School Nutrition Association selects school lunch heroes

Looking to give school nutrition pros some recognition for feeding their communities, the School Nutrition Association has awarded three individuals with national honors.

Members of the industry were considered nationwide, with three finalists selected at the employee, manager and director levels. Patricia Embry from Hurricane Deck Elementary in Camdenton, Mo., received Employee of the Year; Bonnie Schmidt from Morris Area High School in Morris, Minn., received Manager of the Year; and Lucretia Chancler from St. Landry Parish School System in Opelousas, La., received Director of the Year.

The winners all demonstrated passion and creativity in their roles, according to the SNA. Embry is known for her crafty food art displays, engagement with students and Tasty Tuesdays, where she hands out food samples and tallies student feedback. At Morris Area High School, Schmidt invigorates her team with spirited events such as flash mobs and staff dress-up days. She also develops recipes for families involved in the summer food drop program. Incorporating technology to enhance student nutrition, Chancler’s addition of POS touch screens, bar code scanners, temperature monitoring systems and nutrtion analysis software helped to earn her the honor.

The winners will be celebrated on School Lunch Hero Day on May 2, with the help of Jarrett J. Krosoczka, illustrator of the Lunch Lady graphic novels. In July, 17 other regional winners will be recognized at SNA’s annual conference.