Behind-the-Scenes at Soup with the Supe

Here are some fun facts about Manatee superintendent of schools Rick Mills that you will not see in my article. O, and we've got pictures of him sporting an apron... 

Mills launched his first Soup with the Supe in Manatee County Wednesday at the Ranch Grill in Lakewood Ranch. it is a time for the superintendent to serve his constituents lunch and talk about the issues schools face at a personal level. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the luncheon. 

Superintendent Rick Mills serves soup, salad and rolls to community members with school board chairwoman Julie Aranibar.

Fun Fact: Mills was not only a teacher at West Point Military Academy, but he was also a football coach! He coached the 158 league, requiring all players to weigh-in at 158. The team played ivy leagues such as Rutgers, Princeton and Cornell. 

Mills served cups of soup. Note the apron!

Fun Fact: Mills has had exciting careers beyond the Chicago and Minneapolis public schools. he used to live in Jerusalem and was employed by the UN! He was assigned to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.

Mills smiles as we poses with the pot of soup. He said  he loves the apron, and I agree. 

Fun Fact: Ever the data-driven guy, one of Mills' favorite movies is Moneyball. he used it as an illustration for better budget planning at the luncheon. 

Mills describes  his leadership style at Soup with the Supe

Fun Fact: An interesting leadership principle at Mills talked about at the luncheon is Maxwell's "Law of the Lid," which states that while everyone has the potential to be a leader, an organization can only be as strong as the people at the top.

"If the leaders are only a 5 or a 6, the organization will never be a 10," Mills said. 

one of his favorite ways of demonstrating Law of the Lid? Through telling the story about the founding of McDonald's! 

Lunch is served! 

The event was a great success. In fact, it was "sold-out." Reservations for the luncheon went so fast that Mills is planning on additional Soup with the Supe events. 

Community members and media starting to gather for the luncheon

And the weather, gloomy and rainy, was perfect for soup. Mills must have magically planned that...