Pre-registration required. The SNS credential signifies that an individual has passed the School Nutrition Specialist exam, demonstrated the knowledge and competencies necessary to manage school nutrition programs, and is dedicated to continuing their professional development. When you have completed the exam, walk out with your head high, knowing that you gave it your best shot and soon you might have your SNS! Please allow 6-8 weeks for your results.
At some point in your life, no matter your occupation, you will need to deliver a presentation, speak in front of a large or small group, lead a meeting, or simply get your point across to your co-workers. For you to be an effective speaker, your communication, verbal, nonverbal, and writing skills, must be clear and confident. Mastering these skills will help you reduce your fear and anxiety surrounding these situations and greatly enhance your chances of being understood and getting what you want.
Unconscious bias can be detrimental to any group, and overcoming it takes the effort of everyone involved. Whether it is at your job, with friends and family, or in an outside organization; unconscious bias shapes how we interact with each other as individuals, as teams, as a company, as a state, and as a country. This session will take you deeper into recognizing bias in yourself and the systems around you. It will equip you with constructive steps to grow individually, as a team, and as an organization so that you, and the people around you are best equipped to succeed.
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Directors and Supervisors Expo Preview
This is a special time period to give individuals who make or influence purchasing decisions the opportunity to have in-depth conversations about school food products, equipment, and services. Attendees must be wearing their Directors/Supervisors badge to enter, or enter with their supervisor.
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM Educational Sessions
The Judson C Crane One Page Plan for Financial Independence
Speaker: Jud Crane, FSNA President-Elect, Purchasing Director, Santa Rosa County Schools
How do you build credit? How do you open an IRA, and should you? Is being in debt really that bad? No matter how much money you make, good financial practices will make a positive impact on your wellbeing. But the financial world is large and confusing, and money is easy to spend, so we're bringing in a financial guru from Santa Rosa County who can tell you which paths to take and which to avoid. By the end of this session, you'll have a clear idea of how to build your own financial safety net and prepare for retirement
10:30 AM - 3:00 PM Exhibit Hall Open to all Attendees
3:15 PM - 5:30 PM FDACS Town Hall
Speaker: Lakeisha Hood, Food, Nutrition, Wellness Director, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Directors and Supervisors, join us for an in-depth discussion about the current pandemic and its effects on school foodservice. As SFS professionals, we’re used to dealing with emergency situations like feeding and sheltering the public after disasters, but this pandemic has brought new challenges, and we need new solutions. FDACS Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Director Lakeisha Hood will share details about the changes from FDACS, and she wants to hear from you. Together, we can move forward stronger and ready to face the next surprise that comes our way.
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Educational Sessions
A Pediatrician's Perspective: School Meals and Student Health
Speaker: Dr. Robert Murray, MD, FAAP, Professor, Human Nutrition at Ohio State University
A representative from the American Academy of Pediatrics shares the importance of school meals and gives an outlook on student health. (Includes time for Q&A)
Keeping Your Equipment Running After Warranty
Speakers: Chuck Ainsworth, Director of Business Development, SFSPac
Chip Constantini, Executive VP of Sales, Central Region, Unisource Marketing
Paul Ebaugh, Supervisor, Food & Nutrition Services, Lee County Schools
Schools spend thousands on equipment each year and after a period of time, the machine warranty runs out. Now what? How do you keep that machine running in tip top shape? How do you get the longest life out of that equipment? We will have chemical, equipment and service representatives on this panel to share strategies that you can use right away. This experienced panel will drill into regional issues with water, labor, and quality as well. Be prepared to submit anonymous questions you always wanted to ask.
USDA Foods and You Today!
Speaker: Malissa Marsden, SNS, consultant for American Egg Board and Mushroom Council
When you think of USDA Foods, do you think of on-trend choices, clean-label ingredients or a rainbow of variety? USDA Food options are incredibly versatile and offer what both students and parents want. Maximizing USDA Foods requires ongoing planning and forecasting, as well as recipe and menu development. Join the American Commodity Distribution Association to learn speed-scratch techniques and great recipes using USDA Foods to leverage today’s trendy menu concepts.
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Educational Sessions
Manager Meet-Up: Handling Difficult Situations
Facilitators: Tony Jenkins, Senior Manager, Training and Quality Assurance, Orange County School Food & Nutrition Services
Paul Ingram, Cafeteria Manager, Crystal River High School, Citrus County Schools
Some people say Cafeteria Managers are the heart and soul of the nutrition program. Maybe that’s because it’s such a challenging position with so many different skills needed. Somedays, from minute to minute, you’re a cook, a counselor, a child care worker, a data specialist, and a repair person. But all day every day you’re the manager. From turning the lights on at 5AM, to handing that first child their meal, to wiping down that last table, managers must have a wide array of knowledge to complete each day’s cycle. At this session, managers will have the opportunity to have focused discussions with other managers about the most difficult aspects of their jobs.
Cheese 101: Let’s Taste Some Cheese!
Speaker: Josh Diekman, Corporate Executive Chef, Land O’ Lakes
For all lovers of cheese, increase your knowledge to share with family and friends or to enhance your career. In this course we will taste and discover a variety of different cheeses. Let’s learn the differences between each cheese and what gives cheese its characteristics. What makes cheddar, cheddar? What exactly makes Gouda so Gooda? What cheese is best for the recipe? Through tastings and a live cheese making demonstration, we will learn the answers to all of these questions and more.
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Friday Night Fling
Andretti’s Indoor Karting and Games
Join us for a racin’ good time at Andretti’s, less than ONE mile from the convention center. Have dinner and drinks, let the good times roll at the boutique bowling alley, explore the 120+ game arcarde area, and take a few laps on Andretti’s state of the art indoor go kart courses! Racing champions will be recognized! All attendees and show vendors are encouraged to attend!
Saturday, March 13th
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Educational Sessions
Forecasting and Procurement: Best Practices
Speakers: Rae Hollenbeck, Executive Director, P.O.W.E.R. Buying Group
Kyle Jordan, MPA, FCCM, NSLP-USDA Program Director, FDACS
Excellent forecasting practices are important in the best of times, but now more than ever, there is great value in understanding and navigating procurement issues caused by the pandemic. In this session, an experienced panel with a wide range of knowledge will go over the best practices for forecasting and commodity procurement, leaving you more comfortable and confident during the pandemic and onward.
Allergies Run Down
Speakers: Raina Rivera, Food Service Supervisor, Alachua County Schools
Skye Grundy, RD, LD, SNS, Nutrition Specialist, Manatee County Schools
Kelly Niblett, RDN, LD, SNS, Nutrition Specialist, Citrus County Schools
Dealing with allergies and intolerances in school nutrition can be stressful, and if handled wrong, dangerous. In this panel discussion, we'll show you the best ways to keep track of customer allergies, communicate with nurses and coworkers, understand religious preferences, and learn the true difference between an allergy and an intolerance. This session will leave you with less stress when dealing with allergies and help you keep your customers safe.
What’s Trending?
Speaker: Gary Jones, Culinary Environmental Specialist, Walt Disney World Resort
Robert Reese, Health and Wellness Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
Do you love to go out to eat? Of course you do, and so do kids! Why? Because restaurants know trends. They follow the latest curious and exciting flavor pairings, presentation styles that add fun or convenience to eating, nutrition discoveries, and even texture profiles. Food trends are important because they drive procurement, marketing, preparation and finally -- participation. At this exciting session, two experienced Disney chefs and trend experts will give you the inside scoop on what they are doing to give customers the ultimate taste experience and how they are marketing. Remember, everybody wants to eat something that is artisanal and crafted!
9:15 AM - 10:30 AM Keynote
