FM’s special preview of SNA’s Annual National Conference: Get in-the-know for school nutrition’s big summer summit

Tara Fitzpatrick

The School Nutrition Association (SNA)’s 2023 Annual National Conference (ANC) kicks off Sunday, July 9, with Opening Keynote Heather R. Younger, an employee engagement consultant and CEO who will talk about active listening, an appropriate topic to start three days of learning and sharing info with professional colleagues.

Younger’s keynote is set to gift the audience with “an inspired understanding of how to practice active listening with those who look to them for guidance,” a great—yet underrated—leadership tool.

The theme of ANC ’23 (#ANC23 if you’re hashtagging) is “Reach Higher,” explained on SNA’s website as not defined by “stretching your resources or your health and well-being to their limits to improve your school nutrition program,” but rather, “reaching for help and resources from new sources and climbing to the peak of school nutrition excellence.”

The conference schedule, starting with pre-conference workshops on Saturday, July, 8, continues through Tuesday, July 11, with education sessions, culinary labs, roundtable discussions and general sessions focused on common challenges and solutions for school nutrition professionals. Shorter 30-minute “Learning Bursts” will get down to the nuts and bolts of topics like training solutions, student engagement, farm to school and fundraising.

About 6,000 school nutrition professionals and 800 exhibitor booths are expected at the conference, which got its start back in 1947, when it was held in Dallas with 478 attendees and 39 exhibitors. No doubt about it, this association has really grown! PS: For insider recos on restaurants to check out while you’re in Denver, here’s a hot list from our sister pub, Restaurant Hospitality.