February 15, 2013 – The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) is pleased to announce the first Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow, Sandi Walter, SNS, from Maryville City (Tenn.) Schools.

Walter has 20 years of school nutrition experience and is the cafeteria manager of Coulter Grove Intermediate School in Maryville. She is a certified SNA trainer and currently serves as the president of the Maryville Chapter of the Tennessee School Nutrition Association. 

The award, established in July 2012 in honor of school nutrition pioneer and advocate Dr. Josephine Martin, enables an SNA member to attend the Legislative Action Conference (LAC) for the first time.

It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Martin’s passion for child nutrition and ensures that the voices of nutrition professionals will continue to be heard by legislators and policy makers at the local, state and national level.

When asked about her upcoming trip to Washington, Walter said, “Attending LAC offers me an opportunity to network with school nutrition leaders and learn about the important issues facing our industry. Child nutrition is where I want to be and is a field that allows for creativity and innovation, as well as providing me an opportunity to serve my community.”

Walter will be recognized during the first general session at LAC on Sunday, March 3rd. 

Funding for the Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow is made possible by the Josephine Martin Endowment Fund at SNF. The Endowment is still accepting contributions to reach its $75,000 goal. To date the Endowment has raised approximately $22,000. 

To learn more about the fund, make a contribution and chart the progress as we reach our goal, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/JosephineMartin.