A Message from Your SNA Industry Advisory Council Chair
The world and industry changed in an instant. Never in our lifetime have we seen such a confluence of events simultaneously shut down daily life and create such an immediate need, in all of our communities. Lost in the news is that over the course of a weekend, school nutrition professionals mobilized what can be considered the largest emergency feeding effort in history. Our partners created systems of delivery and often times putting themselves directly in peril to make sure their student customers continued to receive these meals.

Not lost in this herculean effort is the response from members of industry who supply school nutrition. During this crisis, you have had to balance the health of your business, employees and the custom needs of our partners. This has required you to change production lines, modify deliveries and make immediate investment. Businesses are working together and with school nutrition programs to ensure critical supplies reach every corner of the country.

Our business has changed, probably in some ways permanently. We know that the need for feeding will increase as we meet both as partners and citizens. SNA is engaged with USDA and lawmakers literally around the clock. SNA continues to field and communicate industry needs and I encourage you to stay engaged with their updates. Further, as you see opportunities for policy to support our mutual efforts, I encourage you to reach out.

These are unprecedented times, and I am humbled to be a part of an industry collective working together with the mutual goal of our customers to meet the child nutrition needs of our country.

Sincerely,
Sean Leer
SNA Industry Advisory Council Chair

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at  sean@goldstarfoods.com
April 2020
2020 SPONSORSHIP BROCHURE
Check out promotion opportunities in the Sponsorship Brochure!
DID YOU KNOW

Of those directors reporting they will serve new international items in SY2019-20, the three most frequently reported cuisines were Asian (56%), Mexican/Latino (24%), and Indian (5%). Learn more in SNA’s 2019 Trends Report .
SNA CALENDAR

July 12-14, 2020
Nashville, Tenn.


Important Announcements
Now Available on Demand Feed School Kids Now: How Industry Partners Can Help School Feeding During COVID-19 Webinar

Join speakers SNA Chief Executive Officer Patricia Montague, CAE, SNA Staff Vice President of Membership and Professional Development Jen Lewi, CAE, SNA Research Manager Donovan Lessard and SNA Industry Advisory Council Chair and CEO of Gold Star Foods, Sean Leer, as they address the challenges and opportunities of feeding millions of children during the COVID-19 crisis. Register to learn more.
SNA COVID-19 Webinar Series Partnership Opportunities

Take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to partner with SNA on providing COVID-19 webinar series to assist our members during these uncertain times. Over 3,000 operators have registered to participate, and all are recorded and hosted in the SNA Training Zone , which over 18,000 participants/year have taken advantage of! Topics will include timely and relevant information such as leading a team in a virtual world, adjusting to remote work, effective communication during school closures and so much more! If you are interested and would like more details, please contact SNA Business Development Manager Nita Artis at nartis@schoolnutrition.org .
SNA COVID-19 Request for Industry Resources

In our ongoing attempt to provide resources to our members during this difficult time, we are asking our valued industry partners to share tools, resources or ideas on how you are supporting our operators. Please email your information to Nita Artis at nartis@schoolnutrition.org so that we can compile and organize your thoughts and resources. SNA is continuing to provide the most up -to-date information on the COVID-19 pandemic relevant to school nutrition professionals on our webpage and plan to include this information as well. Be sure to check out and see what some of your industry peers are doing to date!
SNA Spring 2020 Industry Boot Camp CANCELLED

SNA has been closely monitoring what is going on with COVID-19 and we made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 Spring Boot Camp meetings. The Fall Industry Boot Camps are scheduled: November 4-5 (Level I); November 10-11 (Level II-F&B) or November 12-13 (Level II-E&T). Stay tuned for registration and housing to open soon.
SNA State Conference Cancellations

We now have all of the state conference cancellations listed on the State Support Center – State Conference webpage . Please be sure to check back for daily updates.

The non-profit School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has launched the " Help Feed School Kids Now! " fundraising campaign to support school nutrition professionals’ emergency feeding operations during COVID-19 school closures. SNF will award grants to schools to address urgent needs due to the transition from traditional cafeteria service to grab-and-go meal pick-up and delivery models. School meal programs operate on extremely tight budgets, funded by cafeteria sales and reimbursements for meals served. With revenue declines due to closures, many school meal programs lack critical funds to purchase necessary equipment and supplies or cover transportation, temporary staffing and other costs associated with COVID-19 feeding programs.
SN Magazine April Issue—COVID-19 Special Edition
SNA truly values our members—and to help you the best we can during this challenging time, this month’s issue of School Nutrition (SN) features special coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency feeding in schools. Featured articles include:

  • at-press-time updates on the pandemic;
  • accurate information to help separate myths from facts;
  • highlights of emergency feeding efforts led by school nutrition teams;
  • perspectives from industry partners;
  • and more.
Annual National Conference Reminders
SNA continues to consider all options in relation to COVID-19’s impact on the Association’s Annual National Conference (ANC) in Nashville, TN, July 12-14, 2020. SNA is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Gaylord Opryland Resort and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau concerning the effect of the current global pandemic on their property, and SNA’s contractual obligations and ability to host ANC in July. The safety of our members, attendees, exhibitors, volunteers and staff is our highest priority. SNA continues to monitor the situation very closely. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this unprecedented and unpredictable time, and we will continue to keep you updated.
Do You Know How to Increase Your Priority Points?

Priority points are earned from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 and are compiled based on the following criteria.

Remember that these points will determine your scheduled appointment for exhibitor sign-up for ANC 2021 Chicago. Contact the following SNA Centers to show your support and to increase your points at (800) 877-8822:

  • Meetings (exhibits/booths) at ext. 140
  • Business Development (membership & sponsorship) at ext. 173
  • Communications (advertising) at ext. 112
  • School Nutrition Foundation (sponsorship) at ext. 131
Change in Personnel
Please notify SNA when there is a change in staff or management, so that we can update your company record. Please email meetings@schoolnutrition.org. Thank you.
Legislative & Regulatory Update
COVID-19 Policy Updates

SNA continues to advocate on behalf of members working to ensure students are not going hungry during COVID-19 closures. As schools began COVID-19 related closures, SNA acted quickly by sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlining proactive measures to maintain student access to healthy meals. At SNA’s 2020 Legislative Action Conference , U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced waivers that would allow SFAs enrolled in SFSP and SSO to serve meals in a non-congregate setting. USDA has continued to provide flexibilities as needs are identified. A complete list of waivers are available on USDA’s website. On March 18, the President signed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act . Among other provisions, the bill provides USDA authority to issue nationwide waivers that may increase costs to the federal government. On March 27, Congress passed a $2 Trillion relief package, the CARES Act , including items that will impact feeding programs including $9 billion to fund child nutrition improvements.
SNA Joins Allied Groups on Letter to USDA in Wake of COVID-19

SNA joined numerous allied groups in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s (USDA/FNS) leadership to request additional nationwide waivers, including waiving Area Eligibility requirements, to ensure access to healthy meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Association will continue to advocate on behalf of members working to safely serve students during school closures.
Share Your Comments With USDA

There’s still time to submit your comments to USDA on the recent proposed rule to simplify meal service and monitoring requirements in the NSLP and SBP. Use SNA’s convenient comment submission template to have your voice heard. USDA wants to hear from the professionals on the front lines–your experience and insight is valuable.
SNA Comments on Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced-Price Categories

On March 23, 2020, SNA submitted detailed comments to USDA as part of the Federal Register notice Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools.
Tune in to Tuesday Morning

During this COVID-19 national crisis, school nutrition programs are facing never-before-seen challenges. Policies and procedures are rapidly evolving to meet the needs of industry and operators so they can continue to feed hungry students. Subscribe to SNA’s weekly policy newsletter, Tuesday Morning so you can stay in the loop and make sure you never miss an update.