023-2024 school year. I started my job as a lunch monitor in the month of October, and, right from the start, I could tell Donna and I would make a great team. She was always kind, helpful, and ready to answer any questions I had. We worked well together in the cafeteria. I remember watching Donna in the kitchen - she moved around with such ease and was always on top of everything, making sure the kids had what they needed. Even when things got hectic, like when we were running low on food or the lunchroom got extra busy, Donna never seemed stressed. She’d often jump in to help in the cafeteria, even though she had her own work to do in the kitchen. Donna is one of those people who often works behind the scenes, but her hard work makes a big difference. She has such a positive attitude, rarely takes a day off, and always shows up ready to give it her all. I’m so glad Donna is being recognized tonight - she truly deserves it!”

Food Service Director, Kristen Fodora adds, “Donna is such a light to the children as they enter the cafeteria for lunch. She takes the time to welcome each and every one of them with a smiling face every day. And a hug on the days they may need it. She is dedicated to her job and takes care of her “kids” as she would her own. Donna is an asset to our Food Service Program and the children of Palermo.”

Finally, Donna’s Building Principal, Bob Briggs writes, “Donna is one of the unsung heroes of Palermo Elementary School and at MACS. Her dedication and work in the Palermo kitchen make a world of difference for our students everyday. Her unwavering commitment to the well-being of all of our students is commendable. Donna always rises to the occasion, whether it be a modified building schedule or an unplanned early dismissal. When we are short-staffed, she has a plan and our operations carry on as normal. She truly knows all our students, their likes, dislikes, food allergies and special needs. She goes out of her way to find time to connect with students as they make their way through the lunch line, or in the cafeteria.”

Bob further writes, “By taking care of our students’ fundamental needs, she creates a foundation for their overall well-being. Her efforts ensure that our students are not only well-fed but also ready to focus, learn, and thrive throughout the school day.”

Bob concludes with, “Donna, congratulations on this well-deserved honor. On behalf of the students, families and staff at Palermo Elementary School, thank you for taking care of our building.”

When I asked Donna what her favorite part of the job was, she stated that she enjoys the students and their individual personalities. Of course, she adds, it doesn’t hurt that lunch ladies seem to be universally adored. As an added bonus, Donna’s grandchildren attend Palermo, so she gets to see them every day.

Her favorite memory is the lifelong friends that she has made with the staff and the students.

Concluding with nominator Scott Mehlin, he writes, “I’m so glad that Donna is being recognized. Just like in a home, the kitchen is the heart of Palermo because of her. She puts care into everything she does. Whether it be the food, conversation, or the kids. The kitchen is where I often go to take a breath or to unwind a moment with some music on her radio. I am so thankful to have her as a teammate and friend.”

And so Donna for relishing the role of stay-at-home mom, for returning to the workforce to serve our students breakfast and lunch, for providing the youth of Palermo exciting opportunities at the Summer Palermo Recreation Program, for making lifelong friends with the staff and students, for being an amazing asset to the Palermo School, for never getting stressed, for having a positive attitude, for being a light to our children, for taking care of our students’ fundamental needs but, most importantly, for loving children and exhibiting this love by making sure our students are well taken care of and well fed, it is with tremendous gratitude, that we, the Board, recognize you as our Proud to be MACS recipient for May, 2025.