“I had the pleasure of meeting Claudie in the early years of her career as Assistant Food Service Director of the third largest School District in the USA, Chicago. She was extremely active in the school foodservice professional organization, ASFSA/SNA on the Legislative Committee and in 1993-94 she was elected President of the Illinois School Food Service Association/ now School Nutrition Association. I was so impressed with her leadership skills that I nominated her for the Leadership America Organization where she served for many years. She later became Founder and CEO of The ICONS Foundation. I was honored when asked to speak at one of her Conferences on “The Shocking Truths About Childhood Obesity”. Claudie’s leadership skills and vast knowledge of the School Food Service Industry goes unquestioned.
I would strongly recommend her as one of the top and sought-after experts in the School Food Service industry.”
The Honorable Shirley Watkins Bowden
Former USDA Under Secretary Food Nutrition and Consumer Services
“At 8 years old, I was presented the opportunity to undergo mentorship and write a book for The ICONS Foundation. The opportunity to experience empowerment as an African-American female at an early age was one that I could not decline. The ICONS Foundation promoted and uplifted education, living an active lifestyle, and the power of making healthy choices. All of these concepts were important to me early on as an aspiring student athlete. From the moment I was given the freedom to write the book until my last stop on my book tour, I was included in every step of the process and granted control to voice my opinions. Success for me was seeing the framework of my writing, finalized with illustrations, come together. I did not realize the extent of success in the eyes of others until another girl my age expressed wanting to do the same things one day. It was at that moment I learned that representation matters. In my career now as a sport administrator at the secondary level, I am still able to promote the very same values that The ICONS Foundations emphasized. I would encourage other students to experience life outside of their comfort zone. No matter what phase of life you are in, the fruits of labor from discomfort are worth it long term. While working with The ICONS Foundation, you can expect to come in with a vision and exit with a heightened sense of purpose."
Christyal Holloway
Executive Assistant—Arkansas Activities Association
“I first heard of CP Professional Services when our district was looking for some guidance and leadership assistance. The Department of Food and Nutrition Services was in between directors and honestly hadn’t had good leadership for years. Claudie Phillips from CP Professional Foodservices Consulting Company was hired to consult and eventually she stayed on as director.
Claudie knew immediately from her vast experience and knowledge of the food service industry, what areas needed to be improved and restructured. She knew, instinctively which people had good leadership skills and she actively looked for people with talents she could help develop. She put small teams together to tackle marketing, branding, menu development, efficiencies, improving employee morale and more. She led several educational in-services on leadership, character and team building. She challenged us to be leaders, coached us and sang our praises.
Ultimately, Claudie was not there just to run things. Her goal was to create a team of knowledgeable, confident, skilled leaders who could take the reins at any given moment. I believe her greatest pride and motivation is in knowing that she helped individuals and departments like ours, achieve their highest potential.
In the end, our department of over 200 hundred employees and 56 schools was transformed. We were operating as one team, on the leading edge, with one goal, a quality product, excellent customer service and mutual respect for each other.
On a personal level, I am a proud recipient of an ICONS Award due to my growth under Claudie’s leadership. She saw talents, skills and leadership qualities in me that I didn’t even know I had. She inspired me, challenged me, coached me and gave me confidence to reach my highest potential. I am forever grateful for my time with her.
Your company and your employees will benefit immensely with the assistance of Claudie Phillips and CP Consultant Services."
Audrey Etheridge
Food Service Manager—SD U46
“As a teen I was asked to participate in the Nurture Bear book series. I had a love for creative writing and thought that this would be an excellent way to blend writing with health and wellness. While in college, I was able to participate again but this time with short blogs re: different tenets of wellness. I wanted to participate because this was a way to put into practice ideas and principles that I was learning in my college programs while I pursued my degree in Health & Human Physiology.
I greatly valued that many of the programs I participated in were geared towards peer involvement. Books for kids written by kids created a sort of peer mentorship effect. It also inspired other kids to know that they too could create something for print. I also valued how the program was a collaborative effort that sought to preserve the creativity of the author while also upholding the standards of the mission and vision of the Foundation. Lastly, the program emphasized facts and evidence based information.
Program coordinator kept in close communication, set deadlines when necessary, gave constructive feedback, and asked questions to ensure we were both on the same page. Resources were also made available if needed.
My work with the program was an enlightening experience. Having the opportunity to work with it during different stages of my life allowed my involvement to evolve as my own education, life experiences, and professional goals developed. It’s fun to see how as a teen I was able to write a book on nutrition and then as an adult have progressed to writing research articles for medical journals. The Foundation and its programs in part set the foundation for certain aspects of my career that no one could have predicted at the time.
It prepared me to expand on health constructs in writing and how to take health information and make it accessible to a community audience. This is a vital part of what I do today in my job as an Occupational Therapist. My work with the Foundation also lent itself to supporting my experiential learning when applying to undergraduate and graduate universities.
Advice: Think outside the box, be creative with your work but also prioritize the facts surrounding your topic, be considerate of your audience. Expectations: Expect an experience that will stick with you and potentially positively impact your future endeavors in college and career."
Sarah Brzeskiewicz, MS,OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX
"This program has had such a positive impact on my entire family. The program director, Claudie, made healthy foods and nutrition such an enjoyable topic to engage in, and that itself is hard to do. Especially with a younger demographic like students. It did not take long to notice how encouraging and motivating the program was, highlighting what the main goals and expectations were for nutrition awareness.
As a former food service lead myself, I had the privilege of working very closely with Claudie and her projects. Her motivation and great leadership is what encouraged us to participate, she was inspiring. She was always filled with such bright ideas for getting students and staff involved, and she was always welcoming to everyone’s input. Her genuine care, support, and tenacity promoted the success of this program.
Thanks to this program, my husband and I were very involved in our children’s experience with Nutrition Awareness/Education. Every year, Claudie motivated us to develop creative ways to raise awareness for healthy eating and lifestyles. My husband painted murals at the schools that displayed healthy activities and foods. He also designed Captain Nutrition, who served as the fictitious superhero that promoted healthy eating habits to students. Our involvement as parents helped engage our children even more in terms of helping with ideas and assisting with the artwork.
My advice to other parents would be to get as involved as you can with this program. You will not be disappointed. The lessons and education that this has provided for my family has been so valuable. The sense of community and passion that Claudie presents through her work made the experience of working with her unforgettable."
Donald and Dorinda Jeremiah
Parents, SD U-46
“I met Claudie Phillips, while working for Paul Fregia @ Grandma Mauds as a contract Chef and Sales Representative.
Mrs. Phillips asked me if I was interested in teaching cooking classes for middle school children at the Komed Center on 43rd and Berkley. With no previous formal teaching experience, I was excited to have the opportunity to share my gift with the youth.
The program, Share our Strength, was sponsored by Tyson foods. I loved that the program targeted at risk youth focusing on nutrition and changing their eating and snacking habits in a hands-on format. The 6 week course had modules including: The Food Pyramid, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Protein & Calcium, as well as Healthy Snacks & Breakfast.
Ms. Phillips was a powerful mentor, who encouraged me to make a true connection to the young people, which was paramount in my ability to get them excited about trying new foods and learning about changing their diets.
The program was ahead of its time. The content is even more relevant and necessary today than it was 20 years ago. In retrospect, the program’s success proved how home economics and nutrition, can be instrumental in breaking generational cycles of poor health in communities that have been social engineered.
The SOS experience with CP Foodservices set the stage for my unexpected pivot into culinary education during the past 18 years for the Chicago Public Schools. In addition, through the mentorship and networking from working with Mrs. Phillips gave me exposure to a diverse mix of food entrepreneurs who inspired me to cultivate the Eating To Live brand.
The ability to foresee, visualize, and create an idea in their minds, is the most powerful resource they have. They have the ability to write their history in advance with a dream, and walk into a living testimony by works, actions and deeds. Struggle, disappointment, pain and failure are all stepping stones to doing what they were created to do."
Chef David Fuller
President—Eating To Live, LLC
“I heard about Youth Advisory Councils during a district presentation in which they described the influence they have in deciding food menu items for students. I decided to participate in my Youth Advisory Council because I found it important to have student representation in a program that makes decisions for the benefit of the student body. I was someone who relied on my school for breakfast and lunch so I thought it was essential to have menu items that were nutritional, enjoyed by students, and provided the nourishment that students needed. The program coordinator was always encouraging and sought the involvement of students in every capacity. I always had opportunities extended to me as a YAC member. The experience was worthwhile. It was a pleasure to get to know the kitchen staff at my school and to serve with other student leaders. As I currently pursue a career in advocacy work and government, the act of representing constituents and being a voice for others is a skill I developed on the Youth Advisory Council. Serving on the council also taught me the importance of providing feedback and fostering an environment for discussion between administrators and the students they serve. My advice to students is to use the Youth Advisory Council as a chance to broaden your horizons and build key leadership skills. You will be hearing from vendors, listening to their pitches, making evaluations, and using your judgment to make decisions about what menu items would best be enjoyed by the student body. I felt inspired when the Food & Nutrition Services department drove an initiative to look at the overall health and wellness of the students beyond nourishment. Under the leadership of Claudie Phillips who was the Director at the time, I saw an increased engagement with students which reflected a positive change in not only my school, but schools across District U-46."
Eric Loera
Student—University of Illinois
"Claudie Phillips has been a business associate of mine for over 30 years. She is the quintessential school nutrition processional. From idea conception through process development to program execution, her efforts have been exemplary.
Her ability to build and motivate teams has been impressive. She brings both cordiality and competence to whatever she undertakes. Her breadth of personal interface is both effective and admirable. I have watched her interface successfully with a whole spectrum of people from school district executives and leaders of organizations to the smallest of kindergartners. In all cases they were all better for the exchange.
Please be assured that any confidence extended to Ms. Claudie Phillips will be well placed."
Rufus Butch Stephens
Co-owner, The Collective Training Group
Motivational Speaker, Publisher Author
“I became aware of The ICONS Foundations via a Healthy Food drawing contest at Kozminski Elementary School in 4th grade.
I participated in this program to get the opportunity to enhance my creativity and writing skills in new venues.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience of writing the book and having someone create visuals to make my writing come to life. I also enjoyed the cooking class (especially learning to make healthy jambalaya) and getting the opportunity to introduce Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow PUSH.
Currently, I am enrolled in a doctoral program at Indiana University. I am hoping to get a tenure-track job in academia teaching Gender Studies. My early experiences with creative writing helped spark my interest in essay writing which led me to graduate school.
In the end, I encourage students to try something new even if it does not seem like it is in their wheelhouse. I was not the best drawer then and I am not the best drawer now but attempting to draw led to opportunities that opened doors for me and helped me find my early passions and talents. Once one finishes the drawing contest, students should start thinking of story ideas and should be open to the reality of constructive criticism on their writing. It is not that people are trying to tell you that your writing sucks—they are just there to help you realize the potential in what is already written.”
Teresa Hoard-Jackson
Doctoral Student, Indiana University