
Schneider brings with her nearly ten years of sustainable food, agriculture, and restaurant kitchen experience. She has worked with both academic and private sector entities in the U.S. and abroad in Honduras and Nepal. Schneider holds a B.S. in Crop and Soil Environmental Science from Virginia Tech and an M.S. in International Agricultural Development from the University of California, Davis.
Prior to joining Millstone Kitchen, Schneider was a Sous Chef at Preserve in Winters, California and helped to manage food preparation and kitchen staff in a high-volume farm-to-table restaurant. Since returning to the New River Valley, Schneider is also working as a cook for Feast and Company at Eastern Divide brewery.
Schneider succeeds Jessica Schultz, who returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. “We’re very excited to have Laina on board. Her depth of experience, knowledge and management capabilities will complement our growth at Millstone Kitchen” according to Kevin Byrd, Board Chair, Live, Work, Eat, Gather Inc.