SNA Awards

SNA Awards Program

September 2021, the School Nutrition Association made some major changes to the SNA Awards Program so all members can be recognized for their hard work to ensure well-nourished students across the country are prepared for success.

2025 Nominations is closed.  See the 2025 winners below!

Nominations must be submitted online by March 1, 2025. Click on the logo below for the award and you will be redirected to the information and online submission forms for 2025, when they become available.  There are SNA awards to recognize every member type!

2025 EOY, MOY, and DOY Award Winners

Karen Atherton, Nutrition Services Secretary, Raytown School District, Raytown, Missouri is the 2025 MSNA Employee of the Year!
Karen has worked for the Nutrition Services Department for over 20 years.  She is a wealth of knowledge in so many areas of child nutrition program operations and is highly valued by our entire department.  The Raytown district kitchen staff depend highly on Karen.  She is their first contact for equipment, nutrition software, and POS issues.  Karen also works closely with the district families to assist with negative balances.  When kitchen managers became frustrated with the method for entering work orders, she identified the frustration, gathered feedback from managers, and created a Google Form to simplify the work order process.  As a result Karen improved operations and increased employee satisfaction.  In addition she was able to assist in developing a well thought out plan to accept and apply community donations to negative balances while still meeting federal and state regulations.  Karen’s commitment to her professional development is demonstrated by attending Missouri SNA Annual Conference, knife skill sessions, USDA Foods trainings.  She completes CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Programs) training requiredto operate the After Schools Meals Program.  Karen also completes annual SFSP (Summer Food Service Program) training to assist monitoring program operations to ensure USDA regulation compliance.
Karen is also the 2025 SNA Mountain Plains Regional Employee of the Year award recipient and was featured in the SNA virtual award ceremony HERE!

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!

Colleen Warchola, Kitchen Manager, Raymore-Peculiar School District, Peculiar, Missouri is the 2025 MSNA Manager of the Year!
Colleen provides quality customer service by greeting students daily, learning their names and preferences to create a welcoming atmosphere.  She fosters a positive kitchen environment by recognizing staff achievements, offering training opportunities, and ensuring teamwork during busy meal services.  Colleen ensures all kitchen staff can perform multiple roles, from food prep to cashier duties.  This ongoing training for employees has improved efficiency, reduced staffing issues, and boosted team confidence.  She also fosters a positive work environment, reducing misunderstandings, and increasing overall job satisfaction.  Karen provides time management training for kitchen staff, focusing on streamlining meal prep and reducing downtime.  As a result, meal service has become faster and smoother, improving overall workflow and reducing stress for the team.

CONGRATULATIONS COLLEEN!

Katlyn Lanoue, Food Service Director, Raymore-Peculiar School District, Peculiar, Missouri is the 2025 MSNA Director of the Year!
Katlyn has streamlined the menus to make ordering and serving easier.  She is very hands on and visits each school and helps when and where help is needed.  Katlyn also makes sure to provide great pictures to advertise meals to the social media person.  She advocates for her staff to the district superintendent and school board for raises and recognition.  Katlyn attends district meetings and makes sure to keep food service staff updated on information shared at those meetings.  She has cultivated an excellent rapport with district faculty and the district board of education.  Katlyn has served on the MSNA Board as the Southwest Regional Director, the Professional Development Committee Chair, and is currently the MSNA Vice President, actively contributing to the growth and direction of the association.

CONGRATULATIONS KATLYN!

3% Participation Increase

The 3% Increase Participation Awards for the 2024-2025 school year have been updated.   The submission date is August 1, 2025.

Download the 2024 – 2025 3% Breakfast Award rev. 05_23_2025 and the 2024 – 2025 3% Lunch Award rev. 05_23_2025 using these links.

Star Club

To learn more about the Star Club and credit accumulation, click the Star Club logo above.

Scholarships

This $1000 scholarship opportunity provides current MSNA members the opportunity to attend the SNA Annual National Conference.

Deadline to apply is April 15

Scholarship awarded May 1

For scholarship application, CLICK HERE!

For supervisor approval form, CLICK HERE!

To:                          All Missouri School Nutrition Association (MSNA) members

From:                    MSNA Board of Directors

Subject:               Pursuing Excellence in Child Nutrition Scholarship

The Missouri School Nutrition Association supports the Pursuing Excellence in Child Nutrition scholarship program for MSNA members wishing to become Certified and/or Credentialed!

SNA’s Certification Program is based on the standards of practice and indicators in the Keys to Excellence in School Food and Nutrition Programs that define nationally accepted standards for quality programs.  MSNA encourages every member to become nationally Certified and/or Credentialed through the SNA professional development program.  To help make it possible, MSNA will reimburse every member for the first year application fee associated with the level of Certification/Credentialing, along with the exam fee for Credentialing.

Certification:  All Levels

Any MSNA member pursuing SNA Certification can apply for reimbursement for the application fees ($20-$35).  After successfully achieving any new level of Certification, MSNA members can also apply for reimbursement for the application fee associated with the new level ($20-$35).

Credentialing:

MSNA members wishing to become Credentialed will be reimbursed for the testing fees ($225) when they successfully pass the examination.  In addition, newly Credentialed members will be eligible to receive reimbursement for their first year dues ($70).

Go to the SNA website https://schoolnutrition.org/ and click on the Careers & Training/Certificate & Credentialing tabs for complete eligibility requirements.

For MSNA Certification/Credentialing Reimbursement Request Form, Click HERE!

SNF Scholarships

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) provides School Nutrition Association (SNA) members with the opportunity to attend SNA’s Legislative Action Conference (LAC), School Nutrition Industry Conference (SNIC) and Annual National Conference (ANC), as well as professional development scholarships to further their education and career. More than $50,000 is available this year to support members.

Click HERE for more information.