Sara Bennett is the State Director of the Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs at the Virginia Department of Education, where she leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of child nutrition programs across the Commonwealth. She re-joined the Department in June after nearly three years with the USDA National Office and three years with Alexandria City Public Schools. Sara is deeply committed to strengthening relationships and fostering meaningful collaborations—not only within her team at VDOE and school divisions, but also across agencies, community organizations, and local food businesses that are vital to shared success. With her broad perspective from the local, state, and federal levels, Sara brings a passion for building connections that inspire innovation and sustain impact. She looks forward to working together to ensure every child has access to wholesome meals that fuel learning, health, and lifelong success.