Marblehead school food director resigns

MARBLEHEAD – For the second time in 12 months the School Department needs a new food services director.Tara Hatala resigned her $63,000 post Jan. 21, a little less than five months after she started, for "personal reasons," according to School Business Manager Jonathan Goldfield, her immediate supervisor.Goldfield, who is currently involved with the Fiscal 2010 budget and the Fiscal 2011 budget proposal, said he has not begun to plan the search for Hatala’s replacement.A licensed nutritionist and former director of nutrition at the Boston Food Bank, Hatala had a Master’s degree in nutrition and also taught in the field. She started her duties Aug. 24.For the time being, Steve Medeiros, who transferred from the Bell School principalship to the central office last summer to work as an administrative assistant for special projects, will oversee the food services program.School Committee members hoped that Hatala could find new sources of revenue for the program, which ran at a $67,000 loss in 2008-2009 and had budget shortfalls in the past seven years.Last summer, committee members voted to transfer an additional $35,000 into the food services account as a cushion against this year’s anticipated deficit.Hatala took the place of Phil Padulsky. Goldfield said the decision to "change focus" came at the urging of the School Committee. Committee members wanted a registered dietician to head the program.