The United Independent School District is proud to announce the promotion of Jesus Enrique Lira, Jr. to Director of Child Nutrition.

He began working with United ISD in 2012 as a dietitian and has also worked as a food production specialist and most recently as the operations manager.

“In my new role, I am responsible for ensuring that our students receive high-quality, nutritious meals while maintaining a self-sustaining, financially viable program,” Lira said. “My goals for this new position are to utilize our new food production center to its full capacity, provide more made-from-scratch food to our students, increase student engagement for likes and dislikes of menu items, and increase student satisfaction with the food we serve.”

Lira, who said he was proud of starting the annual food show in 2013-2014, earned his Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Texas State University. He continued his education by completing a dietetic internship through the Texas Department of Health Services, where he was one of 12 individuals selected from across the state to become a registered dietitian.

He said he wants the community to know that the meals follow strict federal meal patterns.

“These meal patterns consist of minimum and maximum amounts of food we must provide daily and weekly. There are also limits to certain nutrients, like sodium, that we must stay within. As a result, we rely on student feedback from our annual food show to ensure we are offering food they approve,” Lira said.

In his spare time, Lira enjoys camping with his family, cooking and keeping up with all major sports. His family has had a big impact in his life.

“The individuals who have had the most impact on my life are my parents. Both of my parents sacrificed everything for my siblings and me, and I strive to continue their legacy,” Lira said.