Joshua Mathiasmeier, RD, is a āyes man.ā If someone asks him to help out, particularly if itās a person or organization that has helped him out in the past, heās going to agree. This practice has left him a bit overwhelmed at times, but Mathiasmeier canāt imagine life any other way. A relative newbie in the K-12 school nutrition segment, he graduated with three bachelorās degrees from Kansas State University in 2012 and began his K-12 journey with the Kansas State Department of Educationās Child Nutrition and Wellness team for two years, before turning to operations with Kansas City (Kan.) Public Schools. In a few short years, Mathiasmeier has already hurtled to the top leadership position at SNA of Kansas (SNA-KS). Although he hasnāt jumped into a national-level role (yet), Mathiasmeier is clearly on the grow in this profession.
Saying Yes
A lot of people get āvolun-toldā into various positions and responsibilities, but one of my mentors is a āyes man,ā and thatās kind of how I am, too. I truly enjoy helping; thatās the type of people we dietitians are. Being helpful whenever I can also helpsĀ meĀ to grow, learn and be the best person I can be.
I joined SNA before starting with Kansas City Public Schools, but it was as a new director, when I was connecting with colleagues, that someone thought Iād be a good fit for a SNA-KS leadership position. I reached out and ended up running for the District Director/Supervisor position on the SNA-KS board of directors. A year or two later, I was asked if I would run for vice president, and that put me on the track to be president. I said āyes,ā because my job is the absolute most important thing to meāother than my familyāand through these leadership opportunities, I can better both my personal self and become a better leader and manager for my district team.
I have enjoyed getting to know a lot of the people at SNA in a fairly short time. Last April, I had the unique opportunity to testify about school nutrition issues on Capitol Hill in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas. I went to Washington, D.C. and prepared for the hearing by spending time with the SNA Headquarters staff. The support that they provide to the states and to directors is the biggest strength of the organization!
Leadership Meansā¦
When hiring in our department, we ask candidates, āWhatās the difference between a leader and a manager?ā To me, leadership is about other people. The primary role of a leader is to be there for people, bringing out the best in them and setting an example. Itās the complete opposite of being a āmanagerā of peopleāespecially aĀ micromanager.
Iām working on training managers to become leaders. Since I canāt personally engage with 258 employees every single day, we focus on training the trainer. This helps to ensure that the people who are working with our teams every single day are well-equipped, especially in the areas of recruitment and retention.
If youāre thinking about volunteering in a leadership position, just do it. In any type of volunteer work, there are always going to be sacrifices, frustrations and struggles. However, the relationships and the fun that come from the experiences are totally worth the challenges.
āBeing helpful whenever I can also helps me to grow, learn and be the best person I can be.ā
Following in Footsteps
My relationship with my mentor, Dr. Kevin Sauer, a professor at Kansas State University, has grown from student-professor to that ofĀ colleagues.Ā Heās a āyes man,ā as well, and has the craziest schedule Iāve ever seen! I asked him how he does it and he said, āI have a forgiving wife and great people around me.ā Iāve taken that mentality to heart, and anytime Iām around him, I try to listen and soak in what he says as much as possible.
I donāt think Iād be in the position I am if it werenāt for Kevin. Heās challenged me and set fantastic examples of leadership, friendship and mentorship. And as he has modeled those skills for me, they are ones that I try to portray to all those who I support. If Iām having a really tough time with something, Iāll shoot Kevin a note and know that heāll drop everything to help me. I try to be that type of person, too.
Additionally, my dad is one of the hardest-working people Iāve met. Everything heās ever done has been to better his family first, andĀ then himself and his career second. Thatās the type of person I want to be. As a parent, Iām trying to do everything in my power to raise the two best-possible human beings that I can, hopefully ones who will make the world a better place. That carries into my mentorship, tooāI want to try to make others be their best selves, which may mean that they leave my program and move onto bigger and better things. Iām 100% in support of that.
Setting Goals
You need a vision. Right now, Iām working on my 2020 vision to see what the next decade will bring to our operation and how we will accomplish it. I have goals around meal participation and employee retention and recruitment. Getting fully staffed would be the best thing in the entire worldāitās something I havenāt been able to accomplish in my time here. The labor pool is just so tough right now. In the hospitality profession, youāre going to have a certain level of turnover. If I can get at or below the norms, though, Iāll be very happy.
As I continue my career, Iām always going to be looking for more opportunities to get involved. My goals will always circle around doing the best job that I can while creating and mentoring the best people possible.
As told to Kelsey Casselbury, SNA’s Content Director
30-Second Bio
- Hometown. Shawnee, Kansas
- Education. Bachelor of Arts (3) in Nutrition, Dietetics and Kinesiology, Kansas State University
- Years in School Nutrition. 7
- Title. Director of Nutritional Services, Kansas City (Kan.) Public Schools
- Program at a Glance. Urban district with 47 schools, 23,000 students, 258 employees and an $18 million budget
- SNA Leadership Highlights. President, SNA of Kansas, 2019-20
- Family.
- FiancƩe Leslie and twin boys, Jackson and Harrison (4)