About the Award

The State Award of Excellence (formerly the President’s Award of Excellence) recognizes three states each year who successfully implement strategies that advance school nutrition programs in their states and who made the extra effort in achieving excellence in each of SNA’s four Strategic Goals.

How Will the Applicants be Judged?

In order to provide equal opportunity for states of different sizes, the State’s Award of Excellence is awarded to one state president in each of the three-member divisions:

Small Affiliates (1-500 Member Division)
Medium Affiliates (501-1,000 Member Division)
Large Affiliates (1,001+ Member Division)

The applications (Year-End Reports) will be judged by a group of volunteers using the following criteria:

I. Voice of School Nutrition (20% of score)
Demonstrate successful initiatives implemented during the year that resulted in enhancing the voice of school nutrition.

II. Career Development and Growth (20% of score)
Demonstrate successful initiatives implemented during the year that resulted in career development and growth for members.

III. Stakeholder Community (20% of score)
Demonstrate successful initiatives implemented during the year that resulted in engaging the stakeholder community.

IV. Thriving Organization (20% of score)
Demonstrate successful initiatives implemented during the year that resulted in building a thriving organization.

V. Membership and Professional Development Goals1 (20% of score)
Meet or exceed a 2% increase in membership.
Achieve a retention rate matching or better than the average retention rate of SNA.
Meet or exceed a 2% increase in SNA Certificate program participation.
Increase in SNS Credentialing.

How Will the Winners Be Recognized?

The three State Award of Excellence winners will be announced at the Opening General Session at SNA’s Annual National Conference. The state president will each be given a special plaque on behalf of their state to commemorate this accomplishment.

 

How to Apply

State Associations will automatically be entered to win the State Award of Excellence by completing and submitting the Year-End Report to SNA by May 31 of each year.

Submission Deadline

May 31, 2024

Award Winners

2023
Georgia School Nutrition Association
School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania
School Nutrition Association of Connecticut

2022
Kate Murphy
Food Nutrition District Director
Naugatuck School District
Naugatuck, Connecticut

Sharon Glosson, MS, RDN, LD
Executive Director
North East Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas

Emily Hanlin
Executive Director, Food and Nutrition Services
Cobb County School District
Smyrna, Georgia

2021
Jennifer Bujak-Hirsch
Food Services Director
Crestwood Local School District
Mantua, Ohio

Terri Smith
Manager of Food Service Operations
Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore County, Maryland

Erica Biagetti
Food and Nutrition Services Director
Cheshire Public Schools
Cheshire, Connecticut

2020
Shelly Mohr
Food Services Director
Tipton Community School District
Tipton, Iowa

Marci Lexa
Director of Nutrition
Henry County Public Schools
Collinsville, Virginia

2019
Tammy Posey, West Virginia
Jerie Ortez, Utah
Chris Burkhardt, Ohio

2018
Karen Kempf, Illinois
Sandra Cocca, New York
Christi Fink, Alabama