July 26, 2012 – Do you know of a school nutrition leader or innovator who deserves to be nominated for a national Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence (FAME) Award? For 24 years, the FAME Awards have recognized those who raise the school nutrition bar for others to follow. These are individuals who have triumphed over challenges and provide insightful and innovative solutions to the complex issues that are the hallmark of this business. If this describes you, your supervisor or a colleague, take the time to submit your nomination today.
Winning a FAME award is a tremendous honor, but being nominated is, as well. The nominations for this and other school nutrition awards programs often are used as leads and resources by School Nutrition, the flagship publication of SNA, and other foodservice media to showcase the profession’s best practices and creative strategies. Participation in the FAME Awards program gives you the chance to shine the spotlight on your district and help spread the word about the important role that school nutrition professionals play in contributing to the health and welfare of America’s children.
Please note that the criteria for three of the awards have been updated. The new nomination requirements are as follows:
Nominations will be taken online or via a downloadable form at www.fameawards.net until September 26, 2012. Eligible nominees include SNA members in good standing. Make sure FAME doesn’t pass you by! Send your nomination in before this year’s deadline.
FAME Awards
July 25, 2012 – SNA President Helen Phillips, SNS, chose change as the theme of her 2011-12 presidency, and School Nutrition Association members stood up to accept this challenge, as well. To ensure that their schools and districts continued to provide quality meals to children, school nutrition professionals worked to understand the new United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern regulations, published in January 2012, and to prepare for upcoming related changes to their menus. As a profession, the Association continued its efforts to serve up change to successfully meet the needs of its members and of students across the country.
The top accomplishments are showcased in its 2011-12 Annual Report, now available online. Highlights include the Association’s leading role in a new coalition to expand the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, revisions to SNA’s Certification program and the launch of a digital edition of School Nutrition magazine.
To review all of the achievements of the last year, click here, where you can read, download and print this year’s Annual Report.
2011-12 Annual Report
July 24, 2012 – SNA’s 2012 Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver has just recently come to a close and yet it’s already time to start thinking about next year’s conference in Kansas City, Missouri! Mark your calendars now for July 14-17, 2013!
At ANC 2012 in Denver, the ANC education sessions were well attended and well received by the 7,000+ school nutrition professionals, vendors and advocates in attendance. And next year’s conference in the “City of Fountains” will be no different! To ensure another successful education program, the ANC Program Committee is calling on you to share your expertise, innovations and ideas! The ANC 2013 education program and pre-conference seminars will explore key topics in the areas of Operations, Nutrition, Administration and Communications & Marketing. Your presentation proposal can focus on a wide variety of school nutrition achievements, initiatives, trends and issues, such as nutrition education, healthy school environments, marketing and communication, technology, legislation and policy development, leadership, wellness and so much more!
There are many benefits of presenting at ANC, including pre- and post-event promotion to 55,000+ SNA members, access to SNA members and vendors, your contribution to furthering the knowledge of school nutrition professionals and more. To submit your education session proposal for consideration, complete the “Call for Proposals” form, available online at www.schoolnutrition.org/anc2013. Proposals must be received on or before September 30, 2012. If you have questions, please contact SNA at (800) 877-8822 for more information.
ANC 2013 Call for Proposals
ANC 2012 Presentations
July 20, 2012 – The SNA Nominating Committee recently met at the Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver to select a slate of candidates for the 2012 SNA election ballot.
After carefully studying the biographical information, supporting documents and goals for each candidate, the Nominating Committee selected the official slate of candidates (see below) for the ballot. The winners of this year’s election will serve on the 2013-15 SNA Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, with the installation to take place at SNA’s 67th Annual National Conference, July 14-17, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo.
The “polls” will be open for SNA members to cast their ballots between October 15 and November 15, 2012. Voting will be conducted online through SNA’s independent election house, which you can access through the SNA website, www.schoolnutrition.org/snaelection. You can feel confident that the election is a secure process, as it requires all members to enter their membership numbers prior to voting and ensures that each member only votes one time.
If the Association is to continue serving as the voice of child nutrition programs in the United States and around the world, it’s critical that you participate in the selection of your future leaders. Stay tuned to the SNA website for full biographies of all the candidates, as well as more information regarding how you can cast your vote for the future of the Association.
Vice PresidentMarilyn Moody, SNS, Wake County Public Schools, North CarolinaJean Ronnei, SNS, Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota
Education Committee ChairGay Anderson, Brandon Valley School District, South DakotaDiane Santoro, SNS, Orange County Public Schools, Florida
Public Policy & Legislation Committee Chair Linda Irby, SNS, Hampton City Public Schools, VirginiaWendy Weyer, RD, Seattle Public Schools, Washington
Research Committee Chair Jill Kidd, MS, RD, SNS, Pueblo City Schools, ColoradoBeth Mincemoyer Egan, SNS, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania
Industry Representative Gary Vonck, KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Illinois Kevin Woods, SNS, Unified Brands, Ohio
Mideast Regional Director Sara Gasiorowski, SNS, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, Indiana
Midwest Regional Director Paula Kullman, SNS, Fox C-6 School District, MissouriMicheline Piekarski, SNS, Oak Park & River Forest High School-District 200, Illinois
Southeast Regional Director Jonathan Dickl, MBA, SNS, Knox County Schools, TennesseeMelissa Livesay, Warren County School District, Tennessee
West Regional Director Lyman Graham, Roswell Independent School District, New MexicoLynnelle Grumbles, SNS, Visalia Unified School District, California
Northeast Nominating Committee Rep. Paule Ralph, Nashua School District, New HampshireDonna Roy, SNS, Pembroke Academy, New Hampshire
Northwest Nominating Committee Rep. Dean Hamburg, SNS, Kenai Penisula Borough School District, Alaska
Southwest Nominating Committee Rep. Barbara Cole, Arkansas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, ArkansasBeth Wallace, SNS, Cherry Creek Schools, Colorado
If you have any questions about the SNA Board of Directors and Nominating Committee Regional Representatives election slate, please contact SNA.
July 19, 2012 – Ali Vincent, the first female winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” was the highlight of yesterday’s Final General Session at SNA’s 2012 Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver.
Vincent’s positive and inspirational speech detailed her personal philosophy “Believe It, Be It,” and shared experiences from her book, Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life. The importance of these beliefs were crystal clear as she detailed to the audience that by learning the power of goal setting and believing in herself she was able to take the first steps to her amazing transformation.
Vincent said, “There is no start and end to a healthy lifestyle -- it's a choice!”
Vincent’s positive message and attitude was a powerful and inspirational reminder to school nutritional professionals to take positive steps to reach their own goals. And it was also a perfect culmination of the entire conference, with a fresh reminder of this year’s ANC theme, “Explore New Horizons!”
Those in attendance at the Final General Session also saw the installation of 2012-13 SNA President Sandra Ford, SNS, who laid forth the strategic pillars that will guide the Association into the future. To learn more about SNA’s vision, mission and values that will connect all members—at every level—to the goals of our strategic pillars, click here.
SNA President Sandra Ford also introduced SNA’s new personal wellness initiative for members, which was a perfect complement to Vincent’s message. Sponsored by Jennie-O, the STEPS Challenge details its objective in the acronym STEPS:
Ford said, “Many of us struggle with making time to exercise and devoting ourselves to our overall well-being. Dedicating time and effort to our health can be a balancing act, but what better motivation than serving as role models for students?” To sign up for STEPS and gain access to healthy recipes, fitness ideas prize drawings and more, click here.
Attendees also gleaned valuable information from Wednesday’s education sessions, including offerings that covered the new meal pattern requirements, how schools can end childhood hunger, marketing a school nutrition operation’s efforts, and farm to school.
On Wednesday night, the ANC Final Event felt more like a day at the beach, with hundreds of conference attendees decked out in summertime garb to see one of the most iconic bands of all time, The Beach Boys. You could feel the excitement in the air as the band took to the stage and began to play some of their classic hits, including “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Barbara Ann,” “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun” and an encore performance of “Kokomo."
This memorable evening was full of “Good Vibrations,” and the perfect conclusion to ANC 2012—where once again school nutrition professionals came together in fellowship and camaraderie for the good of the profession.
And while ANC may be over for another year, here’s a video that’s sure to get you jazzed about ANC 2013 to be held in Kansas City, Mo. We hope to see you there!
The ANC conversation doesn’t have to end just because the conference is over! You can keep it going on our social media sites—comment on our posts, share your thoughts about the conference and post pictures. Connect with SNA on Facebook, follow @SchoolLunch on Twitter and view candids of your favorite conference moments on Flickr, www.flickr.com/schoolnutrition.
July 17, 2012 – Earlier today at SNA’s 2012 Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal welcomed attendees by video at the Second General Session. O’Neal commended attendees for their hard work and for finding innovative ways to create healthier meals for kids. He also urged everyone to be healthy role models for children by exercising and eating right.
Next, featured keynote speakers, Sam Kass, White House assistant chef and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, and Phil Lempert, food advocate and media personality, who together discussed how initiatives like the First Lady’s Let’s Move! and Chefs Move to Schools campaign are helping to open eyes to the innovations and opportunities in school meal programs across the country.
They also discussed Kass’ experiences as a guest judge on the episode “Class Acts” of The Food Network’s Chopped television program, a cooking show that emphasizes skill, speed and ingenuity. The audience was shown several clips from the emotional episode that featured four school nutrition professionals and which Kass described as “an amazing moment” and a really powerful moment for him personally.
"In my mind, you guys are heroes. You are truly heroes and you're serving this country and you're serving our kids," said Kass.
Before anyone knew what was happening, Lempert introduced three of the four contestants from the episode— Rhonda DeLoatch, head chef and foodservice director, Common Ground Environmental Charter High School, New Haven, Conn.; Dianne Houlihan, then assistant cook/manager at Great Neck Elementary, Waterford, Conn.; and Arlene Leggio, cook/manager at Islip High School, Long Island, N.Y.
Upon seeing the contestants, the room erupted with applause for the “cafeteria wonder women,” who participated in what School Nutrition recently described as “the single-most positive and inspiring portrayal of school nutrition professionals ever to be broadcast on television.”
It took several minutes for things to calm down, and then Lempert and Kass chatted with the ladies about their experiences on the show, inquiring what would they do differently and would they participate in the program again.
It was obvious by the audience’s reaction that they were inspired and affected, giving everyone an overwhelming sense of renewed pride for the important work they do every day.
"Every day you make a difference. Just be proud of what you do and keep on doing it. Just keep fighting the battle. And just keep loving it the way I do and all our kids will be so grateful," said Dianne Houlihan.
Attendees will have the chance to meet and have their picture taken with the Chopped contestants Rhonda DeLoatch, Dianne Houlihan and Arlene Leggio at the Culinary Demonstration given by McCormick For Chefs on Wednesday, July 18, from 10:30-11:15 am.
Prior to Tuesday’s general session, ANC attendees enjoyed a productive day of professional development, with education sessions on everything from “Choose MyPlate for School Nutrition” and “Avoiding a Showdown: Successfully Working With Your Inspector,” to “Take Your Career to the Next Level with SNA Certification” and “Get the Word Out: Communicating During Food Recalls.”
Can’t get enough ANC excitement? Join SNA on Facebook and @SchoolLunch on Twitter to be part of the conference buzz—or simply add hashtag #ANC12 to your tweets and be part of the conference Twitter stream. Also, check out conference photos on Flickr at www.flickr.com/schoolnutrition.
July 16, 2012 – On Sunday afternoon, attendees of SNA’s Annual National Conference (ANC) were surprised and delighted by a video featuring former President Bill Clinton. In his address, Clinton expressed gratitude for all school nutrition professionals do for the health of the nation’s children.
He also discussed the work of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in partnership with more than 14,000 schools and 100+ companies, “to shift the culture of how American’s think about food and exercise and make healthier options available in our schools and our communities.”
After such an exciting and energizing start to the conference, energy continued to be the buzz-word for the afternoon, as America’s favorite fitness expert, Denise Austin, asked participants to stand up and stretch for one minute. And as everyone participated in this impromptu activity, many remarked that it was the perfect way to end a very productive and eventful day at ANC.
Austin has promoted health and fitness for over 25 years, and currently appears each morning on Lifetime’s “The Balancing Act.” Known for her spunky, high-energy spirit she had the audience mesmerized as she discussed the importance of being the example of healthy living.
“You get to choose if you want to be healthy, happy. It's your choice—and you decide if you want to have a positive attitude,” said Austin.
Earlier in the day, many conference goers took the opportunity to attend the first education session on the hot topic on everyone’s mind – the new meal pattern. Entitled, “We Can Do This: Advice and Resources for Meeting the New Meal Pattern” it is being presented by SNA’s Ad Hoc Meal Pattern Working Group, consisting of school nutrition operators, state agency officials, industry and USDA representatives, and will be repeated throughout the conference.
This session provides a companion guide with sample menus, resources and other valuable tools needed to interpret and implement the new meal pattern regulations. And now the guide is also available online, exclusively for SNA members.
Some of the other nineteen education sessions held on Sunday included “USDA Foods 101,” “Earning and Keeping Your 6 Cents” and “Marketing Is Not Rocket Science!”
Always one of the highlights of ANC, this morning thousands of excited school nutrition professionals crowded the entry way to the Exhibit Hall as SNA President Helen Phillips, SNS, performed the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
The ANC Exhibit Hall is the largest exhibit hall in the school nutrition industry—and this year it’s even bigger than ever, featuring more than 840 booths. Plus, the Exhibit Hall boasts some can’t-miss special events like the Culinary and Cutting-Edge Complex Demonstrations and the Wellness Village.
Once the doors opened, the excitement level was at an all-time high as attendees checked out the latest food and beverage items on the market, plus supply, equipment and service solutions, software/hardware technology and nutrition education resources. And everyone enjoyed sampling a wide variety of foods and beverages on display, including whole-grain products, lowfat and low-sodium items, fruits and vegetables, lowfat dairy foods, nutritious snacks and much more.
Are you a fan? Do you tweet? Well, join in on the conference-related conversations happening now on SNA’s Facebook page and @SchoolLunch on Twitter. You can also add hashtag #ANC12 to your own tweets to have your tweet show up in the conference Twitter stream. Also, be sure to check out all the conference moments captured in photos on Flickr, www.flickr.com/schoolnutrition.
July 9, 2012 – SNA's 2012 Annual National Conference (ANC) in the “Mile High City” starts later this week. Are you one of the thousands of school nutrition professionals ready to immerse themselves in four invigorating days of education and excitement? Before you head out to Denver, here are some additional details to keep in mind.
RegistrationIf you haven’t yet registered, it’s not too late! You may register onsite at the Colorado Convention Center (Lobby F). Just look for the signs pointing you toward Registration.
Already registered? New this year, self-service registration kiosks will be available to bring you a level of registration ease and convenience like never before. Just be sure to print and bring your confirmation letter (which includes a barcode) along with you for express badge printing onsite. Please note the following registration policies:
- You MUST present government issued identification in order to receive your registration packet.- Check your badge and ticket information to make sure it is correct BEFORE leaving Registration.- Attendees MUST pick up their own packets. You will NOT be allowed to pick up another attendee’s registration packet.- Badges MUST be worn at all times during the conference. There will be a fee of $5.00 to reprint a lost badge.- Tickets to ANC events, including the Final Event, will NOT be reprinted, no exceptions.
Plan Your ANC Conference Itinerary in AdvanceThere is a lot to see and do at ANC, so you’ll want to get a jump start planning your conference itinerary. And now you can do just that—before you even step foot in Denver—by previewing the new digital version of the ANC 2012 Program Guide.
Transportation to/from AirportSuperShuttle is the official ANC airport shuttle provider. Attendees will receive SuperShuttle service to and from Denver International Airport and downtown Denver for $22 one way or $38 roundtrip. To use the SuperShuttle, visit their website or call 1-800-BLUEVAN (258-3826) and mention the discount code ANC12. To view the SuperShuttle ANC flyer, click here. Taxi and other transportation services are also readily available from the airport.
Don’t Miss a Minute!Wish you could attend more education session at ANC? New this year, SNA will be audio recording many of the ANC education sessions and will make them available for purchase onsite. It is a perfect way to enhance your professional development and also earn Key Area Hours for certification.
Exhibit HallPlan your Exhibit Hall strategy in advance by checking out all the exhibits in the new digital ANC 2012 Program Guide. The Exhibit Hall is where you’ll take part in special events, too; like the new Cutting-Edge Complex Demonstrations and the popular Wellness Village.
Final EventAnd last, but certainly not least, be sure to join your peers for the Final Event concert featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers, The Beach Boys on Wednesday evening, July 18 (in the Wells Fargo Theatre in the Colorado Convention Center).
High Altitude TipsKnown as the “Mile High City” because Denver is 5,280 feet above sea level – or exactly one mile high. Check out these helpful tips to prepare for the higher altitude, and you likely won’t even notice a difference.
We look forward to seeing you in Denver!
ANC 2012
ANC 2012 Program Guide
ANC 2012 Onsite Registration Form
July 5, 2012 – SNA’s Annual National Conference (ANC) begins next week and we have an exciting agenda planned for you, including numerous special events that will take place throughout the conference.
Here are just a few that you do not want to miss:
SNA Peak Performance Awards CeremonyCelebrate the school nutrition profession at this inspiring annual event, which will be bigger and better than ever before! This year, state, regional and the national award winners will be recognized. These prestigious honors include the Thelma Flanagan Gold Achievement Award, the Louise Sublette Award of Leadership Excellence, the Heart of the Program Award, the Outstanding Director of the Year Award, the Industry Member of the Year Award, Membership & Professional Development Awards and the Districts of Excellence Award.
Photo: EZ Event Photography
School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) Special Event: Puttin’ on the GlitzGet ready for lots of fun and laughs, as you cheer on this year’s lip-sync performers. These special performances are always a ball, as school nutrition professionals unleash their inner diva and/or rock star, and showcase some stellar dance moves, too. This event, which includes door prizes, helps to support SNF’s valuable education programs.
Final Event: The Beach Boys!From start to finish, ANC will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience that you’ll never forget, including the sensational, feel-good Final Event performance featuring The Beach Boys! Come out for an evening of good times and camaraderie (and some singing and dancing, too), as you get swept up in a wave of “Good Vibrations.” You’ll be wowed as these Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers play timeless melodies, like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Surfin’ USA,” “God Only Knows,” “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Kokomo” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
For more details about these special events and everything happening at ANC 2012, check out the new ANC 2012 Digital Program Guide.
ANC 2012 Digital Program Guide